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When you’re deciding where to put your next marketing dollars, you may not know if it should go towards SEO (search engine optimization) or SEM (search engine marketing). After all, they can both be beneficial to your rankings when utilizing the best practices. When you want to see an increase in conversions and higher click-through rates, you should consider combining your efforts versus solely focusing on one method. Here are a few ways how to incorporate both SEO and paid search in your marketing plan.

The difference between SEO and SEM

Before we dig into how to combine your online marketing efforts, let’s take a look at the difference between SEO and SEM.

Many small businesses will be familiar with SEO because its focus is to bring organic traffic to your website through methods such as keyword placement and quality content. While SEO tactics will increase brand visibility, you have to be mindful of algorithm changes, as well as be patient because it can take months, if not years, to cultivate the traffic you envision.

SEM differs in that it increases the website awareness within SERPs using pay per click (PPC) ads. While both tactics use targeted keyword research, you’ll get the results back much faster from SEM. Of course, SEM is going to cost you more money, but it saves you time so they payoff is there.

Have paid links and organic links

When you combine your linking efforts on the organic and paid side, you’ll find that you can really amp up your efforts and stay competitive with people who are on the front page. Most of the top-ranking sites use both types of links in tandem because they’ve studied the results and found it to be the most effective method. Even some sites that rank in the top spots organically will have paid search practices involved.

Expand your keyword research

When you do your keyword research now, you may only make one list for naturally optimizing your website and one for paid search. However, see how many of those keywords can fall into a combined category so that you have the chance of ranking in both segments. You’ll find that this will make your keyword research techniques a little more refined. And you’ll have more data to break down that will show you what you’re doing right and what’s not working so well.

Test SEO content with SEM first

Because paid search gives you faster results than organic methods, when you write a piece of content that you have specific goals for, test it with SEM. You’ll have a better understanding of the impact your content is going to make, and if it isn’t success with paid search, there is a good chance it will have the same effect on SEO.

Always keep your copy engaging

Whether you’re writing copy for paid ads or organic searches, keep it compelling and always pay close attention to the results. This includes headlines, meta descriptions, as well as the body of the ad. As you combine your SEO and SEM marketing efforts, continue to test and gather data to improve your ROI even more in the future.