[wwwong]

I've been doing SEM for five years and worked with the full range of google reps.

Quite simply, don't ask reps for advice on a product they've never actually used (as in, with real money). You're better off investing in a proven SEM expert in your field.

Also, the answers/responses from Google reps are basically read from a training manual.

[unwind]

I assume it's this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_marketing, i.e. SEM = search engine marketing.

[digitalengineer]

I've just google'd SEM expert and not hits. Google suggests 'SEO expert'. Could you elaborate about SEM? I'm interested.

[wwwong]

Happy to elaborate? What would you like to know?

As for finding an SEO/SEM expert, typically best to go by referral. Most SEO/SEM experts that you'll find on google/forums will run you through templated best practices.

Best to work with someone who has been vouched for.

[Simple1234]

Another good way to find qualified SEM experts is by using this tool: https://www.google.com/partners/

[yareally]

Although I can't give you any exact answer since I'm not an SEM expert, doing a verbatim search[1] will give you better results[2]. Though you might already be aware of how to do that (but even if so, someone else might not and find it useful). I just add it as a custom browser search[3] using the following URL template to do a verbatim search without having to click on options in google search:

https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=%s&sourceid=opera&...

Where %s will be your query.

[1] https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/1734130?hl=en

[2] https://encrypted.google.com/search?safe=off&client=oper...

[3] http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/create-custom-search-engines-go... (for chrome)

[3] https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/780073 (firefox)

[3] http://my.opera.com/community/blog/2009/01/16/custom-searche... (opera)

[3] http://operawiki.info/CustomSearches (some premade searches that add just by clicking, may work on other browsers, but not sure)

[y0z]

I concur with the above whole heartedly.

SEM Specialists and the tools that they use make your money work very hard - as much as your website will allow it to that is.