How can Search Engine Marketers (SEM) Benefit From a VPN
This article offers a few key benefits of integrating VPN technology into SEM work. It might make all the difference between stellar marketing campaigns and crushing disappointment.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a crucial part of the global economy. With Google alone processing 40,000 searches every
But if you've explored the world of SEM, you'll know things aren't so simple. However, with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) on your side, things can change.
1. Organize surveys for less
Online and real-world surveys are one of the most important SEM tools around, providing a window into how customers are thinking right now. But organizing scientifically designed, methodologically valid surveys isn't something individual SEM marketers can do. So they reach out to specialists like Vindale.
Here's where things can get very expensive. That's especially the case for those based outside the USA, who often don't qualify for special offers.
Survey sites tend to use geo-filters to police who has access to their resources, and who can benefit from their deals. But by using a VPN, marketers can pretend to be based in the USA, theoretically giving them access to the best possible prices.
2. Research different geographical markets
VPNs also make it much easier to use search engines like Google to research the market and get a handle on the differences between geographical regions.
As we all know, Google delivers results based on the user's location. So, if you are searching in the USA, you'll generally receive .com results. But this can make it very hard to find out what Mexican (or even Canadian) web users are searching for.
The only real way around this issue is by rerouting your traffic with a dependable VPN.
3. Use a VPN to gather intel on competitors' ads
In the SEM world, we need to know exactly what our rivals are doing. This means parsing how they are advertising their products, where they are doing so, and how successful their efforts are.
But when you visit content aggregators to see competitors' ads, things aren't so simple. Many sites and search engines will tailor the ads you see based on our browsing or purchasing history. So there's bound to be some distortion, no matter how clean your browsing has been.
With a VPN, you can essentially wipe the slate clean. When you visit sites, you'll receive an unbiased portfolio of ads, giving you the best chance to monitor what the competition is up to.
4. Build links without falling foul of website filters
Link building is an important part of many SEM strategies, especially those designed for smaller, up and coming businesses. By placing links on third party websites, and choosing their sources wisely, marketers can generate SEO momentum behind products and sites, which is gold dust for SEM campaigns.
However, there's a catch here as well. Many of the most profitable places to post links impose strict limits on how many links individuals can add. These limits are policed by IP-based filters, which log your visits and posts, locking you out after a certain number of interactions.
With a VPN, you can make these restrictions virtually inoperative. That way, you can operate multiple personas on key forums, social media sites, or blogs, and link away to your heart's content.
5. Get an accurate feel for search rankings
Returning to Google results, one of the most important metrics of all for SEM marketers is raw search rankings. But as Google has made its search results more specific to each user, accessing pristine raw data has become much, much harder.
If you want to know exactly how many results are returned for certain search terms, the only way to do so is via a VPN. Engaging a VPN resets the algorithms used by Google to deliver your results, eliminating filters based around your preferences.
6. Keep your precious data safe from thieves
VPNs don't just allow SEM professionals to gather data more efficiently or post anonymously. They also encrypt online data, and this can have huge SEM benefits.
SEM can be a cut-throat world. Agencies and freelance professionals are constantly seeking an advantage over their peers, and companies constantly seek insights into the data held by their key rivals.
This leads to a slightly unhealthy dynamic where theft and hacking are depressingly common. Some people will stop at nothing to secure, steal, and exploit data that has been painstakingly accumulated. And this can render weeks of work worthless.
With 256-bit military grade encryption, your online movements, emails, and local data will be much harder to access. You may still want to think about using encrypted email or Cloud storage, but you'll be a far less vulnerable target for unscrupulous competitors, that's for sure.
Make a VPN your next marketing purchase
We've seen that VPNs can beat Google's personalization systems, make it easier to run linking campaigns, shield your data from hackers, enable cheaper survey purchases, and research markets in other countries.
However, you definitely need to source a dependable, high-quality VPN. Free or budget versions can let you down in terms of anonymity and encryption, so use our reviews and go for a reliable privacy partner. That way, you'll be able to revolutionize the way you carry out SEM projects.