If you are thinking of starting with digital marketing, you might have come across the terms SEO and SEM. They are the strong pillars of digital marketing which help businesses to advertise and gain potential leads towards their business.
However, there has always been confusion as to which is more powerful in terms of gaining potential leads. Which can be beneficial for a higher conversion? Well, this all can only be solved if you are aware of what they are and how they perform.
In this blog, we will be discussing these terms in detail and most importantly will be highlighting which is more powerful to your business. So, are you ready to take a dive into the world of SEO and SEM? Let’s go!
Table of Contents
What is Search engine optimization (SEO)?
Let’s first start with what SEO is and what it actually does. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In simple terms, it helps your website to rank according to search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Let us understand this with an example, when you search for something or type your query on Google the search engine checks and gives you the most relevant and high-quality page that matches your needs.
And, there comes SEO which is responsible for ranking your page on that search list at the top positions so that customers can navigate to your website and you are able to generate the lead.
How Does SEO Work?
Let us have a look at how SEO works because this will make your query much more clear about its working process. SEO means using the keywords effectively and ranking your website accordingly. SEO is all about making your website perfect for the user.
For example, when any user types a query on a search engine, SEO ensures that he gets valuable content from the website which has incorporated keywords that match its search query and has valuable content, and ensures a great user experience.
Here are some major clicks of SEO:
- Keywords: These are the words and phrases that people type into search engines. For example, if you run a bakery, keywords like “best cupcakes in [your city]” or “vegan cakes near me” might be important.
- Content: Google loves pages that answer questions, solve problems, and provide valuable information and so does the SEO. Search Engine Optimization ensures that all query of the users is resolved on the page by providing accurate information.
- On-Page SEO: This includes things like title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags that help Google understand what your page is about.
- Off-Page SEO: This is all about building your website’s authority through backlinks (other websites linking to yours) and social signals (like shares and mentions on social media).
- Technical SEO: This involves behind-the-scenes stuff like site speed, mobile-friendliness, and secure connections SSL (HTTPS) that make your website easy for search engines to crawl and index.
Pros and Cons of SEO
Let us now look at the pros and cons of SEO as this will help us to understand it more efficiently.
Pros:
- The advantage you get from SEO is that once your site is optimized the traffic you generate from this is free.
- SEO helps you to get long-term results which takes time at the beginning to build but once it is successfully built, it will result in a longer term.
- SEO helps you to bring credibility and trust among your users in appearing in the higher rankings in search results.
Cons:
- SEO is a slow process. It can even take months to give you accurate results.
- SEO is not a one-time thing. You need to keep updating your content and optimizing your site.
- As every other website dreams of opting for a higher position on the search engine, it is difficult to get it easily.
What is Search Engine Marketing (SEM)?
Now, let’s understand what SEM is. SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing which is a broader term that includes SEO. In simple terms, SEM means optimizing your website with paid search advertising. This means that you pay to opt for those higher positions instead of SEO that indulges organically. To understand this in detail, let’s look at how it works.
How Does SEM Work?
When we say SEM, it represents that we are marketing the search engine, which means paying for the ranking results. This involves placing ads on search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Here is how it works:
- Choosing Keywords: The first step in SEM is to identify the keywords that are relevant to your business. These are the search terms that potential customers might use when looking for products or services like yours. For example, if you own a shoe store, keywords like “buy running shoes” or “best sneakers for running” might be relevant.
- Bidding on Keywords: Once you’ve chosen your keywords, you enter a bidding system. This is similar to an auction where you bid on how much you’re willing to pay for a click on your ad. This is called Cost Per Click (CPC). The higher your bid, the more likely your ad will appear at the top of the search results when someone searches for those keywords.
- Your ad is what users see when they search for your keywords. It typically includes a headline, a brief description, and a link to your website. So, your headline needs to be catchy as it attracts the user at first.
- When users search for your chosen keywords, search engines run an auction in real-time to determine which ads will appear and in what order. The ads are usually placed at the top of the search results page, above the organic (unpaid) results.
- SEM operates on a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) model. This means you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad. If your ad appears but no one clicks on it, you don’t pay a penny.
- SEM allows you to target your ads very precisely. You can choose to show your ads to specific demographics (age, gender, etc.), in certain locations (countries, cities, or even specific neighborhoods), or during specific times of the day.
The Pros and Cons of SEM
Even though SEM is powerful, but still it has some limitations. Lets look over the advantages and disadvantages of SEM:
Pros:
- You get an instant result from this. As soon as your campaign goes live, your ads can start appearing in search results.
- You can target your ads to reach specific audiences, increasing the chances of converting clicks into customers.
- SEM provides detailed analytics, allowing you to track the performance of your ads and make data-driven decisions.
Cons:
- SEM requires a budget which makes it restricted for each and everyone to use.
- The another disadvantage is that you tend to loose your ads, when you stop paying.
- To get the most out of your SEM campaigns, you need to continuously monitor and tweak them.
SEO vs. SEM: Which One Should You Choose?
So, now that we know what SEO and SEM are, the big question is: which one should you go for? The answer depends on your business goals, budget, and timeline. Let’s see when you need to choose which one.
When to Choose SEO
- If you’re in it for the long haul and want to build a sustainable online presence, SEO is the way to go.
- If you’re working with a tight budget, investing time in SEO can provide long-term benefits without the ongoing costs associated with SEM.
- Organic search results often carry more trust with users than paid ads. If building credibility is important, focus on SEO.
When to Choose SEM
- If you need to drive traffic and generate leads quickly, SEM is your best bet.
- For specific promotions or seasonal offers, SEM allows you to reach your audience with precision.
- In highly competitive industries where ranking organically is tough, SEM can help you get to the top faster.
For many businesses, a combination of both SEO and SEM is the sweet spot. Use SEO to build a strong foundation and drive organic traffic over time, while SEM can provide a quick boost or help you target specific audiences and keywords that are tough to rank for organically.
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing between SEO and SEM, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It really depends on your business needs and goals. Take some time to think about what you want to achieve and decide which approach, or a mix of both, will work best for your business. And remember, the online world is always changing, so staying flexible is important.
If you need help, Shish Technology is here for you. With over 13 years of experience, they’re the best digital marketing company in Patna. They can create a strategy that uses both SEO and SEM to help your business succeed.