Difference Between SEO and SEM: A Detailed Guide

SEO and SEM:

These are two terms that often confuse us because we confuse one another. Yes, all of us know that SEO stands for search engine optimization, and SEM is search engine marketing, but where it all gets tangled is when it comes to marketing.

I mean,

Isn’t SEO just another way of inbound marketing? How can we draw a clear line between SEO and SEM if it is?

Well:

In this blog post. I will draw that line for you, and we will see the difference between SEO and SEM & which one is more extensive.

Let us take a look at some prominent points of distinction:

SEM is Whole – SEO is Part

Yes, exactly:

For starters, neither are equal or parallel marketing or search engine manipulation tactics. SEO is a big part of a bigger whole known as SEM.

SEM consists of two similar techniques for bringing lots and lots of traffic to your website. One of those techniques is SEO, and the other is PSA (Paid Search Advertising).

What is PSA?

You must have tried or at least heard of Google PPC advertising, also known as Google AdWords advertising.

When you think SEO will take a long time to kick in and you need some traffic immediately, go for a paid advertisement. You pay Google to show your website in Google ads or search results.

So, to start with, not only SEM includes an entirely different tactic than SEO. It is the whole of which SEO is only a part.

Focus Difference Between SEO & SEM

While comparing SEO to SEM is like comparing a car engine to a car itself (part vs. whole). Specific points help one draw a line of difference between them. Take the focus of both strategies, for example.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

If you look at search engine optimization and try to find its focus, it is a two-fold marketing and traffic acquisition strategy focused on two main fronts: on-site and off-site.

So a person who applies search engine optimization is like a ping-pong ball between on-site SEO strategies and off-site hard work to accumulate more and more traffic.

However:

The focus is not the same in the case of SEM.

SEM does not have to do anything with on-site and off-site because it already encapsulates SEO and all its dimensions.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM):

SEM is, in fact, a great marketing approach and strategy that relies heavily on the two most essential parts: SEO and PSA.

However:

Since search engine optimization is a small universe, when someone presents themselves as a search engine marketing expert, we mostly think of Google AdWords and other PSA strategies.

So while SEM’s focus is extensive, and it covers SEO as well, SEO focuses only on two main techniques.

Yet, when it comes to scalability, both: SEO and SEM are equally tricky.

Activity Difference Between SEO & SEM

In terms of activities, too, SEO and SEM do not sound much similar.

Yes, I know SEO is part of SEM, and thus both should look alike – to a specific limit.

However:

While an SEO expert is supposed to be busy with keyword searches and getting backlinks, etc., an SEM expert should take up tasks like ad campaigns and managing ad groups, etc.

Here’s a breakdown of the activities of both:

Approach Difference Between SEO & SEM

Well:

This is one crucial point that differentiates SEO from SEM or vice versa. This is in terms of approach.

We all know that whether to go for the whole or SEO part, the target is only and only one: getting more and more traffic for one’s website.

However:

How both strategies channel the traffic from the internet to one’s website makes the difference.

As we know, search engine marketing includes search engine optimization as well. However, it is a group of techniques that includes SEO, and if we minimize SEO from SEM, it is all about paid advertising.

SEO, on the other hand, is about getting more and more traffic from unpaid sources.

This is the difference in terms of approach. SEM (minus SEO) is all about allocating ad budget, managing expenses, launching ad campaigns, and taking other actions that do the same thing – bringing traffic in return for money (via ads mostly).

SEO, on the contrary, uses techniques and intelligent work to replace the money we find involved in PPC advertising techniques. How to structure the website, how to strategize the content, how to do keyword research, how to do tags, and how to bring in more and more do-follow backlinks are all intelligent work.

So, a significant difference between SEO and SEM is brilliant work vs. money (not that search engine optimization can be done without money or search engine marketing does not require intelligence and hard work).

Place of Action & Form of Action

Yes:

I know a lot of posts discussed this topic, but none of them mentioned this point. I see this point does not matter much, but it is still a point of difference.

Where do you expect to run into SEO, and where do you have chances to meet SEM? This question does not matter to some but is essential in specific scenarios.

For example, a learner of both would not like to waste time and immediately want to know the places and tools used in both types of techniques.

SEO is done on and off your website. On-site means that whether your website is on WordPress or some other CMS, that is the place where you do SEO. Also, you do SEO on others’ websites, social media, forums, etc.

The tools are Ahrefs, SEMRush & Moz, etc.

In the case of SEM, a place is an ad tool of a search engine. For example, when you have to test a PPC Google ad, you go to AdWords, a tool for Google ads.

Folks:

This is it.

These are the essential points about SEM and SEO that a researcher and blogger could find out. You ferret around the internet and enlighten me if you find other different aspects.

Also – don’t forget to share this and comment if you like.

Shehryar Aziz

Shehryar Aziz is a digital marketing specialist with 8+ years of experience in web designing, SEO & SEM. He is specialized in creating beautiful and functional websites that help businesses succeed online, with a particular focus on WordPress development, HTML & CSS. In his free time, he enjoy's staying up-to-date on the latest industry news and exploring new design tools and techniques.