What are the difference between SEO and SEM ?

[SerenMckay]

What are the difference between SEO and SEM ?

[sadianisar]

SEO: Search Engine Optimization.
It's a technique which is used to optimize a website according to search engine's rules and regulations.
Free of cost
Long term results
Slow process

SEM: Search Engine Marketing
It is a technique which is used to advertise your website on the top of the SERP by paying search engine for it.
Short term results (once you stop paying, you will lose your marketing)
instant results
Fast process
Expensive

[Mudassar Naveed]

The difference between SEO and SEM is simply that Search Engine Optimization is part of Search engine marketing or Search marketing as it is widely known. Both processes aim in increasing visibility in search engines. SEO is about optimizing the web property to get better rankings in the search results while SEM goes beyond SEO. It involves other methods as well which can get you more search engine visitors like PPC advertising.

[KateSteel]

A – SEO – Improving rank of web pages naturally for a keyword.
B – SEM – When we buy paid traffic or paid listing in any search engine.

[davidweb09]

SEO helps to achieve organic SEO ranking while SEM not.

[Taylor Minaj]

SEO, or search engine optimization, refers to the methods by which websites are improved to rank better in search engine queries.

SEM actually includes SEO, but it also includes PPC, or pay-per-click advertising. Basically, SEM is a combination of paid and unpaid strategies meant to improve your website’s visibility in searches.

[marisalewis24]

The difference between SEO and SEM is simply that Search Engine Optimization is part of Search engine marketing or Search marketing as it is widely known. Both processes aim in increasing visibility in search engines. SEO is about optimizing the web property to get better rankings in the search results while SEM goes beyond SEO. It involves other methods as well which can get you more search engine visitors like PPC advertising.

[AdProsMarketing]

Great Question!

SEO Stands For Search Engine Optimization.

1) When Your Optimizing Your Website You Are Looking To Increase Your Chances Of Populating In The Organic Section Of Google, Yahoo Or Bing.
2) Optimization Comes In Two Main Methods In Which You Need To Do Both Constantly - A) On-Site Optimization B) Off-Site Optimization AKA Backlinks

SEM Stands For Search Engine Marketing.
1) This Program Is Via Google AdWords
2) You Can Buy Keywords For A Certain CPC

[christ]

The free SEO activities to drive traffic on site like content marketing, link-building, directories, forums, video etc are under SEO.
SEO's primary opjective is to improve Organic traffic on website, but while we engage in Paid marketing like Affiliate marketing, Emailing, PPC etc, it called as SEM.
Because we are doing marketing to drive traffic and sales on our site.
But the most important thing is without SEO, SEM is not possible. On-page optimization is must which is a part of SEO and need to perform it before considering SEM.

[dennis123]

SEO is cheap, provide long term result, take time to provide result, use to link building & get traffic, Social media also comes in it.

[ryansmith]

The diffrence between SEO and SEM is simply SEO aims optimizing the web property to get better rankings in the search results and SEM uses the search engines to advertisi your website to Internet customers and send a more targeted traffic to your Web site.

[pooja123]

seo- search engine optimization
SEM - Search engine marketing

[ShreyaKoushik]

SEO- SEO stand for search engine optimization, it’s the one of the finest technique for improving your website ranking in search engine and also it’s very helpful for generating target visitors to your website. It’s very different and better in comparison with traditional marketing.

SEM: SEM is the part of online marketing, it stand for search engine marketing, it provides a social platform for business owners to the promotion of their business product, brands, and services. SEM provides an individual way to find consumers web site product information very easily.

[SteddyFreddy]

Can anyone say which approach is more effective? Or is that a redundant question?

[daikaads]

Both SEO and SEM techniques are used to increase the search engine visibility. SEO is a long-term process in which we have to optimize our website to the Search Engines for the rankings whereas SEM is a short term process and it is all about paying for Google for instant traffic.

[aceamerican]

SEO: Search Engine Optimization.
It's a technique which is used to optimize a website according to search engine's rules and regulations.
Free of cost
Long term results
Slow process

SEM: Search Engine Marketing
It is a technique which is used to advertise your website on the top of the SERP by paying search engine for it.
Short term results (once you stop paying, you will lose your marketing)
instant results
Fast process
Expensive

Nice Explanation