Search Engine Marketing vs. Search Engine Optimization
In our FAQ section (here), we explain that SEM involves the advertisements along the right and at the top (often shaded) of the results page of the search engine, and SEO involves the “organic” search results. This is illustrated below in the sample search for wedding planners.
Let’s dig a bit deeper into the intricacies of each.
Simply put, PPC is the advertising method used in search engine marketing (more on that here) on Google, Yahoo, and Bing, as well as the smaller search engines. The advertiser must specify parameters like the number of clicks to receive each month, the cost per click, and it is based on keyword relevancy. The ad placement, how often or during what hours it is displayed, and of course, under what search terms it appears, are based on a bid system. The keyword popularity (how many other individuals/companies are bidding on it) determines the cost per click. Getting a campaign up and running is a relatively fast process, and offers a virtually instantaneous presence on the search engines.
Search Engine Optimization is a much more complicated process and one that does not provide that immediate presence in the search rankings that SEM does. This is because all of the organic results are generated based on algorithms which the search engines use (each one has its own algorithmic nuances and formula) to establish a page rank for a particular term. SEO could be called more of a “grassroots campaign” to strategically build a broader presence online, and thereby increase search engine ranking. One could say that SEO is the process of “persuading” the search engines that a particular site’s content is most relevant to a given keyword or topic. This is done through a variety of onpage methods such as website content and structure management (copy, code and tags) and analytics. Offpage methods – including link building, PR and SEM – can be a valuable asset to the SEO process.
It is important to realize that these two methods are not mutually exclusive. For optimum results, both PPC advertising and SEO should be utilized in one’s marketing strategy. Together, they provide a powerful marketing alliance online to increase presence and reach.
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