SEO is the generic term for optimizing your content so that it ranks higher on search engine results pages. SEO is a long-term strategy and requires patience and consistency.
SEM, on the other hand, is short-term and capitalizes on current trends. SEM includes advertising with Google Adwords or Bing Ads, buying sponsored search links from sites like LinkedIn or Yahoo! Search Marketing, and paid social media posts on Facebook or Twitter. SEM campaigns typically run for less than a month and focus on immediate goals like more visibility in the short term or lead generation.
Google Adwords is a system that enables advertisers to show text and image ads in the Google search engine results pages.
Advertisers need to create an account on Google, set up their campaigns, and submit payment. The advertiser can customize the advertisements to suit their products or services. Advertisers also have the option of choosing from a range of Google's ad formats, including text ads, image ads, and video ads.
Ads on Facebook can be targeted to particular audiences to reach the most relevant consumers. This is because Facebook's targeting tools offer several ways to narrow down the audience of a Facebook ad, including age, location, and interests.
Facebook also lets advertisers include additional features like a call-to-action button or links in their ads. Advertisers can also use auto-play video ads with sound on Facebook as well as create and share animated ad videos that are up to 20 seconds long.
LinkedIn is a professional social network that allows you to connect and share information with people in your industry and even find a job.
LinkedIn's advertising platform, LinkedIn Ads, offers an affordable way to reach your target audience. LinkedIn Ads provides targeting by industry, geographic region, company size, and job title. The ads are shown to people who match the criteria you select. LinkedIn ads are ideal for reaching professionals who work in a specific industry or to promote your business to employees of particular companies to drive word-of-mouth marketing.