Many people, especially brands and businesses, often know about digital marketing. However, they are often confused between Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing. If you are too among those, sit back and relax! This post will talk about SEO vs SEM in detail. So, let’s get started.
What is Search Engine Optimization
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a part of digital marketing. It basically uses organic tactics in order to gain visibility in the Search Engine Result Pages. Moreover, brands do not have to pay for placement on Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs) in this strategy.
Rather they use a wide range of tactics that prompt search engines like Google and Yahoo to show their content on top of SERPs. SEO has several tactics that can help any brand boost its search rankings. The most influential are white hat SEO techniques. These techniques are categorized into three major categories.
- Technical SEO– This category optimizes all non-content elements of the whole to improve its foundation and backend structure. These strategies are associated with responsiveness, site speed, security, structured data, site architecture, indexing and credibility. In fact, Technical SEO improves the experience of both search crawler and users, resulting in high search ranking.
- On-Page SEO– This category optimizes the entire website, which includes an individual page, to target a specific keyword that is appealing to search engines. These strategies are keyword optimization, content creation, and keyword research. On-page in SEO helps search engines know and understand a website’s content and thus gives it higher rankings.
- Off-page SEO– This white hat SEO technique builds a website’s reputation and authority by connecting it to other high-ranking websites. This technique includes linking buildings from other sites, managing directory profiles, and local listings. In fact, when many websites link to a brand’s site, it represents to search engines that the website is reliable, reputable, and trustworthy, which ultimately increases its search rankings.
What is Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search Engine Marketing or SEM is the part of search marketing that uses paid tactics to gain visibility in Search Engine Result Pages. It includes both optimizing ads as well as activities involved with setting up ads. Also, it involves setting a budget that pays for ads placement.
This strategy is also known as pay-per-click or PPC marketing. Google Ads is the most common tactic search providers use for this strategy. It allows brands to create campaigns targeting keywords and conduct keyword research for their services, products, and industry. So, when users search for those specific keywords on the search engine, they see customized ads at the bottom or top of SERPs.
SEO Vs SEM: What’s the Difference
The difference between SEM and SEO is minor. SEM focuses on using paid strategies like PPC as well as SEO to bring paid and organic traffic to your site. On the other hand, SEO focuses on website optimization to appear higher in search results. So, first, let’s talk about the similarities.
- Both improve the visibility of the website.
- Drive quality and relevant traffic to the website.
- Use relevant keyword research to drive traffic.
- Get a deeper understanding of your potential audience.
- Require ongoing optimization.
Difference Between SEM and SEO
SEO results take time, and SEM offers quick results
SEO takes sometimes months before a website starts to rank on search engines. You need to spend time on it to reap benefits from it. Moreover, SEO is one of the easiest ways to get consistent traffic over a long period of time.
On the other hand, SEM ads let your results with just a few clicks. However, it is a bit more expensive than SEO. So, if you want to see instant results, you must have a good budget for that.
Better Testing
As you can easily set SEM ads on and off, it is ideal for testing purposes. You can easily target new audiences, change your ad copy, and choose the content of the landing page to test. By doing this, you can immediately see the results. However, this can’t be done with SEO.
SEM doesn’t Add Value over Time, but SEO does
An SEO strategy becomes effective over time and thus offers lasting outcomes. On the other hand, SEM is only effective as long as you pay for the outcomes to show.
SEO clicks are not paid, whereas clicks from SEM are paid
SEO results are not paid, but SEM results helps you to get money for placements. You have to pay each time a user clicks on an SEM ad.
SEO results do not show for a specific audience, but SEM results show
Although all the search marketing strategies aim to connect with specific audiences, SEM lets you specify your audience SEO does not. You can’t choose in SEO who will see your search outcomes.
SEO vs SEM: Which is you should Choose
Still, confused between SEO vs. SEM? Well, it depends on business needs and your marketing campaign. You can have a high-performing SEO strategy for your website that is a vital part of your SEM campaign. As a business owner, if you seek instant advertising and traffic, SEM is the best option.
On the flip side, SEO is more about analyzing and optimizing organic search traffic. Some businesses choose SEM strategies at first and then switch to SEO. Other brands just use SEO or invest in SEM.
Although getting traffic from search engines – be it from SEM or SEO, can be quite challenging, the best strategy is to hire a digital marketing company like Digital Drew that can handle all the stresses that come with SEO and SEM.
When you get services from Digital Drew, you can have peace of mind that your campaigns are getting an extra boost with high-quality link building to get traffic. With their exceptional digital marketing services, any business can reach its goals in no time. Get in touch with us to discuss your next project and see how Digital Drew helps you with a win-win situation.