Search engine marketing (SEM) is not the same as search engine optimization (SEO).
This common misconception is a crippling thorn in the side of growth plans for most companies in 2022.
So let’s dive into it - let’s define both and set clear boundaries for why all businesses should have a moderate focus on both processes when marketing online.
Search Engine (SE) Optimization (or SEO) is primarily focused on how your website interacts with the major search engines from a recognition or trustability standpoint.
SEO deals with meta-data and ensuring your website is clear and concise for SE crawlers to scan.
Some variables that are involved in your SEO strategy are as followed:
- Title
- Meta description
- Page layout & load speed
- Keyword selection & density
- Internal linking structure
- Inbound & outbound links
- Readable page content & display formats
- Site map & analytics installations
Much like other marketing processes, SEO is certainly not limited to the variables above. In fact, SEO has a checklist of over 200 items you can optimize on your domain.
For the sake of time, these are in our opinion the most important on the list. Content is and will always be king but you need to convince Google and other SEs that you’re worth it.
The Clash Of SEM & SEO
The reason why it is imperative for online businesses to focus on SEO and SEM is simple - they work hand in hand.
By optimizing your pages, Google will grant you a more favorable quality score, which reduced your CPC and CPA on paid campaigns.
After implementing a successful SEO strategy, you should begin to see lower rates on various sources.
The easier you make it for users AND search engines, the easiest your marketing life will be.
Ranking first on Google is cool and all (serious, it's amazing) however taking the time to build a healthy website will ensure expedited learning and higher rankings faster for future publications.
You want to own as much SERP (search engine results page) real estate as possible.
Ranking higher organically over time, as well as improving your relevancy score for lower fees is a recipe for a very successful PPC strategy.
So what are you waiting for? Need more information?
Here are 8 benefits you get with a well-oiled SEO and SEM strategy on your side.
- Ability to create and rank new content at an expedited rate
- Mass content distribution (page one of Google)
- Maximize awareness of blog posts
- Increase users on social media (thanks to trust flow)
- Curation of high-engagement video content
- Unlimited press ideas for your brand
- Endless writing styles and targeting
- Improve offline efforts (cross-reference user data)
- Cheaper PPC rates
Conclusion: SEM & SEO
It is imperative that you bring equal attention to both processes here. SEO, although not the same as SEM, helps drive costs lower.
Anytime a brand is offered low rates they need to jump on it.
The goal here is to be found on the first page of Google. All your efforts revolve around users’ keywords and search queries so you can better inform Google you are the best resource online.
Trust us, we’ve wasted many hours optimizing towards keywords or phrases we THOUGHT our users were searching for. However, a simple keyword and SEO audit told us otherwise.
If you are building up from ground zero again we would advise that you begin your optimization efforts with SEO.
Don’t waste ad dollars until you are completely certain your website offers the perfect experience for a majority of your users.
We hope we’ve brought some light to this topic. SEO is not SEM and conversely, SEM is not SEO although they do work hand in hand.
Now it’s time to get to work - start optimizing your domain so you can get cheaper clicks!