Understanding the Fundamental Differences between SEO and SEM

Much like search engine optimisation (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM) helps websites gain visibility by focusing on the niche. This means that within each industry, it is important for a website to establish dominance with a strong presence online. Search engine optimisation is an effective technique to generate unique page views, thus serving a specific function to increase traffic to the website. Therefore it can be stated that search engine optimisation is well-suited for attracting targeted audiences. While on the other hand SEM executes the same strategy, but uses different and varied platforms to accomplish this.

With search engine optimisation as a priority, a website can quickly climb in rankings. To get the most out of "optimisation", it's necessary to understand what you want web marketing to accomplish in order to improve your online business. Managing SEO can be time consuming and cumbersome if you aren't familiar with the specification formats of the top search engines.

Given its prominence, SEO is much easier to use to promote a brand, because it comes with a specific set of web marketing tools, keywords and content. Although it is simple to toss a few words out there online, it doesnt mean that the results are typically going to be good. Keywords are associated terms that reflect the brand in ways to produced authentic and organic queries. Content is used as a growth catalyst to promote the brand in a friendlier format.

Although SEM appears to be a lesser known web marketing techniques, this actually isn't the case. In fact, search engine marketing has been around since the mid-90s, it was at this time people began using search engines for everything. Now fast forward to today, its possible to combine search engine marketing with both advertisers and sponsors. These platforms may have a combination of marketing platforms such as cost per click or PPC, paid inclusion and searches, and direct content placement.

Search engine optimisation was introduced later than SEM as a standard marketing technique. But, it is the first stage in bringing together all elements of building a business online. Because it has the ability to open up more avenues for SEM, by driving more paid advertisers, which leads to run-off sales from links and back links.

It is possible for these two marketing concepts to co-exist without conflict. After all, marketing is based on results or the ability to extend the viability of a website through promotion of its brand.