SEM - Search Engine Marketing is not SEO

SEM vs SEO, what's the difference?

Search engine marketing has become a website industry buzzword. A lot of confusion surrounds search engine marketing versus search engine optimization methods. To even begin to understand the differences, you need to first understand something about search engines and search engine objectives.

All the major search engines exist for (2) important reasons:

The first, is to provide users with good information, from credible and reliable information resources. They do this by providing natural or organic search results to the search phrases typed into their search word input box.

The second, is to generate revenue (make money) for themselves. They do this by selling advertising space on the same search results pages.

Search engine marketing is all about the second reason!

Search engine organizations also need to make money from the services they provide on the World Wide Web. The information may be free to the end user, but it costs the organization a lot of time and expense to gather, store and provide all those FREE search results pages ( SERP's ). Search engine marketing focuses on providing revenue to the search engines. In return, the search engines provide links to websites that pay for listings.

SEM (search engine marketing) is not SEO (search engine optimization)

The following are some simple definitions for SEM or search engine marketing :

Wikipedia for SEM

In Internet marketing, search engine marketing, or SEM, is a set of marketing methods to increase the visibility of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs). The three main methods are: * Search engine optimization, or improving rankings for relevant keywords in search results by rectifying the website structure, and content such that they could be easily read and understood by the search engine's software programs. It is seen that website containing the latest trends and updates are first available to the visitor.

* Search engine advertising, or paying the search engine company for a guaranteed high ranking or an ad displayed aside the results (commonly known as pay per click advertising).

* Paid inclusion, or paying the search engine company for a guarantee that the website is included in their natural search index.

Search engine marketers are experts and firms who explore the weaknesses and strengths in the methods and individual products to find the best way to promote a particular website in search engines.

Good SEM is necessary for some trade specific or retail store Websites

Many business websites rely on links from distributors and manufacturers to bring visitors to their sites. A good example of this would be a specialty retailer that has their site listed in the Where to buy section of the manufacturers websites. A good SEM will explain how to get your site included in all of these regional listings.

Good SEM — Good Search Engine Marketer also follows good SEO rules

A real search engine marketer has no reason to use any special tricks to try to manipulate search engines. You're already willing to pay search engines to list your site! Every business website has unique information to provide visitors with good reasons to visit. Allowing (or asking) your search engine marketer to use unethical techniques to increase your traffic, will be a very short term marketing investment. Search engines have become quite good at discovering and de-indexing spam sites!

A good search engine marketer will:

• Explain good SEM (good search engine marketing) methods, honestly.
• Explain that SEM is simply paid advertising
• Ensure that your site is included on all the major search engines paid listings.
• Explain how to or perform a performance analysis on your marketing campaign, to see which search engines are providing actual customers.
• Explain how to get your site listed in the various trade or industry specific publications.
• Warn you of any unethical SEM practices you might be considering.
• Advise you where to find free website listings
• Tell you how to avoid the spam site link exchanges.

An Ethical SEM — Ethical Search Engine Marketer can also help your SEO

Due to the overly aggressive marketing tactics employed by some search engine marketing firms, business website owners are often confused about the entire website marketing industry. SEM is simply paid advertising.

Good SEO is about good website design.

SEM couldn't be simpler to explain.

• SEM doesn't care about your Domain Name.
• SEM doesn't rely on good web page markup.
• SEM doesn't care about the quality of your site's information.
• SEM can even get visitors to a beautiful website.
• SEM ignores your website design mistakes.
• SEM is frequently used as a last resort for a poor website.
• SEM is a short term investment. Stop paying and your site disappears from the paid search results.
• SEM is frequently employed by Big Business websites
• SEM generates huge profits, for the search engines.
• SEM can be (economically) employed by any business website owner (without paid assistance).
• SEM is not performed by a good SEO Designer.

Good SEO can be described as SEM but, SEM is rarely Good SEO

See also: SEO Faq about good search engine optimization methods and

About a Good SEO (Search Engine Optimizer) and How search engines rank websites.

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