What is the real difference between search engine marketing and search engine optimization? Or are these two terms just different technical variations of exactly the same thing?

It is often very hard for the business owner looking to venture onto the Internet or the webmaster who may be good at design to then have to think about marketing their new web site projects. There is also much confusion regarding search engine marketing, often called SEM or the term search engine optimization, also known as SEO. If you are having trouble navigating this online minefield, relax and have a coffee and enjoy the next few minutes as you have found the right place!

Search engine marketing is the umbrella term for all online marketing activities. Search engine marketing covers the areas, but is not limited to, keyword research and targeting, cost per click (CPC) advertising or pay per click (PPC) advertising as well as search engine optimization (SEO) and a number of other online marketing activities.

Now that you know the overall use of the term search engine marketing, let's look at one of the specific areas within this marketing area known as search engine optimization or SEO. Making your web site 'search engine friendly' or 'optimized for the search results' means that you will have made, or tried to make, your site as suitable as possible for inclusion in the search engine index. Getting a suitable amount of good quality content on the page is a good place to start. But do not just be concerned about what the search engines think about your new web site, make sure that a real human can come along and visit your web pages and find relevant, interesting and up to date information about the products or services that you have to offer.

Also, have a good look around the Internet at your competitors and their web sites. What products and services are they offering? Do they provide detailed and interesting content when trying to promote their services? Try to be as objective as possible and imagine you are a potential customer looking for what you, or your competitor, are selling. Did you find what you were looking for?

The practice of search engine marketing and search engine optimization does require technical knowledge and a certain amount of understanding of computers and the Internet generally but more than these elements the most essential prerequisite is time. And many business owners just plain do not have the time needed to invest in marketing. So why not leave the whole process to a marketing professional? At least that way you have the time to get on with business!

For further reading see our site search engine marketing and here for search engine optimization which provides more details about search engine marketing and search engine optimization. Also, do see search engine optimization, seo marketing strategy for more information on the Joe Search marketing site.

Source: www.isnare.com