What’s the difference between the terms “Search Engine Optimization” (SEO) and “Search Engine Marketing” (SEM)? Some people might think that they are the same thing. While they are different, both share similar roles to increase traffic to your website. We are here to help you better understand these two terms, because we think these are very vital to every business.
The goal of Search Engine Optimization is to increase website traffic organically, without paying for it. This is important because as you work hard to increase your SEO, you are also increasing the chances of ranking higher in the search engine results pages. Meaning that your SEO will determine how close you are to the top of page 1 of Google’s search pages. On the other hand, SEM is the process of increasing traffic through advertising. You essentially buy advertisements to get prominent placements online.
Using a combination of both SEM or SEO, offers the best of both worlds. SEO is the best when it comes to long lasting results. If your website ranks high organically, that means more traffic your way without having to pay for it. SEM helps get more immediate results by paying for prominent ad placements. As the strength of your SEO increases along with the volume of your traffic, adjustments can be made to your advertising spends.
If you are looking for expert guidance to help you navigate the search engine optimization and search engine marketing landscapes, The Digital People can help.