As we all know, in order to learn and grow, one needs to ask questions.  In the world of online marketing and search engine marketing, there are always a number of questions to ask.  For those B2B marketers who were early adopters of search, the questions they seek answers to are quite common.  For those B2B marketers who are new to the game, the questions they have afre many.  So then which questions become the most important questions with regards to setting up and implemeting an effective online marketing campaign?  We have come up with a number of them, but here is a sample of ten important SEM questions that we get asked by smart B2B marketers.

1.  How can search engine marketing fit in an integrated marketing plan? - Every purchase or buying relationship that has an online component (what B2B relationship doesn't?) starts with a query in a search engine. Smart B2B marketers look for innovative ways to integrate search engine marketing with an entire marketing plan.

2.  How can we measure & track branding campaigns? - Smart B2B marketers understand that the immediate return from a branding campaign is difficult to reconcile, if only because the objective is not necessarily to create or drive conversions/sales but to increase the visibility, recognition, and identification of the brand by a core target market.
3. How do we understand our user's search behavior?  - Understand how the user will interact with a page of search results is key to being able to intercept your target market.
4. Should we utilize blackhat tactics to gain an advantage? - A better question is do you feel comfortable using questionable tactics in anything that you do?
5.  What kind of services should we be looking for when it comes to search engine marketing? - This depends on what the current status of your online presence is.
6. How do we effectively track PPC Campaigns? - Should you track the campaigns daily, weekly or monthly?
7. How can we stay abreast of the latest technologies? - In order to be the best that you can be continuous improvement is key.  Staying abreast of the latest technologies can be a daunting task.  However it doesn't always have to be…
8. How much budget should we set for our search marketing campaign? - There are often additional requirements identified during the course of execution of an online marketing campaign. In order to control costs it is imperative that you control scope.
9. What tools should we use to monitor our campaign? - There are a number of tools used to manage PPC, PI & SEO, but which ones are the most effective?
10. How do we test our landing pages? - Landing page testing is built around collected SEM best practices, a complete understanding of the purchasing and consideration behavior of the target market.

These are but a sample of questions that B2B marketers are seeking answers to.  In order to drive a successful campaign as marketers we need to continue to seek answers to questions such as thes so that we can provide our clients with an effective online experience that becomes a powerful lead generation tool.