In the world of the internet, if you want to get results, you need visits, and the easiest way to get these visits is through search engines (like Google).

Why? Well, because nowadays we search for everything on Google, as we always say, if it's not on Google, it doesn't exist.

Now, how can I appear on Google? Well, in terms of digital marketing there are two very popular strategies, which are SEO and SEM.

We have already talked about SEO and we have also talked about SEM Now, on this occasion, we want to talk to you about which strategy is best to help you position yourself in search engines, especially Google.

SEO and SEM for the same objective

Both strategies have the same main objective: to help you rank at the top of search engines, since these are the places where most of the visits and clicks that users make when searching for something are concentrated. Although both seek to position your website, the way they do it is different.

SEO or organic positioning

From its acronym in English, Search Engine Optimization, this strategy seeks to position a website or virtual store in the first results of search engines organically, that is, through strategies for creating, implementing and improving the website or virtual store.

In SEO, the relevance and authority of your website are important:

• The relevance It is about how your website responds to users' search needs. Relevance is worked on through keyword optimization, creating quality content, improving loading times, user experience when browsing the website, in short, what is known as on-site SEO.
• The authority This is about the popularity of the website, that is, it becomes a reference in the subject and, therefore, the content they create is more valuable. Authority is worked on through off-site SEO techniques, that is, the work that is generated outside the website, such as social networks, mentions in blogs or link building.

SEM or paid positioning

From its acronym in English, Search Engine Marketing, it has a more global meaning, it refers to all those online marketing strategies that are used to improve positioning in search engines, whether paid or not.

However, for the sake of differentiation, the term SEM is used to refer to all the paid strategies used to position a website in a search engine.

SEM strategies position you in search engines, but they charge you every time your ad is clicked, so you must work on optimizing these ads, both to achieve better positions and to reduce the cost of the click.

Google being the most used search engine, the tool to carry out these campaigns is Google ADS.

Differences between SEO and SEM

Yes, both seek to position you in the first results of search engines, but they work differently, and therefore there are differences between them.

Investment to be made in these campaigns

As we mentioned earlier, SEM campaigns require a budget to operate, since when you launch your ads you will have to pay an amount of money every time people click on your ads.

The value per click will depend on where you rank, how competitive the keyword(s) you use are, and the industry in which your business operates.

To reduce costs, you will need to optimize your campaign, you can do it on your own, or with the help of experts in SEM to help you create and optimize your campaign to get the best results

SEO is virtually free. Why? While you don't have to pay Google to rank, you do have to make an investment to maintain, optimize, and create quality content for your website. You can do this with experts in SEO, who will create personalized strategies for your website to help it position itself organically.

Time to position yourself

SEO is a job that requires time, consistency and patience. Don't expect to start your SEO strategy today and be ranked tomorrow, and if someone tells you that they can position you organically in a short time, well... they're lying.

A good SEO strategy requires at least 6 months to provide results, although this time may vary depending on the sector in which your business operates and the keywords in which you are positioning yourself.

As SEO positioning expertsWe have managed to position websites in 4 months, but we have also had cases of website positioning in a year; as you can see, SEO is not an exact science and requires knowledge of the sector in which the business operates, since it directly affects the time to position.

SEM, on the other hand, offers immediate results. When you schedule your campaign, you will be positioned on Google in just a few hours or the next day and will be there for the duration of your campaign or until you stop paying. These campaigns are especially good when you are starting out on the Internet to make yourself known and get visitors.

Duration in time

SEM offers immediate results, but once you stop paying, you will no longer be positioned, so we can say that it offers short-term results.

As for SEO, if it takes time to position yourself, it also takes time to disappear from Google, that is, if you stop your SEO strategy, your website will gradually drop in position, it will not be abrupt or immediate, which is why SEO offers medium and long-term results.

Which strategy should be implemented?

The answer to this question may give many people a headache, but at Gulupa Digital we recommend implementing both strategies.

Since SEO takes time to position yourself, you can start with SEM campaigns to make yourself known, get visits, and make sales, while you work on your website to achieve organic positioning.

Once you achieve this, you can stop paying for Google ADS campaigns and focus solely on SEO.

If you cannot afford to invest in SEO at the moment because you do not have sufficient resources, you can start with a SEM campaign. It is the best way to earn income when you make yourself known. Later, when you see the profits, consider investing in SEO strategies.

Also take into account the duration of your project. If you are going to fully dedicate yourself to the world of the Internet, SEO is a must.

On the other hand, if the project has a duration of time, such as a campaign for Mother's Month, Christmas, or the launch of a new product, SEM is your best option since you can configure the duration of the campaign and when it ends you will no longer have to pay more.

In summary

SEO and SEM aim to help you position yourself at the top of search engines.

SEO seeks to do it manually, constantly working on improving the website, while SEM positions you in search engines by paying Google directly.

Both strategies have their pros and cons, but a smart combination of both strategies will deliver great results for your website.

If you want to carry out an SEO or SEM strategy for your website, do not hesitate to contact us. Our experts will carry out personalized campaigns to help you position yourself in the first results on Google. If you want to know more about our services, let's talk today.