Over 90% of all online experiences begin with a search engine. Using search engine marketing (SEM) techniques can help you appear in front of those customers. For example, you can appear for relevant searches using search engine optimization (SEO).
What is the difference between SEO vs SEM, exactly, and which will benefit your business most?
Read on to find out!
Table of Contents
What Is SEO?
Before we compare SEM vs SEO, let’s consider each on its own.
Search engine optimization is a type of SEM. SEO strategies can help your blog content and web pages appear higher for relevant searches. When a consumer searches online, your content can appear as a search result.
Higher rankings will help your brand generate:
- Brand visibility
- Website traffic
- Brand trust and loyalty
- Credibility and authority
- Leads and sales
SEO is an organic strategy. It can also benefit your ROI, enabling your business to grow.
There are four types of SEO you’ll need to consider for a strong strategy:
- On-page
- Off-page
- Technical
- Local
On-page SEO involves optimizing your content for relevant searches. Off-page SEO includes generating backlinks (links that send people to your website).
Technical SEO involves the backend of your website, including load times, security, and user experience. Local SEO can help you reach nearby customers. With all four types of SEO, you can boost your organic rankings to attract new customers to your business.
What Is SEM?
What is SEM, then? SEM is an umbrella term for different online marketing methods. For example, your SEM strategy might include:
- SEO
- Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
- Programmatic advertising
- Remarketing
- Display advertising
- Video advertising
- Social media advertising
- Geotargeting
- Shopping advertising
These advertising methods will allow you to create text and display ads. Eye-catching display ads are a great way to generate brand awareness.
When someone clicks on your ad, they’ll reach a landing page on your website.
You can use platforms like Facebook and Google Ads to appear in front of consumers. These PPC advertising platforms allow you to appear based on demographics, customer behaviors, and more. You can discover more here.
With a strong SEM strategy, you can generate website traffic, leads, and brand awareness.
Head to Head
When comparing SEM vs SEO, it helps to recognize that SEM strategies are paid while SEO is organic. With SEM, you’ll pay a fee each time someone clicks on or views your ads.
However, SEM strategies produce faster results than SEO. It can take months before your organic SEO rankings improve.
Instead of choosing between SEO and SEM, consider using both. SEM strategies can help you generate immediate traffic. Generating website traffic can help your SEO rankings rise.
Both will help you gain brand visibility, website traffic, and leads, enabling your business to grow!
SEO vs SEM: Unlock the Benefits of Both
You don’t have to choose between SEO vs SEM. Instead, consider using both to benefit your business. With a strong digital marketing strategy, you can increase your online visibility.
Start reaching new customers online with SEO and SEM today.
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