SEO vs. SEM vs. SMM
Ever wonder what the differences are between SEO, SEM, and SMM? The truth is that they’re all different methods of marketing using the internet. However, each one requires a different approach to achieve success. So let’s take a look at these 3 main channels of marketing.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in the search engines. SEO is a long-term strategy that can take months to years to see results. There are many factors that go into ranking higher on Google, including:
Your website’s speed
The amount of content on your website
The quality of your content
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the process of optimizing your website in order to get the highest possible ranking on search engines. This usually requires you to pay for ads, but it can also be achieved by optimizing your content and creating quality backlinks.
SEM is typically used to generate traffic to a website or blog, but it can also be used as part of an integrated marketing campaign where you’re trying to diversify your traffic sources beyond just search engine results pages (SERPs).
For example, if you are running an ad on Facebook that leads people down the purchase funnel towards a landing page before sending them back over to Google Ads where they end up completing their purchase through AdWords, then this would be considered SEM integration.
Social Media Marketing (SMM)
Social Media Marketing (SMM) is the practice of using social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote your business and drive traffic back to your website. SMM is one part of the larger digital marketing strategy that can also include Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC), Email Marketing and more.
As with all forms of online marketing, it’s important to understand what you are trying accomplish with each form of SMM. The goals for your specific campaign should determine which platform(s) will work best for you:
Build brand awareness on social media – If you want all those followers on Facebook or Instagram to know about your company then focus on building a following there first before setting up paid advertising campaigns or doing other things like link building
Drive traffic from social media into other channels like email lists – If people are interacting with content on Facebook then funnel some of these leads into another channel where they have expressed interest in learning more about your brand
It is important to maintain knowledge of these three techniques.
It is important to maintain knowledge of these three techniques. The more you know about them, the better you can use them to your advantage.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a must-have for any business that wants to be found online. Search engine marketing (SEM) and Social Media Marketing (SMM) are great ways to get more traffic to your website or build your brand, but it is also important that you maintain a healthy understanding of what each one does and how they work together with SEO.
So, there you have it! We hope that after reading this article, you’re now more informed about the three major digital marketing strategies. You can now see how they differ, and when it is appropriate to use each one.
