A common question circulates the subject of SEO and SEM campaigning:
“When it comes to increasing the visibility of my website on search engines, is it better to actively find online leads or help them find me?”
Too often, SEO and SEM are viewed through an either/or lens. You may be thinking that because your website has earned a prominent spot on the results page, there’s no need to invest in paid ads, or if you are already paying for the top slots on search engines, focusing on organic searches would be redundant. Before you get too far into comparing apples to oranges, remember that they’re both delicious fruit. The same applies to debating the merits of SEO versus SEM–both will sweeten your search rankings, and they’re even better together.
SEO and SEM serve different purposes, and when combined create a dynamic digital marketing strategy that boosts your website visibility on search engine results. So, what are the differences between the two and what makes them each so important for your website?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO refers to the many website and marketing tactics that increase your website’s rankings in organic search results. Popular SEO practices include using key-word rich content on your website and blogs, managing your business listing and online reviews and engaging with customers on social media. Today, 75% of online users rely on organic search rankings to determine the credibility of a website.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
SEM is synonymous with paid website traffic. The most common forms of SEM are pay-per-click (PCC) ads at the top of search engine pages and paid promotional ads on social media and video sites. According to Search Engine People, 90% of online users don’t click beyond the first page of search results, which heightens the need to appear in the top slots on searches.
SEO and SEM complement each other in three key ways:
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Keyword optimization: Both SEO and SEM leverage high-quality keywords that match the online searches in your area. By coordinating the keywords used in your SEO content and SEM ads, you can maximize the performance of both campaigns.
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Streamlined messaging: The messaging of your paid ads should always match your website content, especially because the messaging from paid ads can channel online leads directly to longer-form copy on your service or inventory pages. As an example, if you are running a special on a unit or service, the engaging paid ad can direct potential leads to a landing page or inventory listing that offers more detail and includes a fillable contact form.
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Compounded search rankings: The efficacy of SEO and SEM directly impacts each other’s performance. If a customer follows a paid ad to an informative and engaging website or landing page, they are more likely to visit other pages of the website and interact with more of your services. The more time online users spend on your platform, the more signals search engines receive to flag your website as a helpful resource and increase its ranking. Did you know that websites that rank highly in organic results are more likely to receive clicks on their ads? As we stated previously, higher ranking adds credibility to your website.
By utilizing both SEO and SEM strategies, you are streamlining your targeted advertising and increasing the volume of online traffic to your website. Using SEO and SEM in tandem improves the credibility of your brand and demonstrates to customers that you value their business enough to employ multiple strategies that help them find you. There is no need to limit your sales opportunities by choosing one strategy over the other–not when they work together so effectively to improve your results on local searches.
Contact us today to learn more about the merits of SEO and SEM and kickstart your digital marketing campaign!