The Difference Between SEO & PPC

Many people get confused over all of the acroymns surrounding the world of SEM. Search Engine Marketing, that is. Some call the paid listings SEM, some call the unpaid listings search engine results. Let's iron this out once and for all.

The function of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is typically made up of 2 main areas: Pay-Per-Click Marketing and Organic Search Engine Optimization.

These activities are undertaken to help your site get listed in near the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs). The two types of search results are denoted in the screen shot of a Google SERP below.

The difference between the two types of SEM can be summarized as follows:

Pay-Per-Click Marketing is more like traditional advertising – you pay to be shown in the search engine listings for specific keyword phrases. But unlike traditional media, you don't pay for impressions, you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad – hence the term "pay-per-click." When you make a 'keyword buy', your listings are shown in the blue area below. These are also known as the paid listings or sponsored links, but are referred to in the SEM industry as pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Find out more about PPC.

Organic Search Engine Optimization – or SEO for short – is more like public relations. You cannot buy 'publicity' for your site, you have to work for it by undertaking specific techniques and strategies. Generally, these activities include making changes to your website to included targeted keyword phrases and increasing the quality and number of incoming links to your website. When you conduct SEO, you are attempting to get your site listed in the red area below – the unpaid or organic listings. Find out more about SEO.