Pros & Cons of SEO versus SEM
Written by Daniel Carawan Tuesday, 26 April 2011 07:53
Search engine marketing (SEM) is a type of marketing via the Internet that promotes websites by increasing their visibility in search engine result pages (SERP) through the use of the following methods: * Paid placement * Contextual advertising * Paid inclusion SEM can be used through services like Google AdWords which utilizes all three methods of SEM (i.e. paid placement, contextual advertising, and paid inclusions). Similar services include Clicksor, Pocketcents, Kontera, Infolinks, Bidvertiser, Yahoo advertising, and adbrite, among others. What each of these services have in common is that each allows an individual or business to pick a keyword or set of keywords relevant to their field, bid on the keyword(s), determine what form of advertising is desired (e.g. banner, textual, etc.), and decide where and when you would like the ads to be placed. If it sounds complicated, don't worry, it's easier than it sounds. SEM has been proven time and again to produce results for individuals or businesses using this service.
SEO, thus, is a inexpensive way to advertise your website on the Internet. Nevertheless, it is time-consuming in learning and applying the techniques necessary to carry out a good SEO campaign. If you aren't proficient in SEO, you'd best bet that your business competitors are. If you notice their website on the first few pages of a search engine search then you're probably in the right to conclude that they have some SEO experience under their belt.
Search engine marketing (SEM) is a type of marketing via the Internet that promotes websites by increasing their visibility in search engine result pages (SERP) through the use of the following methods: * Paid placement * Contextual advertising * Paid inclusion SEM can be used through services like Google AdWords which utilizes all three methods of SEM (i.e. paid placement, contextual advertising, and paid inclusions). Similar services include Clicksor, Pocketcents, Kontera, Infolinks, Bidvertiser, Yahoo advertising, and adbrite, among others. What each of these services have in common is that each allows an individual or business to pick a keyword or set of keywords relevant to their field, bid on the keyword(s), determine what form of advertising is desired (e.g. banner, textual, etc.), and decide where and when you would like the ads to be placed. If it sounds complicated, don't worry, it's easier than it sounds. SEM has been demonstrated time and again to generate results for individuals or businesses using this service.
Depending on what field you're in, however, search engine marketing can cost you quite a bit. Again, the cost of your SEM "campaign" is reliant on a whole host of factors like keyword popularity, number of advertisements to be used daily and at what time (peak vs. downtime), and the service provider you choose you work with. Google AdWords has established itself as a favorite of those using SEM because it produces results in a user friendly way. The SEM alternatives to AdWords are worth your while too but be careful, you might just get what you pay for.
SEO, thus, is a cheap way to market your website on the Internet. However, it is time-consuming in learning and applying the techniques necessary to carry out a good SEO campaign. If you aren't proficient in SEO, you'd best bet that your competition is. If you notice their website on the first few pages of a search engine search then you're probably in the right to conclude that they have some SEO experience under their belt.
Depending on what field you're in and what keywords you choose in your "campaign," search engine marketing (SEM) can cost you a pretty penny. Again, the cost of your SEM "campaign" is dependent on a whole host of factors like keyword popularity, number of advertisements to be used daily and at what time (peak vs. downtime), and the service provider you choose you work with. Google AdWords has established itself as a preferred service provider of those using SEM because it produces results and it has a trusted name to boot. The SEM alternatives to AdWords are worth your while too, just be careful because you might just get what you pay for.