Finding the Right Match: What to Expect During Transition From SEM to SEO
Switch from SEM to SEO
Moving to a new role in your company or even another company can be difficult, and we know this for ourselves because we had years of paid search experience before we moved into the SEO role.
Moving is not always easy. We’ve learned a lot from our experience, so if you’re moving to SEO out of SEM, you can have a smooth transition (or maybe learn one or two things about another in search marketing).
People will always think that SEO and SEM are the same and both are search engineers. But that is far from the truth. SEO (search engine optimization) is a different ball game than the world of SEM (search engine marketing, or PPC (pay-per-click) or paid search).
The Two most significant differences between SEM and SEO:
Google’s Role in Relationships:
SEMs have a friendlier and more direct relationship with Google, probably because it’s a paid channel. They usually have a problem-solving Google representative, introducing new features such as beta versions to engage advertisers.
On the other hand, SEO has an indirect relationship with Google and attracts lessons from thought leaders and some authoritative Google employees working with the SEO community.
Ready for change:
The changes made on both sides of the search are also different. SEO needs a lot of explanations to understand emerging search engines. On the other hand, SEMs better understand how their ecosystem is changing. Because SEO does not work directly with Google and has no financial relationship, many “tests and insights” are drawn from data obtained from Google and other search engines. On the other hand, SEM has its own Google Ads blog dedicated to the changes that have taken place in Google Ads.
SEM Skills That Can Be Brought Into an SEO Career
Due to the similarity of these two channels, some skills are well transferred from SEM to SEO. Leading skills include keyword research, reporting, copyright, marketing knowledge, and agency operations.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is vast (and probably the most visible). Understanding keyword elements such as search volume, keyword relevance, long-tail vs. short-ended keywords, Brand vs. Unbranded words raise their hand as they cross channels. In addition, many available keyword research tools (such as SEMrush) are used on the same channels. After all, the primary purpose of SEM and SEO is to place higher on relevant keywords.
In addition to understanding how keywords work, another beneficial element is our understanding of how paid search works. This knowledge helps us understand the organization, auction system, and navigation of Google Ads. To this day, keyword organization SEM has sprinkled how we organize keywords to create our SEO content strategies.
Report and Tool
Reporting is another skill that goes from SEM to SEO, and most clients want to see weekly or monthly reports from both channels. There are likely to be more metrics and reporting points in SEM (such as cost-based metrics such as cost per conversion (CPC) and total cost).
You can’t talk about reporting without mentioning tables. With a basic knowledge of Excel and Google Spreadsheets, you can leverage your SEM reporting experience to SEO reports. It is essential for keyword research to use Excel tools with data analysis and manipulation. Finally, using other Google platforms, such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Google Data Studio, makes learning easier.
Copywriting
Copywriting is another set of skills that can be easily transferred from SEM to SEO. It would be best to be brief when writing ad text on the SEM side, as there are strict character limits. You also have the benefit of A/B testing, and that means you need to get to the point quickly, similar to what SEO metadata is looking for.
Marketing knowledge
It is essential to have a base of general marketing experience and knowledge. To maximize performance on both channels, you need to understand user paths, audience segmentation, keyword targeting, and why and how consumers use search engines.
Agency Operation
To facilitate the transition, you need to understand how advertising and technical SEO services and agencies work. These include gaining experience in relationships with clients and agencies, project management, handling status calls, general account management, business competencies, and prioritizing customer needs.
