There are various approaches used in digital marketing. Two of the most well-known online marketing practices are Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). These two often confuse people, but we’re here to help you distinguish the differences between SEO and SEM.
What is SEO?
SEO is the process of making your website rank higher on search engines through organic content and keywords. Various criteria such as website credibility, mobile usage as well as social sharing are also taken into consideration to reach a higher spot.
Examples of SEO activities include publishing original, relevant content on the website, building quality backlinks across your domain and effective navigation for users. This approach is more focused on quality, and encourages you to take your time to make your site informative, interesting and user-friendly.
What is SEM?
SEM, on the other hand, includes Pay-Per-Click campaigns (PPC) on major search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. You bid for keywords or search terms here in order for your website to rank on search results.
Meanwhile, social networks like Facebook and Instagram are considered as another tier for PPC advertising.
SEM’s main objectives are to generate leads, boost website traffic, and increase visibility in search engine results page.
Which one’s better?
Both SEO and SEM should go hand-in-hand when it comes to driving traffic to your website. Neither of the two is better than the other because they are both equally important in digital marketing.
You can, however, decide which process you’d want to focus on more. If you have a campaign that is time-bound and requires leads, then SEM is a way to go. If you’re just building your authority online and would like to provide useful content for your audience, then SEO is a good start.
You shouldn’t feel pressured to choose one over the other. You can try, for instance, experimenting with both and see which digital marketing effort performs better. Either way, knowing how to work with both will be advantageous for your business.
Build your business with a digital marketing strategy today with Adllins Media! We’re an agency composed of seasoned marketing specialists that provide various marketing services such as SEO in Cairns. For enquiries, call us today!