SEO and SEM play vital roles in digital marketing, especially in raising brand awareness through search engines such as Google to increase website traffic. But how do they differ?
With Google Trends indicating a 7,900% increase in interest for ‘SEO vs SEM’, we have shared the key differences between the two and how they can be used to boost your next marketing campaign.¹
What is SEO?
SEO – or Search Engine Optimization – refers to various practices used to increase a website’s ranking on search engines organically. The word organically is critical. SEO avoids paid advertising and uses keyword research, relevant blog content and link building to increase the chances of being found on search engines by potential customers.
There are four main types of SEO:
On-page SEO: optimising the physical content of your websites, like blog content, internal links, product descriptions and meta descriptions.
Off-page SEO: actions taken outside the website to strengthen its reputation, such as social media posts and building brand mentions and backlinks through digital PR activity.
Local SEO: As 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information, local SEO tactics to allow people to find you when they are out and about, like adding location pages to the website and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, are critical.
Technical SEO: Technical SEO is the practice of meeting the technical requirements of modern search engines, such as having no duplicate content, being secure and fast loading.
What is SEM?
SEM – or Search Engine Marketing- is the process of using advertising on search engines to make your website appear higher up on the search engine results pages (SERPs).
A bidding system for specific keywords is used; brands compete for the top price and will pay for every click on their search ad. It is best practice to conduct thorough keyword research before you place a bid and ensure that you are bidding on the most relevant keywords for your business.
Platforms such as Google Ads or Microsoft Ads will tailor your ads based on your budget, marketing objectives and the keyword you choose. 65% of online searchers click on ads before making a purchase; E-commerce brands choosing to run a PPC campaign (pay-per-click) could significantly increase sales!
What are the key differences between SEO and SEM?
Google uses many mysterious factors to determine how it will rank a page, so SEO and SEM tap into the known ways to enhance a website’s online presence on the SERPs.
SEM can complement your overall digital marketing strategy by offering an enhanced online search presence with targeted keywords, allowing the search engine to take over the targeting side. In comparison, effective SEO depends on a business doing its research and actively looking to improve the website to achieve higher rankings.
If you choose to include Google Ads in your SEM strategy, your website will appear at the top of organic search results (if you have bid the highest) and will display ‘Ad’ to tell users that you have paid to appear there.
Whereas SEO strategies aim to build online visibility so that you appear at the top of Google organic listings, just below the search ads. Consumers think organic search results give answers that are more relevant (which is often true!). According to a recent Twitter poll, 93% of users are more likely to scroll past an Ad to click on an organic result, so getting as high up as possible on the SERP for your organic rankings is crucial.
How can SEO and SEM be used differently in marketing?
Depending on your business objectives, and budget, both SEO and SEM can be beneficial towards raising your business objectives.
If you have a time-bound marketing campaign, such as Black Friday, using search ads can provide instant results, and the ads can be turned off after a certain period.
On the other hand, if you are looking to improve online visibility for particular services or areas, for example, an estate agent wanting to target Huddersfield, it may be more beneficial to create a longer-term strategy of on-site SEO to optimise all current pages.
Unlike SEM, SEO can be combined with digital PR campaigns to drive brand awareness in target sectors. Digital PR campaigns target reputable publications online with stories relevant to the products and services of certain brands.
While SEO avoids the advertising fees of SEM, it takes many hours of dedicated research and development to optimise a website and many business owners, especially SME’s, needs to use time and resources elsewhere.
If you’re looking for a trusted partner who can help you drive an SEO strategy forward, get in touch today to discuss how we can help!
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Sources:
- Google Trends data for the search term ‘seo vs sem’ in November 2022