What is a DIR (Doing-It-Right) philosophy of Search Engine Marketing (SEM)?
A good question! First, we should note that DIR (Doing-It-Right) philosophy is traditionally applied to deep diving as a set of guidelines and principles focused on safety and efficiency. Diving can be a dangerous activity, and the DIR philosophy provides a framework for minimizing risks and maximizing safety with a focus on efficient communication.
Our team at SEMdeepdive loves to run with the “deep-dive” motif and it’s in this context that we began to draft some guiding principles to search engine marketing and broader advertising services as a whole.
We were thrilled to find this type of DIR framework can be readily adapted as guide for maximizing ROIs and minimizing the risks for businesses spending money on SEM (search engine marketing).
To keep the list as functional as possible, we narrowed down the principles to the 10 main categories featured below.

Doing-It-Right Principles of SEM:
Proper Training
Continuous education and training of the team on the latest SEM trends, best practices, and tools is ensured to ensure efficient and effective campaigns.
Keyword Research
Careful research and selection of the most relevant keywords for the target audience is carried out to improve the chances of reaching the right people at the right time.
Ad copy and Landing Pages
Compelling and accurate ad copy is created and landing pages are ensured to align with the ad message to reduce bounce rates and increase conversions.
Budget Management
Clear budgets are established and campaign performance is regularly monitored to ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively.
A/B Testing
Continuous testing of different ad copy, images, and landing pages is carried out to optimize the campaigns and improve performance.
Analytics and Tracking
Analytics and tracking tools are used to monitor campaign performance and data-driven decisions are made to improve ROI.
Communication and Teamwork
Regular communication with the team and stakeholders is carried out to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards common goals.
Personal Responsibility
Responsibility is taken for actions and decisions and accountability is ensured for the performance of the campaigns.
Continuous Improvement
Continuous seeking of new opportunities for improvement and openness to feedback and suggestions from the team and stakeholders is carried out.
Conservative Approach
Unnecessary risks are avoided and the safety and well-being of the team and the company’s reputation is always prioritized.
By following these principles, the risk of poor performance is reduced and ROI is maximized.