SEO or SEM?
So what’s the difference? Let’s start with a clear definition of each term since SEO and SEM are so closely related.
SEO = Search Engine Optimization
This is the process of “cleaning up” a website so that search engines are better able to understand the content. Typical SEO activities include keyword analysis, keyword selection, web page content/copy creation, search engine ranking analysis, and various other activities. The key principle to understand here is that SEO takes place ON YOUR SITE.
SEM = Search Engine Marketing
This is the process of planning and implementing a campaign designed to improve natural search engine rankings. The goal is to drive more customers to your site because your site shows up near the top of the search results. These clicks do not cost a penny compared to Pay-Per-Click ads that can cost from a few cents to more than $10/click.
We like to further help our clients understand that SEM is a long-term marketing system that can be proven to be more effective and cost far less than Pay-Per-Click campaigns. There are very few fast SEO and SEM decisions that will cause a spike in new customers. Rather, over time, SEM will drive more customers as your website provides relevant content to them through search engine results.
Quick review:
SEO is simply the process of preparing your site for search engines to be able to easily understand your content. This allows search engines to more accurately connect their customers – search engine users – to you.
SEM is the process of planning and implementing a marketing campaign that uses search engines to identify and drive customers to your website.
If you find yourself still struggling with these concepts, the Wikipedia is great place to start and some of these key terms can help you find more articles for further research. Then again, you can always drop us a line!
