Search Engine Marketing vs Search Engine Optimization

It seems there is a big misunderstanding as to the difference between Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimization.

So let’s clear this up by first defining what each term or service is:

We will start with Search Engine Optimization.
This is defined as optimizing your website so the search engines feel that it’s a friendly website (technically speaking) and will rank well based on it’s optimization.

So what does that all mean? Basically, search engines like websites that play by the rules which are quality content that have keywords that relate to your business within the content, a simple navigation with a clear definition of what each page is about. I can go on and talk about sitemaps, h1 and h2 tags, keyword density but I think you get what Search Engine Optimization means now.

Another term for search engine optimization (SEO) would be on page optimization the area of search engine optimization that applies to the content and structure of the website itself.

Now what is Search Engine Marketing?

I have to admit, Search Engine Marketing is my favorite because it deals with the outside world of your own website. Search Engine Marketing basically means promoting your own website from other websites to drive traffic to your own website.

Websites such as Squidoo, Hubpages, Social Bookmark sites (like Digg), YouTube and other external website that would drive massive amounts of traffic to your own websites by providing a link (by using anchor text) to your site from these external sites.

Another term for Search Engine Marketing (SEM) would clearly be the antonym of on page optimization and that would of course be off page optimization.

So Which One Is Better?

One isn’t better than the other, it’s more a matter of which one should be done first then followed by the other.
In my opinion, Search Engine Optimization should be tackled first once your own website is optimized, then focus on Search Engine Marketing. This is essential because you want to prepare your website for all the traffic that SEM will bring in.

I hope this has cleared up some questions you may have had in regards to Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing and wish you the best of success in all your online markeing efforts.

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