{"id":4412,"date":"2018-03-02T13:17:47","date_gmt":"2018-03-02T21:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fuelmedical.com\/?p=4412"},"modified":"2021-05-27T15:27:25","modified_gmt":"2021-05-27T22:27:25","slug":"seo-sem-differences-alignment-digital-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fuelmedical.com\/seo-sem-differences-alignment-digital-success\/","title":{"rendered":"SEO & SEM: Search Strategy Alignment\u00a0for Digital Success\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
Search engines are continuously evolving to provide the best information on the topic searched. It’s critical for a health care practice to gain optimal exposure in search engine results. Two areas in which to invest time in 2018 are search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM).<\/p>\n
SEO is the process of improving your website, or a web page\u2019s visibility in a search engine\u2019s unpaid (organic) search results.<\/p>\n
SEM, also known as pay-per-click (PPC), is the process of purchasing placement in search engine results in the paid ads area.<\/p>\n
Both seek to gain greater exposure in search engine results but there are distinct differences in the approach and outcomes.<\/p>\n
Comparison<\/th>\n | SEO<\/th>\n | SEM<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n |
---|---|---|
Search results placement<\/td>\n | Organic results: typically under paid ads and map pack<\/td>\n | Paid \u201dad\u201d results: top of 1st page (positions 1-4) & base of 1st page<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
Ranking factors<\/td>\n | Over 200 technical factors with your website (coding, content & usability)<\/td>\n | Ad spend budget and competitiveness of search terms in your local market<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
Primary purpose<\/td>\n | Long-term exposure and traffic from organic search results<\/td>\n | Instant visibility and traffic from paid search ads<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
Visibility<\/td>\n | Ongoing<\/td>\n | While paid ads are run<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
Link destination<\/td>\n | Relevant content within your website<\/td>\n | Dedicated landing page for targeted search terms (lead focused content)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nWhat is search engine optimization (SEO)?<\/h2>\nThere are a number of ways to improve a ranking for a web page’s search result. Most involve the content that exists on your website (whether it’s visible or in the code) and its relevance to a search result.<\/p>\n Search engines try to determine which pages to display in the search engine results page (SERP) based on relevance to the search query. Search engines use algorithms to sort out all the content available on the internet to determine how to rank the results and deliver the most relevant links.<\/p>\n SEO: long-term investment<\/h3>\nRemember, Google wants to provide the most relevant and current information to people’s search queries – that’s the service they provide.<\/p>\n There’s a technique to “tuning” your website for search engines by making sure your content and code structure are formatted correctly. Search engines will start to reward you for corrections and recognize new content as you build authority on the web.<\/p>\n Providing new content (that’s properly structured and optimized) builds authority on the internet. New content, which can be as simple as posting a blog once or twice a month, builds trust with search engines in the sense that your website is adding to the conversation on the internet. Each new piece of content that you provide further helps to build that trust, a crucial component in setting your site apart from others.<\/p>\n When changes are made to your website for optimization, improved search results won’t show up immediately. It may take up to a year to see sustained results, though in some markets results will be seen more quickly – often in six months or less.<\/p>\n The good news is, once you get your website indexed by search engines and start to make gains in rankings, those advances are typically sustained. There will still be some fluctuation as other sites work to improve their rankings too. SEO campaigns are constantly trying to figure out the signals search engines reward for rankings.<\/p>\n Unlike SEM, where you pay to play…<\/p>\n What is search engine marketing (SEM)?<\/h2>\nAn SEM strategy purchases advertising space on the search engine results page (SERP) based on targeted search terms. The benefit of SEM is that a practice may obtain additional real estate and gain immediate exposure. Paid ads can be run per individual campaign or may be ongoing.<\/p>\n Search engines charge a fee for each click an ad receives. The fee will vary based on the competitiveness and size of your market and the popularity of the keyword or search phrase you are bidding on.<\/p>\n SEM: instant gratification<\/h3>\nIf you want your ad to appear in the top results, you will pay for it. How long you want your ad to rank on top depends on your budget and the intended length of the campaign.<\/p>\n Outside of money, there are a few other important factors to consider when running an SEM campaign. These include:<\/p>\n
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