SEO vs. SEM: What’s the Difference?

You’ve probably heard of search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM), but you may not know what the difference between them really is. Don’t be fooled by their similar acronyms; SEO and SEM are quite different things! Learn about the differences between them in this article, and get some tips on how to best make use of each strategy for your business.

Why Is This Important

If you’re running a business, you want to make sure potential customers can find you easily online. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) come in. Both SEO and SEM are methods of increasing visibility on search engines like Google and Bing. But they’re not the same thing, and it’s important to understand the difference between them.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the process of optimizing a website for Google search with the goal of earning higher web traffic levels and improving the visibility of the site. The main aim of SEO is to improve a websites ranking in Googles search engine results pages (SERPs). SEM, on the other hand, is short form for Search Engine Marketing and refers to all marketing activities that are done to improve a websites visibility and organic search results in Google and other global search engines. This can be achieved through various means such as optimizing website content, building backlinks, and using Google AdWords or other paid advertising platforms.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

SEM is a type of online marketing that seeks to promote websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is done through paid advertising, such as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and organic methods, such as search engine optimization (SEO).