Is there a difference between SEO and Internet Marketing?
SEO or, search engine optimization, is an important piece of the puzzle if you want your content to be noticed. Essentially, SEO revolves around making your site, blog, or other Internet property more appealing to search engines. Why is this important to you? It’s important because proper SEO can lead to more visibility on search engines. If you could cut ahead of your competitor in a line to meet customers, would you do it? SEO is analogous to this, it allows you to show up first when consumers are ready to make their decisions.
Is search engine optimization the same thing as Internet marketing? Look at it this way: search engine optimization makes your site and content appealing to search engines. However, are search engines consumers? Simply stated, no they are not. Internet marketing on the other hand makes your content appealing to the overall decision makers: potential customers. The two go hand in hand. Search engine optimization will put your valuable content in front of prospective clients. It’s the content that will sell the customers.
Internet marketing also encompasses a much broader area than search engine optimization. Think of all the social media campaigns launched in recent years. Not all of them may be search engine optimized. Does that disqualify them from being a form of online marketing? Certainly not. Your overall message is your marketing. Would you go to a prospective client and begin a conversation by saying you have the number one rank on Google? Or would you start by explaining how your company can help them? Your message and your SEO are completely separate entities.
Although both of these terms have been used interchangeably, it is important to note the distinction between the two. Business owners may confuse good SEO for good marketing. This simply isn’t the case. Getting a mediocre message to be noticed via search results isn’t the best way to drive traffic to your site. If, however, your content and marketing strategy are solid, the search engine optimization will go a long ways in getting you noticed. Being noticed is a major deciding factor in doing business on the Internet.
