Some interested clients find the meanings of search engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) hard to swallow, maybe because they are often used interchangeably by marketers. This confusion should not serve as a hindrance for you to receive an effective digital marketing strategy that can get you ahead of your competitors. Therefore, this article will shed some light on the frequently asked questions about these two topics to clarify their differences!

Digital marketing is a niche that has been dismissed until the emergence and usage of technology allowed it to flourish. Since then, companies have used it to gain an online presence and attract new customers. This is all thanks to the practices of search engine optimisation and search engine marketing! 

What is SEM?

Search engine marketing (SEM) is a strategy that an expert in marketing, usually can be found in an SEM company, uses to enhance, optimise, and most importantly advertise a client’s website so that it will reach the top results in the search engine results page or SERP.

To elaborate it in simple terms, OOm, a digital agency in Singapore,  defines it as an ensured strategy in “securing your space on the top of SERPs by means of paid advertising.” 

Is SEM similar to paid advertising?

Consequently, your interest must have sparked when you have read the term, “paid advertising.” SEM uses paid search or what it is often referred to as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to increase traffic in your website. However, this does not mean that they are similar to each other. For instance, when you get PPC it does not include the strategies that are ensured in SEM services.

What you have to remember is that SEM is a really broad strategy that includes PPC and search engine optimisation tactics. Therefore, when you get a search engine marketing service in Singapore the company will not only optimise your website and your search content with properly placed keywords, they will also set you up with a PPC advertisement that has been optimised. So, you might say that SEM’s PPC is a nitro boost to keep you ahead of your competitors when it comes to getting the high ranking in a SERP.

What are the inclusions I would find from an SEM service?

Summarising what is stated above, an SEM service includes search engine optimization, PPC listings and advertisements. Many companies will strictly use PPC campaigns and activities when you get their SEM service, but when you also decide on using SEO and PPC that will still fall under SEM.

What is SEO?

Search engine marketing (SEO) is a process more focused on increasing the number of visitors by optimising a website, thus will place it in a visibly higher position in the SERPs. However, due to Google’s evolving algorithm, SEO is divided into two aspects: On-page and Off-page.

In a much deeper but simpler sense, you can rely on OOm’s definition which says, “SEO makes sure that you are utilizing the keywords properly and you are strategically placing it in your contents.” This is crucial for site branding because it also makes use of link building, powerful Meta descriptions, and increasing organic traffic.

What are the inclusions I would find from an SEO service?

Considering that SEO is comprised of two activities, here are the things that you should expect from an On-page service:

• Strategically incorporated group of keywords into title tags, Meta descriptions, heading tags, alt test, among others.
• Quality written blog posts and landing pages 
• Clean and formatting page URLs
• Enhanced loading speed of your pages
• Usage social media links on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter
• Google authorship incorporated
• Among many other tactics!

Off-page components include:

• Creation of high quality, link building to improve link popularity
• Social sharing signals
• Social bookmarking
• Among others!

Are they the same?

The simple answer to this is no. Noting the two definitions above, you have to know that SEO is only an essential component of SEM. SEO is just one of the many search marketing tactics that you can receive when you acquire search engine marketing services in Singapore.

For instance, your business is dedicated to offering clients who are in need of dental assistance. So, you would imagine your customers typing “dental implants” in the search engine. If the article on your website was seen on the first page of the organic results page, then it means the search engine optimization services you got in Singapore assisted your website to become more visible. The paid advertising or sponsored links (usually they are stated as sponsored under the title link) will be prominently displayed above on a SERP is a product of an SEM strategy.

In a nutshell, SEO will give you high organic ranking by optimising content and link building while SEM will give you high ranking with PPC listings and advertisements.

Where can I find a company that provides these services?

Since they have been classified, you should be careful using them in conversations because they cannot be used interchangeably. Marketers and clients need to meet the understanding of both concepts before they settle in taking one digital marketing strategy. In Singapore, a company can be an SEO and SEM provider which usually means that they can perform both strategies, depending on your request.

Why should you choose OOm?

OOm is a digital agency in Singapore that is now considered one of the leading digital marketing providers that have also extended their services in the Philippines and China! Our competent, knowledgeable, and diverse staff specialises in aspects of digital marketing such as keyword research, site branding, natural backlinking, among many other relevant strategies! We can also provide you with a complimentary SEO site analysis that includes the ways of getting relevant topics for your type of audience. 

If you want to learn more about us and what we do as an SEO and SEM company, pay us a visit on our website at oom.com.sg today! Do not forget to click on our contacts page if you have any enquiries.

Paul Petersen