Before Pope Leo XIV was elected, a centuries-old procedure regarding the late pontiff’s ring was followed.
The Smart Lab: 3 Competitive Advantages of Paid Search
It’s a key element to securing the attention of shoppers online, Smart Age Solutions CEO Emmanuel Raheb writes.

As a jeweler in 2019, you want to make sure you have a solid digital marketing strategy to gain the attention of online shoppers in your area.
Any good digital marketing strategy will include a mix of different forms of marketing, but most of your budget likely will be allocated to paid search. Here are three reasons why paid search is so important.
Reason #1: Competitors Can Buy Your Name Online
Paid search is one of the best ways to direct traffic to your website. You can make sure your site appears at the top of the search results on Google by bidding on specific keywords.
When people search for things online, Google divides what the person typed in the search bar into different “keywords.” Advertisers can then bid money on these different keywords and the amount of money (combined with several other factors, such as brand reputation quality) determines which advertiser’s ad gets served to the person searching.
The game to win the attention of shoppers online is fiercely competitive. One strategy your competitors might use is buying your company’s name so that their company appears ahead of, or right under, yours when someone searches, as we see below with Rare Carat and Blue Nile.
Imagine having someone search for your jewelry store only to end up on your competitor’s website! (Editor’s note: While it is legal to bid on your competitor’s name so that your ad appears, you are not allowed to use your competitor’s name in the ad copy; Jensen Jewelers accused Signet Jewelers-owned chain Zalesof engaging in this practice and sued the company in federal court last January.)
To avoid this nightmare scenario, make sure you have a paid search strategy in place.
Reason #2: You Can Ensure Top Placement For “High-Intent” Searches
The words people type into Google’s search bar can be used to determine their intent for the search.
High-intent searches include keywords like “buy” or “near me.” When companies bid for these keywords and appear high in the search rankings, they are more likely to make a sale than companies that do not implement such keywords.
Reason #3: You Can Appear Before Your Competitors for the Same Searches
You might think there isn’t a big difference in appearing first, second or third in a Google search. The data, however, tells us that the difference can mean a lot in terms of profit.
When thousands of people are searching online, the difference in these numbers can mean a lot in terms of your bottom line and/or in-store traffic.
As you can see, the importance of paid search in a digital marketing strategy cannot be overstated.
According to Gartner L2, a New York-based research firm, the jewelry industry continues to lag behind other industries online. Jewelry brands and stores that invest heavily online now will have an early-mover advantage.
Emmanuel Raheb is the CEO of Smart Age Solutions, a digital ad agency and coveted Premier Google Partner. With nearly 18 years’ digital marketing and e-commerce experience, Raheb is passionate about helping and strategically growing national jewelry brands and local retailers alike. Contact him at eraheb@smartagesolutions.com.
The Latest

The one-of-a-kind platinum Rolex Cosmograph Daytona was estimated to fetch up to $1.7 million.

While the product has entrenched itself in the market, retailers and consultants are assessing the next phase of the category’s development.

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

The police are trying to identify the man suspected of robbing two Tiffany & Co. locations in the area.


The well-known Maine jeweler takes over for Brian Fleming and will serve a one-year term.

The donation was the result of the brand’s annual Earth Day Ingot event.

Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA

Located in NorthPark Center, the revamped store is nearly 2,000 square feet larger and includes the first Tudor boutique in Dallas.

The nonprofit has made updates to the content in its beginner and advanced jewelry sales courses.

BIJC President Malyia McNaughton will shift roles to lead the new foundation, and Elyssa Jenkins-Pérez will succeed her as president.

As a nod to the theme of JCK Las Vegas 2025, “Decades,” National Jeweler took a look back at the top 10 jewelry trends of the past 10 years.

The company plans to halt all consumer-facing activity this summer, while Lightbox factory operations will cease by the end of the year.

Following weekend negotiations, the tax on Chinese goods imported into the United States will drop by 115 percent for the next 90 days.

“Artists’ Jewelry: From Cubism to Pop, the Diane Venet Collection” is on view at the Norton Museum of Art through October.

The deadline to submit is June 16.

Moti Ferder stepped down Wednesday and will not receive any severance pay, parent company Compass Diversified said.

Lichtenberg partnered with luxury platform Mytheresa on two designs honoring the connection between mothers and daughters.

The miner announced plans to recommence open-pit mining at Kagem.

Michel Desalles allegedly murdered Omid Gholian inside World of Gold N Diamond using zip ties and then fled the country.

Associate Editor Lauren McLemore shares her favorite looks from a night of style inspired by Black dandyism.

Sponsored by Instappraise

CEO Beth Gerstein discussed the company’s bridal bestsellers, the potential impact of tariffs, and the rising price of gold.

The brand’s first independent location outside of Australia has opened in Beverly Hills, California.

Cathy Marsh will lead the jewelry company’s efforts in the upper Midwest and western United States.

The company has multiple strategies for dealing with tariffs, though its CEO said moving manufacturing to the U.S. is not one of them.

Connecting with your customers throughout the year is key to a successful holiday marketing push.