Search engine marketing (SEM) is a form of Internet marketing that involves the promotion of websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) through optimization and advertising.SEM may use search engine optimization (SEO), which adjusts or changes website content to achieve a higher ranking in search engine results pages, or use pay per click (PPC) There are four categories of methods and metrics used to optimize websites through search engine marketing

1. Keyword research and analysis contains three "steps": certifying the site can be indexed in the search engines, finding the most related and popular keywords for the site and its products, and using those keywords on the site in a way that will generate and change traffic. A follow-on effect of keyword analysis and research is the search insight impact. Search observation impact describes the identified effect of a brand's search results on consumer sensitivity, including title and meta tags, site indexing, and keyword focus. As online searching is often the first step for possible consumers/customers, the search insight impact shapes the brand impression for each individual.