How SEO and SEM Work Together

Although the terms SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing) are often used interchangeably, they are actually similar yet separate concepts that complement one another. SEM is the process of optimizing and advertising a website to make the site appear higher on the list of search results. It’s used as a marketing tactic and covers a broader range of methods than just SEO. 

SEO itself is a specific SEM method that involves maximizing the use of keywords in a blog post or on a website by incorporating them naturally into the content as well as title tags, heading tags, meta descriptions, and so forth.

SEM involves paid search, but merely paying for your website to appear higher in search results is not the same as using SEM. Paid search refers specifically to pay-per-click (PPC) ads, but SEM, as a broader marketing tactic, combines paid search and SEO. Obviously, the strength of both these strategies used together provides an even more effective boost to web traffic and delivers the kind of leads who are most likely to act when they click on your ads.

Because Google’s search algorithms are continually changing, the rules of SEO are continuously evolving as well. However, one thing remains constant: SEO always involves both On-Page and Off-Page activities. 

Things you can do to improve your On-Page SEO include using high-quality written content, optimizing your page load speed, and integrating social media sharing within your content. Ways to improve your Off-Page SEO include having other high-quality websites link to yours and using social bookmarking, like Stumbleupon or Reddit.

SEO is not more important than SEM, and the reverse is true as well. Both are equally important to the success of a marketing campaign because SEM must include organic SEO to be most effective. Organic SEO takes longer to produce measurable results than a PPC campaign, but when the two are combined, the results are faster and more profound.

Need help navigating the intricacies of SEO, PPC, or SEM? Absolute Holdings Group is here for you! Give us a call or reach out to us on social media to find out what we can do to improve your leads and drive more traffic to your website.