Just as the English language evolves with slang words, marketing terms and phrases shift, too, most notably search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM). While they look similar and are often used interchangeably, they represent two different components of a successful content marketing strategy, much like earned media and paid media. SEO earns visibility in organic (non-paid) results, while SEM places paid ads in sponsored areas of search results. When used together, they can deliver real results for your business.
Elements of On-Page SEO
At its core, SEO helps people find your company’s website and improves your rank in results pages on Google, Bing and other popular search engines. A broad term that includes a variety of different practices, SEO is typically broken down into on-page and off-page. Both matter, but on-page SEO rests completely in your hands and there are several practical ways to optimize your page and ensure success.
- Content – In addition to creating expertise and generating leads, your content strongly influences where you appear in search. For SEO purposes, good content supplies a demand and is linkable. Consider a content audit to ensure any blog posts or case studies are checking off those boxes. Keep content people-first: state the answer near the top, show real experience and refresh high-value pages periodically.
- Metadata – SEO metadata refers to the title and description shown in search results, plus heading tags and image ALT text. While there isn’t a hard character limit, aim to include relevant keywords that naturally appear within the page and the purpose of that page. As a guideline, keep the length around 60 characters for titles and 160 characters for descriptions to prevent Google from truncating it and losing your desired impact.
- URL – Believe it or not, even the URL for your business’s website is considered when determining your rank. Keep it short and descriptive and include keywords that reflect what the page is about.
- Page speed – Few things are as frustrating as a slow page. Search engines know this, and pages will see their rank fall if they load slowly. Focus on real-world performance: compress and properly size images, trim unused scripts and simplify layouts so pages load and respond quickly, especially on mobile devices.
- Mobile friendly – As more people are browsing the internet on their phones, Google primarily uses the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking. Make sure your mobile pages include the same important content and links as the desktop version with clean navigation and readable text. Also, consider adding local keywords when it makes sense, since many mobile searches are “near me.”
Elements of Off-Page SEO
After you’ve optimized on-page factors, there is still work to be done outside of the website to improve visibility. While you lack the same level of control, there are still steps your company can take to improve off-page SEO and support your rankings. Earning high-quality linkbacks remains one of the most impactful tactics.
- Relevance – While there’s nothing detrimental about being linked on an unrelated page, it’s much more valuable to have that link from a business or individual connected to your industry.
- Authority/quality – The quality of a linking page also plays a role in determining its value for off-page SEO. Instead of chasing a third-party “domain authority” score, prioritize the relevance and reputation of the site linking to you and the context of the mention.
- Link attributes – Used by some publishers to reduce spam and manage transparency, link attributes like rel=”nofollow”, rel=”sponsored” and rel=”ugc” are treated as hints. Use these tags correctly, and focus on earning relevant, reputable links; those are what move the needle.
- Social signals – Any time a Facebook, LinkedIn, X or other social media post from your business is shared by someone else, you are reaching a new audience and driving traffic to your website. While social engagement isn’t a direct ranking factor, it can indirectly help by leading to linkbacks, mentions or even a new business opportunity.
A Quick Note on Search in the Age of AI
AI summaries in search (often called AI Overviews) can appear before traditional results. Help them cite and feature your pages by putting the answer up top, using clear headings and FAQs and keeping information fresh. The playbook hasn’t changed: helpful, trustworthy content plus a fast, mobile-friendly site still wins.
Elements of SEM
Even after you’ve invested in SEO, rising to the top organically can take time. SEM increases visibility with paid ads that show for the keywords you’re targeting. When people search those terms, your ad can appear in sponsored placements, increasing the likelihood that they will visit your site. Keep in mind that these keywords are only valuable when they are actually used, so include them in the ad copy and any related content.
SEM also gives you levers you can control: budget, bids and who sees your ads. To keep things simple, focus on three moves:
- Build responsive search ads – Provide multiple headlines and descriptions so the system can assemble the most relevant combo.
- Turn on conversion tracking – Measure the actions that matter (form fills, calls, purchases) so you optimize for outcomes, not just clicks.
- Refine targeting – Use keywords, location, demographics where available and audience segments like in-market, remarketing or your first-party lists.
With these in place, you can follow results from impression to conversion and make quick adjustments to improve performance.
SEM vs. SEO
Marketers can debate which is more valuable until the end of time, but the honest answer is both. SEM delivers fast visibility; SEO compounds and builds durable visibility over time. Think of it like a football team’s offense: you’ll lean on one or the other at times, but the best results come from a balanced attack.
Like any new strategy, mastering SEO and SEM practices takes time. Don’t get discouraged if your initial efforts don’t immediately put your business at the top of every Google search. Assess the results, make necessary changes and keep going. If you’re interested in learning more about the differences between SEM and SEO and the benefits they can provide, give us a call. Let’s have a conversation about how we can create results for your business.