The Difference Between SEM and SEO

Considering how prevalent interactive marketing has become in the past few years, it’s actually surprising how many self-proclaimed marketing experts don’t know the difference between SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It’s not entirely without cause, I suppose, considering the inconsistent usage of the two terms. Still, I think it worthwhile to clarify their meanings.

Search Engine Optimization is the process of increasing a website’s organic search engine rankings. It involves researching keywords, increasing the algorithmic visibility of on-site HTML elements, and developing inbound links, among other things.

Search Engine Marketing, on the other hand, is a general term used to describe all methods of marketing to search engines. Any practice that leverages search engines to generate demand for a website technically falls under the SEM umbrella.

Strictly speaking, then, SEO is a part of SEM. Recently, however, SEO has started to become important and distinct enough to demand its own term. Depending on where you hear it, then, SEM can either stand for all search engine marketing practices in general or simply everything but SEO. In the latter context, it most often carries an emphasis on paid linking through services such as Google AdWords and Yahoo! Search Marketing.

Why the distinction? Well, as the industry matures, its experts become more specialized. SEO and paid linking are two very different beasts that demand different approaches and skill sets. I, for example, am an expert at SEO, but I’m probably not the one you’d want optimizing your AdWords campaigns. In my last job, that sort of thing was handled by a dedicated SEM specialist, who in turn rarely did much in terms of SEO. Using the blanket term of SEM to describe both of our jobs would get confusing, especially for clients. Hence the need for separation.

Knowing how these things go, I have no doubt that people, even those who should know better, will continue to get these terms confused. I only hope that, after reading this, you won’t be one of them.