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The internet is a marketing battle ground. Behind every search there are billions of companies competing to climb to the top of Google’s rankings to land the coveted top search result spot. Creating content that answers the questions of your audience should be a priority. Search engine optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) can significantly impact your search rankings.
The key to a successful digital marketing strategy lies in a few goals: to attract attention, drive quality traffic to a website, and nurture leads (through digital means) to become customers. While the tactics are in the same ballpark, SEO and SEM are two different approaches to search optimization that can work together for a total home run.
Understanding the basics between SEO and SEM allows you to properly execute strategies to improve your visibility and performance in search engines. In most cases, you will want to use both as they work closely as a team.
SEO is your friend. In technical terms, though, it is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic (non-paid, free, earned) search engine results. SEO helps connect what people are searching for online to the answers they are seeking. It’s the link between the words they’re using and the type of content they wish to consume..png?width=272&name=Untitled%20design(11).png)
You can think of search engines like answering machines. They scour billions of pieces of content and evaluate thousands of factors to determine which link is most likely to answer a query. The higher your business’s pages rank in a relevant Google search, the more likely you are to gain attention and attract prospective customers.
Goals of SEO
Prospects conduct trillions of searches every day. Greater visibility and higher ranking will help you create brand awareness and ultimately, find the customers you’re looking for.
What is SEM?
Digital advertising has never been more important in promoting what your business has to offer. In an increasingly competitive market, Search Engine Marketing is an effective way to get eyes on your website.
Not to be confused with SEO, SEM is the practice of using paid advertisements that appear on search engine result pages (SERPs). When entering a search on Google, advertisers may have the opportunity to have their ads appear alongside the results for those search queries. There are several factors that affect whether or not the ad is shown including keywords and Google’s search algorithm.
Goals of SEM
There’s far more similarities between SEM and SEO than just the “SE.” Both tactics:
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The short answer, both. However, depending on your company goals, budget, and time, one tactic may be more suited for your business than the other. Both strategies require trial and error and it is important to remember that results do not happen overnight.
If you have questions on whether search engine optimization or search engine marketing is best for you, make sure to contact our team by clicking the button below.
