SEM vs SEO: What’s the Difference (and Which is Similar)? – For those of you who have a website , of course you want to find ways to optimize it and be able to occupy the top of the search. There is a way to optimize that is with SEO or SEM. But you must first understand what SEM and SEO are because they have differences.
Although the two types have differences, the function provided remains the same, namely optimizing so that the website is ranked at the top. To deepen your understanding of what SEO and SEM are, you can listen to the following explanation.
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What is SEO?
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is an engine for optimizing searches on Google so that they can occupy the top rankings. When you open a search on Google and look for information then several websites appear on the first page, the website is optimized.
There are two kinds of SEO, namely On-Page SEO which includes keywords in the title, meta description , heading , and others. Then maximize the loading speed of website pages . After that connect various social media on your content.
For Off-Page SEO , you create backlinks and they can be placed naturally. After that you can apply local SEO
What is SEM?
SEM or Search Engine Marketing is marketing a product through the internet or website . In this case, SEM will also optimize the website so that many people see it and access it. Actually in it there are techniques for SEO and also marketing techniques .
In SEM there is also a useful paid search as its main component. For example, such as Pay Per Click ( PPC ), advertising or Google Ads . Thus it is a form of advertising and PPC. Therefore SEO and SEM have differences but are still interrelated.
Similarities of SEM vs SEO
Before we discuss the differences, the next one will explain what SEO and SEM have in common. The similarities between the two types of website optimization include:
1. Can Help Websites Appear In Searches
The first similarity is that both types help the website to appear in searches. Having your own website certainly has the desire to appear on the first search page. This will make it easier and more people will directly visit your website.
Website optimization that you can maximize will later provide a great opportunity to rank at the top of the search. SEO and SEM are indeed the best choices for business people in today’s digital world.
2. Have a Goal to Increase Traffic
Next is to have a goal to increase traffic. For SEO and SEM, this will make your website easily visible to internet users. The better the visibility on a website, the more traffic that comes through CTR ( Click Through Rate ).
With an optimized website , there is a great chance that you can get top rankings in search. Then people will access the website that appears on the first page. Therefore it will create a great opportunity for increased traffic.
3. Requires Audience Understanding
Next, the two types of website optimization both require the understanding of the audience. You can identify what your target market is and then you can create a buyer persona . That way you can understand what your audience needs and what they are looking for.
You can later create content whose content is relevant to what solutions the audience needs. One example could be information about maintaining endurance during the Covid-19 pandemic. This kind of content is currently being sought by many people.
4. Both Require Keyword Research
For the next equation, both require keyword research . You can do research about the use of what keywords are right to use. Can find out whether the keywords you are using are already used by many competitors. Find out deeply and thoroughly.
That way you can plan what strategy is best for the future so that you can compete with other competitors. Many competitors are competing and want their website to be at the top of Google searches . They are also looking for ways to increase the number of website visitors .
5. Requires Testing And Optimization
For SEM and SEO, both types also require testing and optimization. You should do continuous optimization to improve performance on SEM and SEO.
Difference between SEO vs SEM
After you understand what SEM and SEO are and their similarities, we will now discuss the differences. So that later it will be easy to determine which option is right for you, including:
1. The presence of advertising labels in SEM search
In SEM there is a difference with SEO, namely the presence of advertising labels in search results. This is one of the differences you can see right away. Here’s an example:
Then in SEO, where there is no ad label, it only shows website links . Even though there is a difference in the presence of an advertising logo or not, you can still use both for website optimization . Usually more websites that use SEM appear on the first page, especially for transactional keywords.
2. Use of Paid SEM and Free SEO
You must already know that advertising on any platform has to cost money. In SEM is an advertisement in the form of PPC ( Pay Per Click ). That way those of you who want to use SEM must prepare for additional costs and will certainly get more benefits.
Unlike SEO, which you can use for free, however, the functions of both types remain the same. The difference is in the ads that are installed. You can use both or choose one that can meet your needs in website optimization .
3. The use of SEM can be used as testing and SEO is not
When you use SEM, you can enable and disable ads as needed. Later it can be used as a way to test the marketing strategy that you have done, whether it is the best and for the future, can people or audiences accept it easily.
Besides you can activate and deactivate ads, you can also change the title of the ad according to your wishes and needs. Then you can also change the target audience and change the content for testing purposes later. If it’s on SEO, it will take you a long time to see the results and the difference.
4. Good Use of SEO for a Long Time
For those of you who want to do long-term website optimization, you can use SEO. SEO itself is a strategy that can later develop over time and you can monitor every progress. Although the results are not as fast as SEM, you can try it and it’s free for sure.
When using SEM then you have to pay to put an ad on the website . You can feel the results faster than SEO. However, because there must be a fee and later the use of SEM will not last long, if you don’t pay it again, it will just disappear.
5. SEO CTR Potentially Higher Than SEM
In the AWR study, those who occupy the top three searches get the most CTR ( Click Through Rate ). That way if the search results are in the top position, SEO is most likely to beat SEM. So you have to be able to optimize with SEO as much as possible in order to compete with SEM.
If you can’t maximize SEO optimization, then it could be that the CTR of SEM will be more in the top position. But for a bigger opportunity, it could be SEM because what you know is that its use is paid. This paid use will provide great benefits and is easy.
6. The use of SEM can determine the target audience
The use of SEM or SEO is to be able to understand what the audience needs. However, the use of SEM is more profitable even though it is paid but you can determine the target audience. You can determine for what age, location, education, and so on so that it becomes a plus.
But if you don’t want to spend more for website optimization, you can just use SEO. Although you can’t determine target marketing, you can also use it to understand the needs of the audience . You can get good results if you take full advantage of them.
7. Results On SEM Faster Than SEO
The use of SEM will not appear quickly after you place an ad. Must go through several processes first and there is intense competition with other advertisers. But you don’t need to worry, the process only takes a minute unlike using SEO.
One of the advantages is that you can activate and deactivate it as needed. Then the results are also visible faster. Meanwhile, when using SEO it will take unexpected time because it can go up or down depending on several factors.
SEO and SEM: Which is Right for Your Business?
After you already know what SEM and SEO are, the differences, and their drawbacks, we will now discuss which one is suitable. Then you have to consider and plan so you don’t make the wrong decision. You can listen to the following explanation.
1. Consider Your Competitors
Before you want to compete with other competitors, you should first see what strategies they use. Look at competitors’ performance in search. Then find out more about whether they use SEO or SEM. It could also be that they do not use one but both.
You can find out which keywords they use to get the most searches. Set a strategy that allows them to seize their position by using SEO. If you doubt that you can compete with SEO, then you can choose another alternative, namely using SEM.
2. How well do you understand the industry you work in
Those of you who have been involved and have done everything in the industry, of course, already know or understand what the audience needs. To start with, you can use SEO first for long-term purposes. If the reactions from competitors and audiences don’t show up, you can try SEM.
Later when using SEM you will see results in the near future. Of course you have to be prepared to spend money for future business development. When you use SEM and do testing , you can create strategies for SEO as well which will be long term later.
3. Considering Existing Costs
Next is to consider the costs you have. Find out in advance the costs you will have to spend later so you can prepare for it. Of course, you have to adjust to your finances and needs. You can’t just choose between SEO and SEM without your first consideration.
If you want to use free website optimization , you can choose SEO. Its use can be long term but the process to get the results takes longer. Those of you who have more costs or budgets can choose SEM because the process is faster and has free authority to use.
4. Consider the Age of the Website
Those of you who have just created a website or are still at a young age the website can choose SEO and SEM. The use of SEM will bring in faster traffic at the beginning of starting your new website . Then you can plan and start optimizing with SEO.
With the more prominent role of SEM, this will provide more visible results even though it has not been for a long time. After that, the results of SEO have also started to show, little by little, you can think about which one to choose later. You can use SEO only and disable SEM or use all.
5. View Your Website Status
After you understand what SEM and SEO are and want to choose which one will be suitable for use, you have to do some research. For research here, the target is whether the website you have has the opportunity to develop with the existing SEO strategy. It takes a long time but you have to be prepared.
If you later get unsatisfactory results with SEO, you can switch to using SEM. You can take full advantage of SEM to attract a lot of traffic while you plan your SEO strategy. That way the costs you spend will not be in vain later.
Those of you who are curious about the condition of the website can later use the tool to check the details of the SEO results. One of these tools is the Alexa SEO Audit Tool . This tool will display detailed results regarding On-Page and Off-Page SEO on your website .
Already Know the Difference between SEO and SEM?
Thus, digital marketing is currently growing to facilitate and benefit business people. For example, people who choose to create a website and start their business from there. Then have to find a way for the website to appear at the beginning of the search page.
There are two options that you can use for website optimization, namely SEO and SEM. Both have the same function, namely optimizing your website so that it appears on the first page of Google searches . That way your website will have great potential to reach many visitors.
Although both types have the same function, there are differences that you must understand first. One of them is for SEM whose use must cost money and the results are faster. While SEO you can use for free but the results are slower