SEO Term Definition
SEM (Search Engine Marketing)
SEM is the practice of gaining traffic from search engines through both paid advertising (PPC) and organic search optimisation (SEO). It is the umbrella term covering both channels.
Reviewed by Alexander Yarovenko · Updated: 2026-06-25
What is SEM?
SEM (Search Engine Marketing) is the process of gaining website traffic and visibility from search engines through both paid and organic strategies. Historically SEM referred to paid search only, but today it is commonly used as the umbrella term for all search marketing.
SEM = SEO + PPC
| Component | Traffic Type | Cost Model |
|---|---|---|
| SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) | Organic | Time/content investment; no per-click cost |
| PPC (Pay-Per-Click) | Paid | Cost per click; immediate results |
When to Prioritise Each
- PPC first: when you need immediate traffic, for testing new products/landing pages, or for high-commercial-intent keywords where organic ranking takes too long
- SEO first: for building sustainable long-term traffic, content-heavy businesses, and markets where trust matters more than speed
- Both together: most mature businesses run both — PPC for competitive terms while SEO catches up, SEO for long-tail while PPC focuses on branded keywords