SEO vs. SEM? 21 experts take a position

 
 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of pursuing a top rank for a website around specific keywords  in a search engine’s unpaid or “organic” search results. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) focuses on purchasing ads that rank high and appear above or to the right.
The point with both is to get to a top rank. That’s what this 30-second video shows. It’s called a “Heat Map.” It’s is a controlled experiment that shows how we search for what we need.
When most of us search, we chose a website in a top position of the unpaid or SEO portion. However, as the video also shows, we are more likely to go to a website in a top position of the paid or SEM portion before we venture further down the page on the SEO portion.
SEO and SEM experts says, with confidence, both are proven performers that get results. Getting the experts to agree on when it produces results and how much it costs, that’s another story.
Here are 21 experts that take a position on SEO vs. SEM.
SEO

1. SEO takes a lot of time and tweaking to get it right. Positive ROI generally doesn’t yield for at least 6 months. – Jayson DeMers, Business 2 Community
   
2. 86% of web searchers trust organic SEO listings more than sponsored/paid PPC listing. – Oli Gartner, Unbounce
3. SEO is more authorative in the end-user’s eyes and the clicks are “free.” – Geoff Grigsby, Maine Today Digital
4. In SEO, your goal should be to understand the keyword landscape of a topic. What keywords do people search for, and what does this tell us about their intent? What can we learn from looking at keywords in a broader context? – Jenny Halasz, Search Engine Land
5. Typically with organic SEO the work will continue to increase rankings for months or even years after the campaign is ended. Meaning you will have a long term ROI. – Chris Hornak, Eye Flow
6. 80% of the traffic that can be generated for any website will come from the search engines. – Larry Kim, Wordstream
7. If you’re operating on a shoestring budget, it may make more sense to invest time in chasing high search rankings through SEO. – AJ Kumar, Entrepreneur
   
8. SEO takes longer (usually up to 3 months before you’ll see a result) yet these listings are more permanent. – Online Specialists
9. SEO  is a longer term approach. Good original content, well implemented on page optimization and a solid link building campaign is usually more than sufficient for SEO – Tetsu Liew, Visualscope.
10.  According to the Search Engine Journal compilation, 70-80% of users ignore paid ads and focus on organic search results. Leads that come from organic SEO have a 14.6% conversion rate. – Clayton Wood, seoreseller.com
11. SEO can be a part of SEM but, unto itself, is more of an art. This involves crafting a web page to try and attract as many search engine hits as possible, addressing such elements as content, keywords, and other factors to boost your site’s ranking in search engine results. You don’t buy anything as you do with SEM, but the results can be more dicey – YP – Advertising Solutions

SEM

1. The time frame can be tailored right down to the day and time of day in which ads are displayed. This kind of control is invaluable for any business. – James Broadfoot, Rank High Media
2. SEM uses paid tools like Google ADWords and Pay-Per-Click advertising. For companies looking to use part of their marketing budget online, it is a great opportunity to gain traffic to websites including social media or e-commerce sites. – Davanti Digital
3. SEM requires sustained amounts of money, and traffic stops when the money does – Brandon Dennis, Buuteq
4. 50% of people arriving at a retailers site from paid ads are more likely to buy than those who came from an organic link. – Oli Gartner, Unbounce
5. SEM practices offer the advantage of immediacy. If you need to increase your traffic and your visibility right away, and you don’t have a problem with spending a lot of money, this may be the way to go. – Bob Gladstein, Raise My Rank
6. You should focus on keywords that suggest a purchase (or goal completion), that represent a category area that is profitable for you, and that you can’t easily get ranked for in organic (most of the time – there are exceptions to this). – Jenny Halasz, Search Engine Land
7. According to WordStream, if an advertiser buys ads for keywords they currently rank organically for, 89% of the traffic from paid ads will be new traffic. – Jeff Kershner, Dealer Refresh
8.  PPC marketing will allow you to narrow down your prospects based on their demographic data. Many PPC platforms, like social media sites, allow you to promote to the age range, gender, income bracket, education level, and even marital status of the people who will be able to view your ad. – Larry Kim, Wordstream
9. SEM usually places you in a top position instantly (based on your budget limitations). can be targeted to specific geographic areas ranging from Suburbs, Cities, States, National or Worldwide, whereas SEO covers a specific country or state – Online Specialist
10. Paid ads are gaining traction, and more often not, getting more clicks than organic listing. Not all keywords are created equal and PPC can’t replace SEO – Jessica Ruth, Brand Manager in automotive business

Did these positions teach you something new about SEO and SEM? How you would use them for your business? Do you have a position on SEO vs. SEM?