SEM vs. SEO vs. PPC – Which is most important?

First thing’s first, what do we mean when we refer to the acronyms SEM, SEO and PPC?

Search engine marketing (SEM) refers to the paid search ads we see at the top and right-hand-side of search engine pages such as Google or Yahoo. Each of these ads can be bought via an auction process, for example for Google the auction process is via the Adwords platform.

Pay-per-click (PPC) allows advertisers to pay according to the amount of people that click on their ad. PPC refers to both ads served on search engines and display ads on other websites.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the organic (unpaid) enhancement of a website’s position in search engine rankings.

Which one is best for your business?

SEO, SEM and PPC offer businesses the opportunity to meet important marketing goals. All tactics drive traffic to your website, however each method provides results for different types of objectives. SEM and PPC drives paid traffic and SEO drives organic traffic. Because of this, it’s impossible to say if one is better than the other. In fact, the best way to utilise SEO, PPC and SEM is in conjunction with each other. One tactic is not better than the other, however they can be executed collectively to maximise results and to ensure you meet important marketing goals.

So if they’re all important, how can you make the most of each?

Firstly, you’ll need to figure out what your marketing objectives are. Would you like to sell products via your ecommerce website? Are you looking to gain valuable leads? Or are you simply trying to boost traffic to your website? Depending on your specific marketing goals, SEO, PPC and SEM can be highly successful methods of boosting brand awareness, generating leads and driving conversions.

SEO and SEM both rely on keywords to drive website traffic. SEO uses keywords to give search engines clues into the content and framework of your webpage and website, and SEM uses keywords to connect your customers with your website, helping them to find something in particular, whether it be a specific product or valuable information.

SEM is a highly effective marketing tactic for generating leads and driving conversions. By setting up a clear and concise payment or contact form on your SEM landing page, you can successfully drive sales or obtain valuable consumer information, depending on what your objectives are.

SEO is a tactic that requires consistent attention to ensure that your brand and website is front-of-mind for your customers and prospective customers when they’re searching online. SEO is a great way to drive more traffic to your website, build brand awareness and brand loyalty.

PPC through display ads is a great way to build brand awareness, especially if combined with a remarketing campaign. Remarketing involves targeting people who have already shown an interest in your product or service by visiting your webpages, social media sites or by interacting with your brand in some way, and continuing to serve them relevant ads.

SEM, PPC and SEO complement each other in a powerful way and therefore should not be siloed. By aligning the objectives of your SEO, PPC and SEM campaigns, you can drive a robust marketing strategy and achieve better results. Just be sure to assess the results of your campaigns and use these insights to improve future campaigns.
If you would like help aligning your SEO, PPC and SEM campaigns, get a free website audit from the experts at Flight Digital today.