Before we understand the complicated relationship shared by SEO & SEM, it’s important to know their differences. The differences between the two marketing tools are what builds their relationship that benefits the business. SEO and SEM are two peas in a pod, they might look and taste different, but they have a strong connection. The match made in digital marketing heaven helps build a marketing strategy that covers internet marketing for enterprises.
According to Statista, in 2018, marketers inclined more towards organic marketing techniques, like content marketing, social media marketing, with a combination of paid ads. The graph below proves that if the tools are used right, they can yield favorable results.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a marketing technique that is used to optimize content for digital products like websites and mobile apps. The content is optimized using SEO keywords that help a website rank higher than its competitors in search results. SEO marketing attracts users via organic results, which means you don’t need any monetary investment.
SEO techniques are divided into three categories:
- On-page – It refers to creating and uploading SEO optimized content on each webpage of a website to attract maximum users.
- Off-page – The website is linked with high-profile websites to increase credibility and reputation.
- Technical SEO – It helps businesses optimize non-content elements of the website and server that improves rankings.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search Engine Marketing or SEM is the practice of placing paid Google that appears on search engines. Businesses use various SEM techniques to yield paid results and encourage users to visit the website. The most popular paid technique is placing your ad on top of the search engine results page or SERPs. Other SEM techniques include paid search ads, pay-per-click, cost-per-click, and cost-per-thousand impressions.
According to Statista, ad spending on search engines will increase up to $179,954 globally by the year 2024. The graph indicates that companies should combine their ad spending with effective SEO strategies to yield better results.
Understanding Their Relationship
The basic similarity between SEO and SEM is that both tools use keywords as the main element to attract traffic to your website. They both use high-ranking keywords that improve the visibility of your website on SERPs. However, SEO focuses on organic searches, while SEM uses paid strategies to yield results.
The right use of these tools can successfully enhance website traffic, help your website rank, increase CTR, generate leads, and revenue. SEO can be used as the foundation for a great SEM strategy.
Benefits of the Duo
Increases Online Visibility of an Enterprise
Combine your SEO and SEM efforts to increase your search rankings. How can you do that? Most marketers know that using SEM keywords in your website content will yield better organic results as well. They make sure that similar keywords are used for paid and organic search, which also increases their online presence.
Website Attracts More Traffic
Once your website starts ranking through SEM, it’ll very soon rank via SEO too. A higher and visible ranking will attract more users. SEO and SEM help customers discover your brand when the right keywords are used on search engines. For example, if you have an apparel brand, your primary keyword could be a famous one like ‘summer clothing for men/women.’ Users search for brands using common keywords; in the end, it comes down to how your keyword ranks on search engines.
Increase Your Clicks
The main goal of effective SEO and SEM strategies is to get as many clicks as possible. However, it’s about more than just generating clicks. SEO and SEM reach customers in every corner of the world that can help build the image of your brand. A famous and trustworthy brand will automatically generate more clicks that will increase sales and revenue.
SEO and SEM are Business Saviors!
Being smart about running an online business is very important for survival. There are a handful of firms that don’t need SEM strategies because they are famous otherwise. For example, Walmart didn’t always have a website, so when it did, people were already familiar with the brand. Hence, Walmart didn’t need to spend on paid ads; however, relying on just one marketing channel can be risky. To ensure that your brand is easily accessible, take a step back, analyze your SEM campaign, and then start marketing your brand.
The two marketing tools, SEO and SEM, are powerful on their own, but together they can prove fruitful in the long run. Strategize your marketing plan to make your startup successful. Good luck!
About the Author: Larry Golden is a content marketer who loves to explore latest tips and trends related to B2B and digital marketing. He is a content strategist at one of the leading B2B service providing company TopFirms. His twitter handle is larry_goldy