Natural SEO Services vs. Paid SEM Services
Opt For Sustainability Over a Big Budget
SEO and SEM are often confused, and although usually considered synonymous, most experts have slightly differing opinions on what the two terms actually mean. For the purpose of this article, SEO shall mean natural search engine optimisation often referred to as organic SEO, and SEM shall refer to Pay-Per-Click advertising, paid banner advertising and paid linking.
Paying For SEM is Effective But Unsustainable
Pay-Per-Click is a term derived from the Google Adwords model whereby an advertiser pays each time someone clicks an advert that links to their website. Google will only display an advert on a page if a keyword relevant to the business is typed into a search engine or the user is surfing on a site with some relation to the advertiser’s business. Basically, you only pay if someone clicks your advert – yet sometimes people click by accident or just out of curiosity, therefore clicks don’t always mean sales.
Fast, effective and targeted results can be achieved through paid SEM, but it could cost a small fortune paying to secure keywords relevant to your business. Paid advertising is only effective during the period for which it is sustained.
Natural Search Optimisation Equates To Longevity
Natural SEO on the other hand takes hard work, but if implemented ethically and strategically it is far more sustainable long term. Natural search engine optimisation comprises mainly of setting up strategic backlinks across the internet so that your target audience can seek out your site via a number of possible channels. Links can be built via articles, blogs, forums, social networking, press releases and other media disciplines.
Natural SEO Services
When considering hiring an SEO service, a company that concentrates primarily on natural SEO will be your best bet; unless of course you are a major corporation with heaps to spend on securing keywords to get your business to the top of the search engines. You can of course secure less popular keywords on a Pay-Per-Click basis, and then blend a small budget of paid SEM into your natural search optimisation strategy. However, the key is striking a viable balance between SEO and SEM, but always bear in mind that once you stop paying for a keyword it will be secured by one of your competitors. Yet once you rank organically high for a particular keyword, you will retain that spot or thereabouts for a far longer period of time.
