When you consider the influence of sarcasm in good quality satire, it is interesting to note how two different entities can play their part in achieving the same goal. To many, the concepts of search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) are about as varied as night and later that night, but this does not do justice to the subtle and yet significant differences that exist between them. While there is a clue in each title as to the roles that they perform in ensuring the optimum visibility of your website to a potential client base, it is all too easy to become lost in a sea of terminology and technical jargon. If you find yourself swimming against this tide, it can cause your business to lose momentum and may mean that the world never gets to fully appreciate or benefit from your vision.
So exactly what does differentiate SEO from SEM? Search engine optimization is actually far more specific than search engine marketing, and refers to the act of optimizing your website’s HTML and other content to obtain a high organic search engine ranking. Search engine marketing is a broader concept, and includes the function of SEO as part of its overall package. So typical SEO tools such as keyword analysis and applications that crawl and evaluate your website content can be incorporated as part of a targeted SEM strategy, and allow you to drive your website and venture directly into the public domain.
Getting the most out of these concepts is key, and an SEO agency has the capacity to combine both optimization tools with the methods of search engine marketing to achieve the very best ranking for your business. While they can be tackled separately, this can be less cost effective over a period of time, and may also see your business lose ground on its competitors within the marketplace. Employing the services of a knowledgeable SEO company allows you mount a single strategic marketing campaign, and save you both time and money in the search for the best possible search engine visibility.
So how big a part do SEO tools and services play in a successful SEM strategy? Well they are significant, as they help you to optimize your website and its keyword performance and also analyze those of your competitors, while you set about other aspects of marketing such as pay per call advertising, article submissions and press release distribution. In terms of your company websites keyword performance and search engine ranking, it is crucial that both SEO and SEM are paid close attention to, as neglecting one can render the effects of the other redundant.
Social media marketing is also a part of modern SEM strategies, and there are associated tools which monitor any reference to a relevant keyword or partner domain through sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Digg. This is the kind of development that an SEO agency stays up to date with, and displays exactly how their expertise can benefit the continued growth of your business venture. Remember, the combination of SEO with SEM is like that of strawberries and cream: hugely satisfying when together, but far less appealing by themselves.
In truth, you could spend half of your life debating the merits of SEO over SEM, but this misunderstands the roles that they play in relation to each other. Search engine optimization tools should play a significant role as part of an overall search engine marketing strategy, so can you really afford to neglect either in your quest for prosperity? Act now to get the most from your SEO and SEM strategies…