In today's highly competitive business space, having a strong content marketing strategy is critical to the success of any company. You may have a top-class product or offer exquisite services. But guess what? If you don't have an effective online presence, your customers will not know about it.
The SEO vs SEM debate has been going on for years now. While some companies are still stuck in their ways, others have realized that they need both. The question is whether one is better than the other. This blog takes a deeper look at each strategy, demystifying their differences, pros and cons, unique features, when to use them, and how to choose one over another for your business. Let's kick off by looking at the basics.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process used to increase traffic to a website. It involves optimizing websites so that search engines can easily find and index them.
Search engine optimization works by improving the quality of content on a site and making sure that all pages are accessible via search engines. Content includes text, images, videos, audio files, etc. Accessibility means that the page is visible to all users who access it through search engines.
Search engine marketing (SEM) is a type of advertising that focuses on getting visitors to click on ads displayed on search results. These ads appear as sponsored links next to organic search results.
Advertisers pay Google, other search engines, and platforms to place these ads. When someone clicks on a link from a search result, they land on the advertiser's website.
SEO and SEM are related in the sense that:
Below is a quick outline of the key factors that separate these crucial digital marketing strategies:
There are many advantages and disadvantages to choosing either SEO or SEM. Below we take a look at the most important ones.
In this section, we will discuss some of the main SEO and SEM tactics used today. We'll also give examples of each one so that you get a better understanding of them.
Other SEO tactics include optimizing for mobile, using structured data, using secure HTTP, conducting competitor analysis, and more.
There are several factors to keep in mind when deciding between SEO and SEM.
First, you need to decide what you're offering. What problem are you solving for your persona? What are you driving ads to? Are you selling a product or service? Which product or service?
The next step is to determine how much revenue you want your company to generate through ads. How many clicks do you need to generate the number of leads needed to generate that revenue? That should be what dictates the budget. The larger the revenue goal, the larger the budget should be.
If your goal is to get found organically for the products and services you offer and you have the time to wait for an ROI, SEO is the perfect strategy. It will take time but once you start ranking high in search engine results pages (SERPs), your opportunity to acquire new customers will increase significantly.
If you don't have the time to wait for organic results and you have a budget to use for ads, SEM is the better option. With SEM, you can quickly create targeted ads. Once you have created the ads, you can easily track the performance of each campaign so you know exactly what works and what doesn't.
As we wrap up, it's critical to remember that both strategies can be effective, depending on your business-specific goals and needs. When it comes down to it, there isn't one strategy that fits every type of business. That's why it's a good idea to consult with a digital marketing agency that understands the ins and outs of both SEO and SEM.
At Eternal Works, we're a team of highly experienced digital marketing experts who specialize in helping companies like yours grow. We use our expertise to develop customized solutions that meet your business-specific needs. Whether you're looking for help optimizing your current campaigns or setting up a new one, we can provide all the guidance you need to make sure your business reaches its full potential. To learn more, schedule a call today to speak with one of our experts!