What is SEO vs SEM?

[vishwanathoils]

What is SEO vs SEM?

[Cyril30]

Search Engine Optimization or SEO focuses on optimizing a website to gain organic traffic, and SEM or Search Engine Marketing aims to gain traffic from mainly paid methods. Search Engine Marketing includes both SEO and PPC (Pay Per Click).

[juliaalan]

The main difference is that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is focused on optimizing a website in order to get traffic from organic search results. On the other hand, the goal of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is to get traffic and visibility from both organic and paid search.


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[umairseoexpert1]

SEO focuses on optimizing a website to increase organic traffic, and SEM or Search Engine Marketing purposes to increase traffic from mostly paid methods.

[donamiller90]

The main difference is that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is focused on optimizing a website in order to get traffic from organic search results. On the other hand, the goal of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is to get traffic and visibility from both organic and paid search.

[Cyril30]

SEO is free and relies on organic search strategies, while SEM comes with a cost and relies on paid advertising. Additionally, SEO takes time to take effect, while SEM is instant.

[pharmasecure]

SEO is sometimes used as an umbrella term that includes SEM, but because SEM refers strictly to paid advertising, they are actually separate. SEM is about getting traffic via paid ads, and SEO is more about acquiring, monitoring and analyzing organic (unpaid) traffic patterns.