Table of Contents
SEO Vs. SEM | What’s the difference?
Have a Solid Search Engine Marketing Strategy
SEO Vs. SEM | Cost-Benefit Analysis
SEO Vs. SEM | Which Cost More?
Final Thoughts on SEO Vs. SEM
SEO Vs. SEM | What’s the difference?
In the wild and ever-changing world of digital marketing, it’s hard to know what’s best for your site, particularly when every advertiser claims to have the perfect tool for your needs.
To avoid falling prey to a sales pitch, you must understand the strategies out there and what they could mean for your website.
Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) are two different tactics for improving your search engine results page (SERP) visibility and, ultimately, site traffic. SEM is a paid service that places your digital real estate in promoted page results. On the other hand, SEO is a set of best practices to improve your organic search results.
There is more to it than merely comparing upfront costs. Both SERP tools have value, and in some cases, work well together!
To keep you in the know, let’s go over the cost of SEO vs. SEM. We will talk about the upfront cost of both SERP tools and each tactic’s value for your money.
NEED HELP WITH YOUR SEO OR SEM?
If you’re ready to take your SEO and Search Engine Marketing to the next level, I’m here to help. Book a call with me today!
Have a Solid Search Engine Marketing Strategy
SEM is search engine marketing or pay-per-click marketing. The most common platform for SEM pay per click is Google Ads.
A common misconception about SEM is that it doesn’t generate organic search results because it’s a paid service. Google Ads services will create a custom ad for your chosen keywords and charge you a flat fee per click. In order to be successful, you need to have a solid search engine marketing strategy.
To use SEM with impact, you need to choose your keywords with care to ensure a query will return a relevant SERP page. Once a viewer lands on a SERP page that includes your ad, you then must entice viewers with that ad.
Google Ads has an infinitely flexible budget. You set the amount you want to pay and can adjust at any time. Of course, the more you spend, the better you can expect your results to be. A reasonable starting budget is anywhere between $100-$500 per month for a new entrepreneur.
If your budget allows, you may wish to move past just appearing on a SERP. You might consider an SEO-focused digital marketing agency like my agency — Pave SEO. We offer comprehensive, hands-off SEO services. Not only can we improve your Google visibility with a tailored search engine marketing strategy but we can help you improve your email marketing campaigns as well.
SEO Vs. SEM | Cost-Benefit Analysis
SEO is about investing in yourself and your content. Unlike SEM, the research and content editing you put into your on-page SEO are yours to keep. That isn’t to say it’s a once-off payment, either.
Search engine optimization best practices are evergreen. That means you are responsible for keeping the content fresh with SEO self check-ups and editing. They may need a touch-up, but the impactful marketing content of your on-page SEO endeavors are yours forever.
SEO agency services can be costly. Tools offered by companies like Ahrefs offer full-service solutions for on-page SEO and technical SEO, but these are tools that you must learn in order to get the full benefit from them. Most SEO agencies expect a budget of $2000 per month before they want to step in.
The good news is, DIY SEO has never been easier! By utilizing a small number of freelancers and investing in your personal growth, a starting DIY SEO budget can be $100-$200 a month! Best of all, your SEO budget isn’t just rent on Google ad space. Every penny you spend stays with you in the form of impactful, optimized content.
SEO Vs. SEM | Which Cost More?
While SEO seems costly, it is actually more cost effective and less expensive than SEM. Because the effects of SEO are evergreen, you receive more return on your investment (ROI) over time.
Ultimately, SEM is only effective while you pay for it. The moment you stop, all the money you have spent so far might seem to disappear overnight. The hope is that through pay-per-click marketing campaigns, you will have gained a foothold in your niche and gotten some email subscribers along the way.
Search engine marketing is only a foot in the door. You pay for each click that leads to your site, but if your lead magnets aren’t performing, that’s money down the drain. SEM can be a fast and effective tool for customer conversion at a set price with the aid of hard-working landing pages. Once you have established your presence, you can choose to dial back or eliminate your SEM costs.
Remember that to set up a pay-per-click Google ads campaign, some keyword research is required. You may choose to do this yourself or hire an on-page SEO content editor. Either way, you can’t have SEM without dipping your toes in the waters of SEO.
NEED HELP WITH YOUR SEO OR SEM?
If you’re ready to take your SEO and Search Engine Marketing to the next level, I’m here to help. Book a call with me today!
Final Thoughts on SEO Vs. SEM
If you have the budget, the know-how, and the drive, SEO and SEM can work side by side to make your digital real estate a lakefront property, so to speak. You don’t have to choose one or the other. Of course, the budget dictates certain things, especially for the new entrepreneur.
If it comes down to SEO vs. SEM for you, remember that you will need SEO either way.
While the upfront cost is harder to determine, the benefits of a good SEO campaign on your organic search results are a lasting effect if you have the willingness to learn some DIY SEO, even better.
You can pay the fisherman of SEM as long as you like, but sooner or later, you are better off buying a rod! Remember, the best investment you can make is to invest in yourself.
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