The Difference Between SEO, SEM and Internet Marketing

So what's the difference between Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Internet Marketing? Where should I start? Let's start with SEO.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the practice of optimizing your website, blog or web page so that it will show up high in the organic results in the search engines for your keyword or keyword phrase. The way to do that is to create a web page that is the most relevant and organized web page on the subject for your keyword or keyword phrase.

For example, we used search engine optimization (SEO) for our blogger training website, MagicWithBlogs.blogspot.com. In doing so, we were able to take the top position for the term, "blogger training" with over 23,000,000 competing pages on the Internet. As you can imagine, being at the top of the search engines for this term has been very rewarding with respect to getting traffic to our website ... and we don't pay for the traffic, it's free.

Some of the on-site techniques involved in search engine optimization include:
Using your keywords or keyword phrases in your:

1. Website title
2. Header
3. Text
4. Footer
5. Internal links
6. Alt text for your photos and graphics.
7. It's also important to have an organized site written for your human readers.

A more important aspect of getting your site to the top of the search engines is what is known as off-site optimization. One of the best ways search engines determine what your website is about is by following the links leading back to your website from other websites.

You can learn a lot more about the process of link building by watching a video we created on the subject in our Article Marketing for Professionals video program.

As you can imagine, there is a lot of work involved in SEO but the rewards are amazing.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
SEM includes both SEO and paid inclusion in the search engines. Along with having your website or blog listed in the organic (free) section of the search engines, you can also pay to have a link to your website show up in the sponsored links section for your keywords or keyword phrases.

This is known as pay-for-placement or pay-per-click advertising. One of the more popular programs is Google Adwords, where you can have your ad show up in the Google search engine. Yahoo!, MSN and the other search engines offer similar pay-for-inclusion services.

The thing to remember with both SEO and SEM is that these marketing practices focus on the search engines. SEO generates free traffic while you pay for SEM traffic. There are, however, a lot of other ways to reach your clients other than using search engines.

Internet Marketing
Internet marketing is a much broader marketing method. It includes SEO, SEM and many other forms of marketing on the Internet.

The primary goal of Internet marketing is to take advantage of the entire Internet to market your product or service. The top Internet marketers understand that there are many other ways to reach potential clients then through just search engines. For example, you can reach potential clients through:

1. Article Marketing
2. Video Marketing
3. Social Bookmarking
4. Social Networking
5. Email Marketing
6. Joint Venture Marketing
7. Website Advertising
8. Blogging
9. Podcasting
10. Affiliate Marketing

These techniques have nothing to do with the search engines, but they're oftentimes overlooked by new marketers on the Internet.

If you want to learn how to use SEO, SEM and Internet marketing to promote your business, join us in the Internet Marketing forum.