SEO Vs. SEM: Which Should You Adopt And Why?
First of all, know what is SEO and SEM. The term SEO stands for search engine optimization, which enables you to reach the target audience organically by using keywords.
The term SEM stands for search engine marketing, which enables you to reach the target audience by using paid advertisements.
SEO and SEM are something many marketers and companies are considering as they try to improve their search dominance.
This post will detail how SEM and SEO strategies will help you improve the visibility and performance of your search.
Pro-Tip: If you are starting search engine optimization from scratch, contact us for tips and instructions for building an SEO strategy.
Are SEO and SEM the same thing?
SEO deals with all the methods and strategies you use to get higher placement in the SERP.
Search Engine Marketing deals with the tactics associated with your business that drives traffic to search engines, including SEO and PPC.
The term “search engine marketing” is often used by marketers only for paid activities. So, technically SEO Vs. SEM is two different things and falls into two distinct categories.
Relevant: How to use SEO for business growth – The Guide You’ll Ever Need
Categories of SEO and SEM
Search engine optimization strategies can be divided into three main categories:
- On-page SEO,
- Off-page SEO, and
- Technical SEO.
SEM methods include
- Paid placement,
- Paid inclusion,
- Search engine optimization,
- SEM analysis, and
- SEM optimization.
SEO strategies can be more effective with On-page and 0ff-page SEO analyses than with search engines. Subsequently, SEM is more effective with SEO and PPC.
Related: Check out our PPC services at Biorev Digital
Additional info: Paid search refers to paid listings, and it uses long-term marketing that includes both SEO & SEM.
How SEO and SEM work together?
SEM and SEO work together to improve your search engine rankings in a complementary way.
Search Engine Marketing is a great way to tap into both page optimization via SEO (SEO pages) and PPC to get traffic from search engines. Similarly, by investing in this system you will develop a more efficient and effective digital advertising strategy to increase revenue.
Pro-Tip: It would be unwise to deal exclusively with PPC and not even touch the search engine optimization.
Page optimization and Search Engine Marketing help the search engine understand the content of a page and thus give it higher ranks.
By linking PPC to SEO, SEM can help make your business more visible in organic search results and SERPS.
Additional info: SEO pages are pages optimized to include all the factors on the web that help search engine crawlers to easily understand the SEO-optimized website.
SEO Vs. SEM: Which Should You Adopt And Why?
Many companies that are starting their B2B marketing journey are wondering which SEO or SEM to choose. In reality, a successful keyword optimization strategy for most companies should integrate both SEO & SEM.
Evaluate which one is most suitable for your specific needs and make sure you fully understand and how you will continue your efforts in the future.
If you use SEO & SEM as a complementary part of your digital marketing strategy, the total cost of paid advertising will be reduced.
Pro-Tip: You should start SEM (Paid Search Advertising) as soon as possible because you want to get search engine traffic.
If you start your site first, want instant visibility and it takes less time than SEO, then it’s a good idea to create a PPC/ CPC campaign.
However, it does not affect your SEO efforts as long as you use it to target specific keywords and get traffic quickly.
Related: PPC: The best way to generate leads
The Bottom line:
The bottom line is that investing in SEO & SEM can increase both organic and paid traffic and increase revenue. Now that you know the similarities and differences between SEM and SEO, you are all better equipped to decide how you can help your brand achieve its goals.
These insights, coupled with what you know about digital marketing, will help you discover the true value of search engine optimization and search engine marketing and their benefits for your organization.