SEO and SEM Explained

SEO? SEM? WHAT?

You know you need them, but what exactly are search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM)? Although the terms search engine optimization and search engine marketing are often used together, they are different from one another.

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization is a part of search engine marketing. It’s the act (or acts) of optimizing your web site so your site will rank organically higher in the search engines. Although search engine optimization can be time-consuming, it can also be low cost or sometimes even free.

One way that you can optimize your web store for search engines is to make sure that copy, titles and meta tags are used appropriately for the keywords you want to target. Link building is also an important part of SEO. Blogging and article writing can also be useful because search engines like content. The more useful content you generate, the more search engines will like your site.

Search Engine Marketing

Search engine marketing means marketing your site on the search engines. But when most people hear the term SEM they think of pay-per-click, paying for sponsored listings on the search engines. Pay-per-click can be a fast way to get your products seen by a large audience. It can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you like. One benefit of pay-per-click is that search engine optimization takes time. It can take several months to see results. You can start seeing results from pay-per-click immediately.

Resources

Want more information? Here are a few books to get you started?

 
 
 

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