There is no doubt that search engine optimization (SEO) is an effective way to establish an online presence for your business. But search engine marketing (SEM) and pay per click (PPC) platforms like Google Adwords should also be part of your marketing arsenal.

Here are the top 4 ways to effectively use Google Adwords for search engine marketing:

1. Establish an immediate presence. If your business is only just now turning its sights to the Internet, then you have a lot of catching up to do. No matter what business you’re in, chances are some of your competitors already have a big head start in terms of ranking highly in the search engines for valuable keywords that potential customers use to find your products and services. But this is where Google Adwords can help. A PPC campaign allows you to immediately establish an online presence for your business while you wait for your organic search engine optimization efforts to take hold and start bearing fruit.

2. Test products, keywords and messages. If you’re launching a new product or want to test out a new advertising message before going full scale, then Google Adwords is the perfect platform. You can have a new ad running in less than an hour, which will allow you to see how your target audience responds before committing tons of resources to a product or message that turns out to be a flop.

3. Promote seasonal or time sensitive products and services. SEO efforts take time, but Google Adwords, one of the most effective search engine marketing tools, allows you to quickly promote seasonal and time sensitive products or services without waiting months for them to appear organically in the search engines. This allows your business to easily transition from season to season and adapt to other changes in the market.

4. Gain valuable market data and insight. Google Adwords provides a wealth of information about your target audience, which can be used to further research and plan your SEM efforts. You can even use this PPC platform to track conversions so that you know what your "money keywords" are, which helps when deciding what keywords to focus your SEO efforts on. It’s also useful for inventory planning and trend spotting, because it allows you to identify noticeable shifts in what your audience are searching for and what they are buying.