General SEO
SEM (Search Engine Marketing)
Quick Definition
SEM is the broader category that includes both paid search advertising (PPC) and organic SEO — though many marketers use SEM as shorthand for paid search only.
In context
In strict terms, Search Engine Marketing covers everything you do to gain visibility in search engines, paid and organic. In common usage, SEM often refers specifically to Google Ads, Bing Ads, and other paid search platforms. SEO is technically a subset of SEM.
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