SEO or SEM (Google Ads): Which One Your Business Needs More?

The necessity of SEO practices has become clear recently for every entrepreneur and business owner. Google proved to have an exponentially higher return on investment compared to Facebook. Though new questions started to emerge, what’s the difference between SEM (Google Ads) and SEO? Which of them is best for businesses? And can either one be relied on while neglecting the other? Here are the answers.

What is SEM?

SEM, or Search Engine Marketing; is marketing your commerce platform with a paid Google ad. SEM is paying for Google to place your ad in ranking placements, whether it’s on Google search engine, which is the most popular form of SEM, or in other placements like phone apps, YouTube, and such.

Example: If you search for the word “kids clothing” on Google, you will get a group of results at the top, titled by the word Sponsor or Ad. These are commerce platforms popping up for you upon an ad on Google.

What is SEO?

The process of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) focuses on performing a set of practices and following a set of rules that improve your site’s ranking in Google in an organic way, without any sponsored ads.

Taking the same example: When you search on Google for the word Kids Clothing, a group of results will appear in a sequential order, from the highest ranking to the least. All are commerce platforms selling kids clothing, yet they appeared to you organically without any advertisement, depending on SEO elements for promoting their platforms and improving their ranking in Google search results, without any sponsored ads.

So, Google Ads is SEM (Search Engine Marketing), and it means marketing your website’s content on Google with an ad. But SEO is improving your website’s ranking on search engines organically without ads by applying some rules to your content and following some practices in your website that promote its result on Google.

SEO vs. Google Ads: Which is best for your business website?

You can consider 2 phases:

1- Phase one, if you’re at the beginning of launching your business website on Google, you have not built a sufficient audience yet.

2- Phase two, in which you have already built up a sufficient audience scale for your business website and maintained a good demand rate for your products.

In phase one you will definitely need to depend more on Google ads, along with utilizing SEO elements. As for phase two, in which you have already formed a sufficient audience, you can rely mainly on SEO elements while making advertisements every once in a while when you offer discounts or at certain seasons.

Placements in Google Ads and SEO

The real advantage that may prompt you to focus on SEM is the placement of Google ads, as they’re not limited to the search engines. You can launch your ad on phone applications, YouTube, a competitor website, and other websites flowing with visits from your target audience. Yet, when it comes to SEO, it is limited to promoting your website on search engines only.

Are Google ads enough to rely on with 100%?

Relying on Google ads alone is like winning one order while neglecting building the customer’s loyalty, or at least giving them a successful buying experience to encourage repeat purchases. Therefore, you cannot rely on advertisements alone, because SEO and SEM go in parallel, a long-term strategy that ensures your continuity in the market and builds the credibility of your company and website, and another strategy that cuts your long way towards profit. You cannot completely rely on one and neglect the other.

SEO and SEM are equally important. Launching an ad campaign on Google is as if you are getting a deal; it’s faster, saves time and effort, and makes money. If you try to reach your customers only organically, without ads, you will put in a lot of effort and wait a long time.

Improving your SEO elements is so much like improving your customer experience and caring about the after-sales service to ensure they come back.

While depending on ads only without working to improve your site’s organic reach is so much like being content with one-time orders that won’t be repeated.

How to find an SEO expert?

You may search in your circle, ask for recommendations, or search on freelance recruitment sites for a professional SEO expert who will focus on his mission of promoting your site. Yet, what’s even better is to turn to a digital marketing agency that has a team that understands all of your project needs and tells you about other necessary success elements for your business.

Share your success journey with Rosella

Our team of experts is ready to cooperate with you in SEO, Google Ads, media buying, media production, and content creation. We push your business forward to a new horizon, equipping you with our experience and professionalism, showing you more options, and unlocking your business potential. Contact the Rosella team now.