SEO versus SEM

which method should you choose? SEO, SEM or both?

Search Engine Marketing :

           SEM holds the advantage in the fact that you can get instant qualified traffic to your web page. How much traffic is only dependent on your budget. So what are the cons of SEM? Firstly, if you do not properly optimize your ads, as in Google's case you run the risk of burning through your marketing budget very fast and having a low conversion rate to show for it. Basically if you are paying more for each converted sale than the actual product itself, then something is seriously wrong. There is also the issue of click fraud. A situation whereby a competitor is deliberately clicking on your ads, causing a depletion in your funds. Although the main PPC systems claims to have systems in place to detect click fraud, there doesn't seem to be conclusive proof that this is no longer an issue. 

       Search Engine Optimization:

        SEO on the other hand is a longer term approach, and utilizes many best practice web design standards. Good original content, well implemented on page optimization and a solid link building campaign is usually more than sufficient for SEO. Apart from achieving good rankings, you are also developing a solid site that your visitors like to visit and stay on. Some people however have no patience for SEO and often wonder why it is taking so long to rank well. To be honest overdoing the SEO on your web site often results in an over optimization penalty, so it is imperative that your client fully understands the nature of SEO.

     Also be careful of individuals or firms that promise you top 10 rankings. This is impossible to guarantee! Anyone that says otherwise is either lying or using underhanded methods to boost your rankings. You run the risk of having your website banned altogether from the search engines. The best firms are the ones that practice clean or white hat optimization techniques that will eventually increase the amount of qualified traffic to your site anyways.

         Here at Visualscope Studios, we understand and execute both search engine optimization methods. We often recommend a strategy that is holistic. That is to say, start out with a budget that is 65% geared towards SEM and 35% SEO. As the months go by you should see an increase in traffic from SEO this will then allow you to either lower your SEM budget or divert more into the SEO method to speed up the process.

           Remember though, whether it is SEO or SEM you choose, the rankings is secondary to the goal. The primary goal is always to maximize the amount of relevant and qualified traffic to your web site in relation to your marketing budget.

Author Info: The primary objective of Sunlight IT is to deliver natural and affordable SEO services. Sunlight It provides natural SEO services which insensibly provide naturally driven traffic. SEO services comprise of thorough keyword research and analysis. It forms a major part in the entire search engine optimization process.