Online Marketing
A comprehensive Search Engine Marketing ('SEM') campaign consists of Search Engine Optimisation ('SEO') and Search Engine Advertising ('SEA'). Search Engine Optimisation is the technical restructuring of the site to acquire free traffic. Search Engine Advertising is the implementation and management of paid traffic campaign and will send visitors to the website on a pay per click basis.
Detailed activities associated with Search Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Advertising can be found by clicking on the diagram below.
Advertising & Organic Optimisation
Search Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Advertising can be leveraged individually. The best results however, are achieved when they are applied together.
Results of Search Engine Optimisation can take three months to over one year to take full effect.
Advertising can be used to drive additional visitors to the website whilst the organic/free results are growing.
As results improve, a decision can be made on whether to continue the advertising campaign. However, most campaigns benefit of a continued level of advertising even after the website scores high in the organic/free results.
Advertising - vs - Organic
The main differences between Search Engine Advertising and 'organic' Search Engine Optimisation are:
| Advertising | Organic Optimisation | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Pay per click (PPC) | Free after one time investment |
| Time scales | Quickly up and running | Takes longer to acquire top position |
| Target | Target exact keywords | Target all words on site |
| Advertorials | Exact control over advertorial text | No control over text displayed by search engine |
| Adapt to change | Quick to adapt to changes (e.g. different ad text) | Slow to adapt to changes |
| Ideal campaign | Excellent for limited time campaigns | Excellent for permanently and long running products / campaigns |
