The Basics of Search Engine Optimization (seo) and Search Engine Marketing (sem) and What Each Does

The basics of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and Search Engine Optimization (SEM) and what each does.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of using different strategies to improve the level of a web site's ranking position in a search engine when a user searches for information using keywords or phrases. Some strategies used in SEO of a web site are keyword or phrase research, the creation of proper Meta Tags, good page content, link building, and even usability. The purpose of SEO is to optimize the web site in order to give it a high ranking position in the search engines.

Proper SEO techniques are what gives the web site a ranking position in the different search engines according to the keywords or phrases the web site has been optimized for.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the process of using tools such as a Pay Per Click (PPC) Campaign to bid on target keywords or phrases in the attempt to drive web traffic to the web site. In other words, rather than optimize a web site for search engines, the web site is being marketed through the search engines with the use of paid keywords or phrases in an effort to maximize more exposure of the web site to users on the Internet. The purpose of SEM is to market the website through the different search engines, and drive traffic to the web site.

Like SEO, keywords or phrases need to be researched while using SEM techniques. Using keywords or phrases that are not popular and effective will not give the desired results from either SEO and SEM techniques.

Keywords or phrases are words that users put into search engines in order to find the web site and information they are looking for. It is recommended to create three word keyword phrases, research which of these phrases are most popular and effective for the web site, and optimize the web site to these keyword phrases. It is also important to monitor the keyword phrases to see which keyword phrases are effective and ineffective to the optimization and marketing of a web site. The list of keyword phrases will change due to ineffectiveness, popularity, and other outside factors.

Pay Per Click (PPC) Marketing is an advertising method that allows you to buy search engine placement by bidding on keywords or phrases. These advertisements are usually displayed on the right hand side of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Another form of PPC is that you pay for an actual SERP ranking, and you may also pay a pay-per click fee which means the more you pay, the higher in the search engine results page you will be displayed. These types of advertisements are usually displayed right on top of the search engine results page before the number 1 ranking web site.

It is important to remember that all search engines make a distinction between SEM techniques such as PPC and SEO techniques. SEM techniques such as PPC do not help your search engine ranking positions. Only SEO techniques such as properly Meta Tagging your web site, proper keyword placement, and the quality of content on your web site will help with your search engine ranking positions. SEM techniques such as PPC is a search engine marketing strategy.

Both SEO and SEM techniques have the goals to make a web site more visible to the users on the Internet and drive traffic to a web site. Neither SEO or SEM guarantee that you will generate sales through the use of one or the combination of both. This would fall under such things as Web Site Usability. For example, you have 100 visitors come to your web site, and you don't make a single sale from one. This is not an SEO or SEM issue, rather there is something on the web site causing no sales. Web site usability and functionality of the web site needs to be looked into on why people are visiting the web site but not buying the services or products. This would be the same as 100 people walking into your business and walking right back out the front doors. What is causing them to leave?

Search Engine Optimization is for optimizing a web site with the goal of gaining a high ranking position within different search engines, while Search Engine Marketing is for marketing a web site through search engines with such tools as a Pay Per Click Campaign.

Both Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing require continual work in order to provide the best results for a web site. It is important to remember that these results will sometimes take time; up to 3 months is not uncommon.

In conclusion, using proper Search Engine Optimization techniques will help a web site's ranking position in search engines, and generate visitors to a web site over time. While Search Engine Marketing techniques will not help a web site's ranking position in search engines, it will generate more traffic to the web site faster than Search Engine Optimization techniques.

Combining both Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing techniques will help with the web site's ranking positions in search engines and draw more traffic to the web site with the goal of converting the visitors in sales.