Search optimization is a vital marketing strategy for businesses trying to attract attention, drive web traffic, and increasing their brand value. But if you don’t know how to compare SEO and SEM, it can be a challenging strategy for you to manage.
The tactics may seem to be similar, but they are two different approaches to search optimization. Before you create a search optimization strategy, you need to understand what search marketing is.
Search marketing relates to tactics that assist a business get attention by appearing on search engine results pages (SERPs). It includes efforts to get higher rankings and increase search visibility so you can drive more traffic to your website. There are two major categories with search marketing:
- Search Engine Optimization
- Search Engine Marketing
Because both the terms can be interchangeable and mean different things to different marketers, clarify the terminology before working with a company providing SEO and SEM services in Tampa.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization, part of search marketing, employs an organic approach to increase visibility in SERPs. With SEO, your business doesn’t have to pay for placement on SERPs. Instead, you have to use a variety of tactics that prompt search engines to show your content on the top of SERPs because the result is authoritative and valuable.
What is SEM?
Search engine marketing, part of search marketing, uses paid tactics to gain visibility in SERPs. A paid SEM strategy includes the setting up and optimizing ads as well as setting a budget that pays for the placement of ads.
What are the differences between SEM and SEO?
- Search Results:
- SEO: Performs as organic and have featured snippets
- SEM: Have Ad extension and include Ad designation
- Cost:
- SEO: Pay almost nothing
- SEM: Pay each time user clicks
- Visibility:
- SEO: Shown to anyone
- SEM: Shown to a selected target audience
- Results
- SEO: Take time
- SEM: Are immediate
- Click-Through Rate:
- SEO: Higher
- SEM: Lower
What are the Similarities?
- Assist your brand to appear in search results
- Drive more traffic to your site
- Require knowing your audience
- Apply keyword research to reveal hot search terms
- Target specific keywords
- Need testing and continuous optimization
So, which one is better for you? SEM or SEO, well! Let’s take a look.
Now you know the similarities and differences between SEO and SEM, it should be easier for you to decide which is right for the marketing strategies. To help decide which one is right for your business, you can consider the following.
- Competition in Your Industry
- SEO: There are several organic content gaps to fill
- SEM: There is a lot of competition for your target keywords.
- Knowledge about Your Market Segment
- SEO: You know it has demand and long-term value
- SEM: You don’t know well, and want to test your product or service.
- The Average cost-per-click in Your Industry
- SEO: The cost-per-click is very high
- SEM: The cost is low and within your budget
- Age of Your Business
- SEO: Your business is well established and have some online authority
- SEM: Your business is new and has little to no online presence
- Current Condition of Your Site’s SEO
- SEO: Your website is fairly optimized and performing well in organic search lately.
- SEM: Your site requires a lot of work to enhance its current organic SEO factors.
There is no quick formula or simple answer when comparing SEM versus SEO. There are many factors to consider. You can choose to focus only on SEO or only on SEM, or you can implement a combination of SEM and SEO strategies. It depends on your business and goals.
Now, that you have the knowledge about SEM and SEO, you will better equipped to decide how each can help your business to reach its goals. If you want both SEO and SEM services in Tampa, work with a well-established marketing media consultant.