When we enter the world of online marketing, we often see concepts that are repeated a lot: SEO and SEM. But do you know how they differ? In this article, we will see their definitions and the differences, making it more transparent what each of them means.
Definition of SEO
SEO ( Search Engine Optimization ) is the set of techniques applied to a website to improve its position in search results at an organic level. SEO is the natural positioning of a website in search engines. At us, we are experts in knowing the Google algorithm to help our clients get more traffic to their websites.
Definition of SEM
SEM ( Search Engine Marketing ) refers to the practices implemented on a website to obtain the most outstanding possible visibility through advertising campaigns in search engines. In other words, SEM is the paid result of search engines. The advertiser pays each time a user clicks on the ad in exchange for appearing in the first search positions already reserved for this type of campaign. We are certified to be able to manage your campaigns.
What is the difference between SEO and SEM?
While SEO focuses on improving organic or natural visibility in search results, SEM is based on advertising campaigns through paid ads on search results pages.
Cost differences between SEO and SEM
As we have seen, a certain amount is paid in SEM each time the user clicks on an ad. The more clicks, the higher the cost and the chances of your visitors converting to your website.
This payment model is called PPC or cost per click or pay per click. You do not pay for the number of times the ad is shown but for those who click on it.
On the other hand, in SEO, we do not have to assume a cost for each visit as in the Google Adwords platform, but that does not mean that it is cheaper. The work and time required to optimize a website to rank naturally in search results can be much more significant.
While it is true that in the short term, an SEM campaign can be more expensive because an Adwords expert is needed, in addition to the cost of the campaign itself, things change in the medium and long term.
SEO is different from those tasks you do once on your website and need to remember. Content generation is a task in which you must work continuously to publish it periodically and keep it updated. Furthermore, website optimization and updates can always be done.
With what strategy can I obtain better results?
As with the cost or price of SEO or SEM, time is decisive in obtaining results. An SEM campaign can help you increase your company’s sales in the short term. Your website will appear almost immediately in the first search results.
In the case of SEO, it is different. Even if we work on the organic positioning of our website, we will not be able to obtain good results in less than six months. Even if you publish content frequently, your website has a good user experience and is technically well-optimized; you need to give Google time to get to know it and start ranking it.
This does not mean that SEM is better than SEO, far from it. When you stop investing, you immediately disappear from the search results. Therefore, you should consider all of these strategies. You have to work on them together.
How to combine your SEO and SEM strategy
SEO and SEM are two essential strategies in online marketing, and you have to know how to combine them to obtain optimal results. When you have just launched your business, you must implement your SEO strategy immediately. The longer it takes to do it, the longer it will take to get results.
However, if your website still needs to rank well in search results, you can combine it with an SEM strategy. Depending on the budget you have, the results will be greater or lesser.
Once your website starts ranking and gaining visibility in Google SERPs, you can use SEM campaigns for maintenance. Also, it could be more straightforward for some keywords to appear in the first results, so if your ads do well for those keywords, you can keep them.
Can I do without SEO and focus only on SEM?
Although you consider SEM a good substitute for SEO, you should only do with organic positioning for your website. The conditions of the advertiser’s platform can change from one moment to the next, and their business can be affected.
Or even if your budget decreases or you have to stop doing SEM campaigns, your website will completely disappear from search results, which you should avoid at all costs. Therefore, we must always remember the importance of SEO.
You probably need to become an expert, but there are plenty of online tools, like GoDaddy’s search engine visibility service, to help give your website a boost. With keyword or content suggestions, SEO analysis or a virtual assistant, everything will be much easier than you thought.
Is it worth doing SEO and SEM?
SEO and SEM are two very different online marketing strategies, but using them together will allow you to maximize your results. It is important to remember that SEO and SEM are not substitutes, and neither of the two strategies is dispensable, least of all SEO.
SEM will help you obtain good results in the short term, but if you think about the medium and long term, SEO is the only strategy that will help you survive on the Internet. If you are starting with your website and want to know more about SEO or SEM, here are some articles that can significantly help. Come on!
At serprisers, we are leaders in the digital marketing sector as an SEM agency with hundreds of satisfied clients. What are you waiting for to be the next?
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