SEM vs. SEO: What Is The Difference

Confused by search engine optimization and search engine marketing? The phrases SEM and SEO are similar, and both terms are used interchangeably. However, there is an important difference between the two, and it isn’t complicated. Search marketing encompasses both SEO and PPC marketing.

Search engine optimization (SEO) can be described as the practice of optimizing the content of your websites using strategies and tactics to naturally boost search engine listings and achieving a higher ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).

In most cases, the higher a website naturally ranks in the SERP, the more likely the website will be visited by a user. It is, therefore, essential to achieve high scores on both on-site and off-site ranking factors since 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results.(http://www.searchenginejournal.com/24-eye-popping-seo-statistics/42665/)

The first thing new businesses must know is that SEO should be the foundation of a business, and that everything starts with the words online-users type into a search box. Google uses complex algorithms to determine (from the search query) which websites to include in their index and the order in which these sites appear in the search results.

Search engines have tried for years to figure a way to return the best results to the searcher. In order to accomplish that, they take into account on-site SEO factors such as title tags, description tags, and most importantly content.

Keyword research is quite possibly the most important part of SEO and it is the most valuable and high return activity in the search marketing field. You cannot begin to plan for a campaign unless you know which phrases you are targeting because ranking for the right keywords can make or break your website.

The page title tag (technically called title element) is arguably one of the most important on-site SEO factor. The page title must be highly relevant to the page it refers to and keywords in page titles help your pages rank higher in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

When choosing your title tag, include your keywords naturally and strategically, without keyword stuffing your title. Don’t choose a title that has no relation to the content on the page. Title tags are used on SERPs to display preview snippets for a given page, and should be unique to other pages on the site. So, if your document appears in a search results page, the contents of the title tag will usually appear in the first line of the results.

Meta description tags, while not important to search engine rankings, are extremely important in gaining user click-through from SERPs. Recently, page descriptions have started to have less to do with engine optimization and more to do with actually persuading searchers to visit your site. Descriptions should tell audiences what they can expect to find on your page, and should work to persuade those users to click through. In a way, meta descriptions are like mini Calls to Action. 

Google, however, doesn't think your title and description tags are good enough.

The content of a page is what makes it worthy of a search result position. It is what the user came to see, and, thus is extremely important to the search engines.

Blogging is one of the most powerful ways to promote your company/website online. Write a blog of your own for your company/website and include lots of unique content. Be precise in what you're trying to convey for the users in your blog entry and promote your blog in blog directories and blog search engines.

Off-site SEO is as important as on-site SEO. If you want your SEO campaigns to be successful you have to do both. However, off-site SEO has to be done after the completion of on-site SEO. In general, off-site SEO has to do with promotion methods (beyond website design) for the purpose of ranking a website higher in the search results.

Unlike on-site SEO, off-site SEO refers to activities outside the boundaries of the webpage. The most important includes things like link-building and social interaction. Back-links are other pages on the web that link to your posts. A web site that is useful is more likely to have references (links) from other websites. Link building is the most popular off-site SEO method.

Social media is another part of SEM and provides another way for businesses of all sizes to generate brand awareness, direct traffic to the site, and to boost SEO. Social media is also part of off-site SEO and if you think about it, it’s also a form of link building.

It should be noted that almost all of the links you get from social media sites are “nofollow” but this does not mean that they do not have any value. Social Media mentions are gaining ground as ranking factors and proper configuration of social media profiles can also boost SEO. So, promote your latest news and views in your social media presence and ask/invite others to like and share.

Search Engine Optimization and achieving high rankings comes down to one thing: Relevance. It goes without saying that ‘Content is King’ and its quality content that meets the needs of visitors to your site that will make you reign supreme. When proper search engine optimization is applied to a professionally developed website, your site increase in relevance and grow its authority.

SEM is a broader term than SEO and no SEM campaign is complete without SEO. SEO aims to provide better organic search results, and SEM uses the search engines to advertise your website or business to Internet customers and send a more targeted traffic to your Web site. It is important to note that you should never use the terms SEO and SEM interchangeably, because although they work hand in hand, they are not the same term.

Many marketers debate whether one is better than the other. As an Inbound Marketer, I would argue that organic SEO is the best approach. Organic SEO is less costly long-term as you establish search credibility because staying on top of search engine results through PPC alone can be an expensive endeavor.

Create the Bridge is a top-notch SEO agency that specializes in enhancing every element of your online marketing campaign to ensure that your brand becomes big business in the world of the internet. Give us a call today to help your business increase your site's organic rankings.