{"id":13751,"date":"2022-06-02T06:59:31","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T06:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/sem-vs-seo\/451697\/"},"modified":"2022-06-02T06:59:31","modified_gmt":"2022-06-02T06:59:31","slug":"sem-vs-seo-whats-the-difference-via-sejournal-searchmastergen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=13751","title":{"rendered":"SEM vs. SEO: What\u2019s The Difference? via @sejournal, @searchmastergen"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CSS. HTTP. URL. HTML.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible the only field that uses more acronyms<\/a> and initializations than web marketing is the military.<\/p>\n

The military uses them to save time.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, it seems like our industry only uses them to confuse newcomers.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not uncommon for even experienced professionals to mix them up.<\/p>\n

Some of the most common mistakes happen when it comes to the similar and related, but distinctly different concepts of search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM).<\/p>\n

Once upon a time, in the halcyon days of the early internet (that is, circa 2001), SEO referred to a part of SEM.<\/p>\n

But, as the language and nuance of web marketing shifted, search engine marketing came to refer to a specific type of digital marketing. So, what\u2019s the difference?<\/p>\n

Sometimes also referred to as organic (SEO) and inorganic (SEM) search, both are focused on using Google (and to a lesser extent other search engines) to drive traffic to a specific website.<\/p>\n

From a high-level view (and don\u2019t worry, we\u2019ll dive into the details a bit later), SEO is the process of improving your website<\/a> to generate traffic, while SEM is using paid methods<\/a> to show up in searches.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t feel bad if you\u2019ve mixed these terms up. It happens all the time.<\/p>\n

To help you avoid any embarrassing mishaps when speaking with other digital marketers, we\u2019ve compiled this handy guide to give you an overview of these concepts.<\/p>\n

Confused? Don\u2019t be, all will be made clear in the end. Now let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n