What’s the difference between SEO and SEM?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation and is the process of improving your website to generate organic (free) traffic from search engines like Google.

SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing and is a form of paid digital advertising, such as Google Ads, that you can use to increase traffic to your website.

Search Engine Marketing can be a really effective marketing strategy, because you’re paying to put your website in front of people who are already searching online. For example, if I’m searching online and type in ‘yoga mat’ and this is a product you sell, you would put your ad spend towards those specific keywords to make sure that your website is one I’m going to see.

If the keywords you are targeting are quite common and you have a lot of competitors also targeting those keywords, you will need to spend more to get more of the search traffic.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME PROS AND CONS

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

PROS

• It’s free!

• Traffic that comes organically often has a higher conversion rate.

• You’ll reap the benefits long-term, and we all know marketing is a long game.

• Focusing on your website content, functionality, and user experience improves the quality of your website.

• You’re building trust and credibility because people often trust organic results over paid ads.

CONS

• It requires patience! It’s a slower process, and seeing results can take time.

• It’s an ongoing process that requires regular updates and improvements.

• It’s harder to rank high if you’re playing in a saturated field.

• Changes to the Google algorithm can affect your rankings. Those bloody algorithms!

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

PROS

• Results are instant because you’re paying to be put in front of people. Yay for quick wins.  

• You’re in control of the targeting - keywords, location, audience demographics and timing.

• You’re in control of the ad spend and can increase or decrease what you're paying whenever you like.

• You can measure the results and see exactly how many clicks and conversions you’re getting, and you can see the ROI.

• It’s a great way to test out different keywords, and new landing pages or offers.

CONS

• It costs you money and it can add up fast when you’re paying per click. Especially if the traffic isn’t converting.

• It’s a short-term strategy, as soon as you stop paying, your traffic stops.

• Some people won’t click on ads, maybe it’s a trust thing.

• You might be going up against a lot of competition if you’re in a saturated field,  which makes your keywords more expensive.

A final piece of advice, and the most important advice you’ll read today…

Regardless of whether you’re using just SEO or SEM as well, the most important part is making sure your website is set up to convert well. There’s no point spending time, energy, and money on driving more people to your website if you’re just going to lose them because your website is lacking. So, put the effort into your website first.