When it comes to affordable digital advertising, business owners have options they may not know of. SEO and SEM are two of the most popular choices. According to Impact plus, Google currently has over 85% of the search engine market, so it’s important to know how to use this to your advantage. Read further to discover the difference between SEO and SEM and how both relate to your business needs.
What Is SEO?
SEO, or search engine optimization, involves optimizing a website for Google’s search algorithm. This optimization includes improving the quality and quantity of your web content. It also involves building backlinks and adding tags to increase your website’s authority. Good SEO can improve your website’s ranking in Google’s search results. The closer you are to the top, the easier it will be to get more website visitors.
What Is SEM?
SEM, or search engine marketing, is the process of marketing a website through Google’s search results. Do this through paid advertising or organic means such as SEO. SEM also includes other marketing activities, such as social media marketing and email marketing. SEM should increase your website’s visibility in Google’s search results due to advertising.
How Do SEO and SEM Differ?
SEO focuses on optimizing a website for Google’s search algorithm, while SEM includes visible ads in addition to web optimization. Both SEO and SEM are affordable digital advertising options that are important for driving more website traffic. SEM is effectively an umbrella term that encompasses any search strategy — organic or paid. Pay-per-Click (PPC) is a SEM strategy, just like SEO is.
What Tools Are Involved in Each?
SEO tools help improve the quality and quantity of web content. Popular SEO tools include Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Moz. Use these tools to build backlinks to increase the website’s authority. SEM tools can help market a website through Google’s search results. Some common SEM tools include Google Ads, Bing Ads, and Facebook Ads.
Can I Use SEM Without SEO?
Yes, you can use SEM without SEO. However, SEO is a long-term strategy, while SEM is a short-term strategy. Businesses can use SEM to quickly increase web visibility in Google’s search results, while SEO takes longer to see results. Those long-awaited results are usually more sustainable. Therefore, both work together for an ideal online presence.
In conclusion, SEO and SEM are affordable digital advertising options that can be beneficial for your business. Whether you’re focusing on Google ranking or advertising clicks, SEO and SEM can help you. Give us a call today at FanBase to get started with the affordable digital advertising your business needs.
