Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Internet Marketing
SEO vs SEM vs Internet Marketing
Have you ever done a search on Google or Yahoo?
Most people these days have...it has become the world's new "Yellow Pages"...only it is much faster and information rich - plus nowhere near as expensive....
The only "problem" with these search engines is that most people only look at the first page of results. That means you need to be in the top 10 or you don't get seen.
So how do you get to be on the first page of search results?
That is where SEO, SEM & Internet Marketing come into play....they are used to get your business a top search engine position...
First off:
SEO = Search Engine Optimisation
SEM = Search Engine Marketing
SEO is a way of optimising your website for search engines. SEO generally makes use of free methods to push your website to the top of search engine results - for example - submitting your website to search engines, optimising the content of your website, introducing methods to keep your website's content fresh and up to date, ensuring the website is designed to facilitate SEO (poor quality website design can hinder your website's search engine position - so it is best to get it designed properly the first time).
These methods might be free however they require a lot of expertise and continual research which is why many website owners hire SEO experts to do this for them...many web designers are also experts in SEO, however some are not. Often you can see if they deal with SEO by looking through their website.
Search Engine Optimisation: SEO:
- Build a content rich site which is visitor friendly
- Submission of your site to major search engines
- Ensuring your site has submitted a sitemap to search engines
- Keyword & key phrase research & identification
- Optimising website using those keywords and key phrases identified
- SEO takes time to generate traffic
SEM stands for search engine marketing and encompasses a few different methods - one of which is SEO. SEM encompasses all known strategies used to through search engines such as Google, Live and Yahoo paid or unpaid. It has many overlapping areas with traditional marketing and also SEO.
Search Engine Marketing: SEM:
- All of SEO (as listed above)
- Pay per click advertising
- Paid Link Exchange Programs
- SEM can give you instant traffic at a cost
Internet Marketing is a much wider scheme which involves everything SEM and SEO does plus more…Internet Marketing is not just focused on marketing through search engines – rather it uses any online marketing methods available to get your businesses name out there. This can include using paid banner adds, paid reviews, paying others to write about your service or business, writing articles & editorials for other websites & Blogs…the options available for Internet Marketing Campaigns are endless. Remember that SEO & SEM are both components of an Internet Marketing Campaign.
In summary: SEO is a standalone component of SEM. Internet Marketing encompasses SEO, SEM and other methods.
Internet Marketing:
- Banner adds
- Pay Per Click Advertising
- Affiliate Programs
- Link Exchanging
- Paid Reviews
- Blogging
- Search Engine Optimisation (as listed above)
- Search Engine Marketing (as listed above)
Which Plan Is For Me?
When choosing a plan to market your website, you need to decide how much money you are willing to spend and how long you are willing to wait for results.
The truth is that unless you have plenty of time to spend on doing research and keeping yourself up to date with the latest trends, you will have to spend money with either strategy.
In many instances SEO alone will suffice with great results. However these results can take up to 6 months to start appearing.
SEM can give you some more instant results with Pay-Per-Click advertising...however you still won't see the full benefits of the campaign for up to 6 months.
If the market you are trying to enter into is a highly competitive with heaps of competition then you might need to look at a full-on SEM or Internet Marketing Campaign - these will set you back a lot more $$ - but sometimes you need to spend the money to make the money.
Let me give you an example....
If I was trying to break into the Sydney Accommodation Market with a new hotel...I would be more likely to implement a SEM or full Internet marketing campaign, as Sydney Accommodation would be a very competitive online market to break into.
If I was trying to break into the Accommodation Market in Tennant Creek, NT, then I would be more likely to implement SEO alone, as I can't imagine that there is too much online competition for accommodation in Tennant Creek.