Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Using paid search ads to appear in search results for targeted queries. SEM captures high-intent demand instantly, complementing the slower build of organic SEO.
Related terms
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The practice of improving a site’s visibility in organic search results through content, technical health, and authority. SEO is a durable, compounding channel for demand capture and demand generation.
Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
The page a search engine returns for a query, including organic links, ads, and features like snippets and knowledge panels. Understanding SERP layout shapes both SEO and SEM strategy.
Keyword Research
The process of finding the search terms an audience uses, along with their volume, difficulty, and intent. Keyword research guides which topics and pages will attract qualified organic traffic.
Search Intent
The underlying goal behind a search query — informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional. Matching content to search intent is essential to ranking and converting.
Backlink
A link from another website to yours, treated by search engines as a vote of confidence in your content. Quality backlinks are a major driver of domain authority and rankings.
Domain Authority
A third-party score estimating how likely a website is to rank in search, based largely on its backlink profile. It is a useful relative benchmark rather than a metric search engines use directly.
Find AI tools for your GTM stack
Browse the best AI tools for lead gen, demand gen, outbound, SEO, and more.
Explore Tools