How to boost your results with a combination of SEO and SEM in your digital strategy

Search engine visibility plays a crucial role in the success of any online business. Both SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) are essential components of an effective digital strategy. SEO focuses on improving organic visibility through techniques such as content optimisation and website structure, while SEM uses paid advertising tactics to increase visibility and generate fast search engine traffic. Both are powerful in their own right, but when combined strategically, they can significantly boost a company's online results and impact.

In this article, we will discover the interaction between SEO and SEM and how their strategic combination can lead to stronger results in terms of online visibility, traffic and conversion.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)?
• What is SEM (Search Engine Marketing)?
• SEO + SEM: Boosting results
• Best practices and recommendations for an SEO and SEM strategy

What is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)?

As we have already mentioned, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) refers to the set of techniques and practices aimed at improving the visibility and positioning of a website in the organic search results of search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo. The fundamental objective of SEO is to increase qualified traffic to the website, while improving the user experience and complying with search engine guidelines.

Key factors for optimising an SEO strategy

• Keywords: Identify and use keywords relevant to the content of the website.

• Quality content: Create useful, informative and relevant content for users.

• Site structure: Optimise website architecture for intuitive navigation and easy indexing by search engines.

• Inbound links (backlinks): Obtain quality links from other websites pointing to your own.

• Loading speed: Optimise website performance for fast loading times.

• HTML tags: Properly use title tags, meta descriptions and headings to improve content understanding by search engines.

• User experience (UX): Prioritise a satisfactory user experience, including responsive design, intuitive navigation and accessible content.

Effective strategies to improve organic search engine ranking

• Keyword research: Identify relevant and high search volume keywords to target content.

• Quality content creation: Develop valuable, original content that meets users' needs and answers their search queries.

• On-page optimisation: Optimise elements such as titles, meta descriptions, headings and URL structure to reflect target keywords and improve indexing.

• Link building: Obtain quality links from relevant and authoritative websites to improve domain authority.

• Technical optimisation: Improve loading speed, correct crawl errors, implement structured data markup and ensure the site is accessible to search engines.

• Tracking and analysis: Use web analytics tools to monitor SEO performance and adjust strategy as needed to improve organic search results.

What is SEM (Search Engine Marketing)?

On the other hand, SEM (Search Engine Marketing) involves the promotion of a website by improving its visibility on search engines through paid advertising. Unlike SEO, where traffic is generated organically, SEM strategies use paid advertisements to drive traffic to the website. The ads are displayed in search engine search results when users make queries related to the key terms selected by the advertiser.

Techniques to maximise SEM campaign performance

• Keyword targeting: Identify and select relevant, high-performing keywords to target ads.

• Targeting and targeting: Use advanced targeting criteria, such as geographic location, demographics, interests and online behaviour, to target ads to specific audiences.

• Creating effective ads: Develop compelling and persuasive ads that capture users' attention and motivate them to click.

• Budget optimisation: Manage budget efficiently, adjusting bids and allocating funds to the most profitable campaigns.

• Testing and analysis: Perform A/B testing to compare different ad elements and optimise performance, and use analytics tools to monitor and measure the success of campaigns.

Techniques to maximise SEM campaign performance

• Keyword targeting: Identify and select relevant, high-performing keywords to target ads.

• Targeting and targeting: Use advanced targeting criteria, such as geographic location, demographics, interests and online behaviour, to target ads to specific audiences.

• Creating effective ads: Develop compelling and persuasive ads that capture users' attention and motivate them to click.

• Budget optimisation: Manage budget efficiently, adjusting bids and allocating funds to the most profitable campaigns.

• Testing and analysis: Perform A/B testing to compare different ad elements and optimise performance, and use analytics tools to monitor and measure the success of campaigns.

SEO + SEM: Powering results

Now you know the differences between SEO and SEM, and techniques to maximise their impact. Let's see how we can combine these online marketing strategies to improve the visibility and overall performance of a campaign.
Adsmurai's team of SEO and SEM experts have put together a list of possible synergies between SEO and SEM to lead to stronger results in terms of online visibility, traffic and conversion:

1. Shared keyword research

   Use the keyword research done for SEO in your SEM campaigns. Select the most relevant and effective keywords for both efforts.

2. Landing Page Optimisation

   Make sure your ad landing pages are optimised for the selected keywords. This will improve your page quality and quality scores on advertising platforms.

3. Improve the user experience

   Ensure that your landing pages are relevant, fast and easy for visitors to use. A good user experience is essential for both SEO and SEM.

4. Relevant and quality content

   Use content created for SEO in your SEM campaigns. Relevant, quality content can increase the effectiveness of your ads and contribute to a better quality score.

5. Focus on site authority

   Site authority, built through SEO strategies, can also benefit your SEM campaigns. Search engines and advertising platforms favour websites with good authority.

6. Integration with ad extensions

   Some ad extensions, such as structured site extensions, can benefit from important information for local SEO strategies, such as addresses and phone numbers.

7. Conversion tracking

   Set up conversion tracking for both your SEM campaigns and your SEO efforts. This will provide you with valuable data on overall performance and areas for improvement.

8. Shared A/B testing

   Run A/B tests on both your landing pages and your ads. The results of the tests can provide valuable information for both strategies.

It is important to remember that, although SEO and SEM can work together, each has its own specific metrics, goals and strategies. By leveraging the synergies between the two, you can create a stronger and more effective online presence. Also, constantly monitor and adjust your strategies to adapt to changes in search engine algorithms and advertising platforms.

Best practices and recommendations for an SEO and SEM strategy

Tips for effective SEO and SEM integration

• Keyword coordination: Identify keywords that work well for both SEO and SEM, and use them consistently across both strategies to maximise visibility.

• Data sharing and learning: Encourage collaboration between SEO and SEM teams to exchange information on keyword performance, market trends and effective strategies.

• Message and creative integration: Align SEM ad content with SEO-optimised keywords and website content to deliver a consistent user experience.

• Use retargeting: Implement retargeting campaigns to re-engage users who have visited the site through organic or paid search.

Useful tools and resources for managing a combined strategy

• Google Analytics: Use this tool to track the performance of organic and paid traffic, as well as to obtain valuable information on user behaviour.

• Google Search Console: Monitor site indexing, keyword performance and crawl errors that may affect SEO.

• Keyword research tools: Use tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush or Ahrefs to identify new keyword opportunities and evaluate competition.

• Ad management platforms: Employ platforms such as Google Ads or Bing Ads among others to create, manage and optimise paid search advertising campaigns.

Ethical considerations and best practices in using SEO and SEM

• Transparency in advertising: Ensure that paid advertisements are clearly labelled as such to avoid confusion with organic content.

• Respect search engine guidelines: Avoid unfair or deceptive practices that may result in penalties from search engines.

• Prioritise user experience: Always keep the user as the main focus, offering relevant content and intuitive navigation both on the website and in ads.

• Staying current: Be aware of changes in search engine algorithms and best practices in SEO and SEM to adapt quickly and maintain an effective and ethical strategy.

The strategic combination of SEO and SEM represents an approach to improve online visibility, increase qualified traffic and boost the success of a digital strategy.

By integrating SEO and SEM, businesses can leverage the unique strengths of each approach. SEO provides long-term visibility and established organic traffic, while SEM offers immediate and controlled visibility through paid advertising. The combination of these two elements allows businesses to maximise their search engine presence, capture a wider variety of search queries and reach a broader audience at all stages of the buying cycle.