Demystifying the Difference Between SEO and SEM

In the constantly changing environment that is the Internet, there are new acronyms and terminology that pop up alongside new concepts and ideas. Two terms commonly heard in Internet marketing is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM), which both fall into the realm of Internet marketing. Despite the importance of these two, there’s a fair amount of confusion in where the two terms fall in place, and where they divide. In order to better understand the differences between the two, it’s best to start off with a general understanding of the two terms.

Defining the Two…

Search Engine Marketing (SEM):
SEM, or Search Engine Marketing, is a larger, umbrella term meant to signify the efforts made to increase the visibility of websites in SERPs. If you’ve seen the “sponsored links” or “sponsored results” on the right side of SERPs, then you’re looking at the end results of search engine marketing.  In general, advertisers will work through search engines, such as Google AdWords or Yahoo! Search Marketing, in order to display their ads on results. In short, SEM is allows advertisers to engage in paid advertising, instantly obtaining results though inorganic listings.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
While SEM deals with paid advertising and inorganic results, SEO is all about improving one’s organic listings. SEO deals specifically with the improving the visibility of a website through natural search engine results. There are a variety of strategies involved with SEO, involving both on-page and off-page optimization.
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