What’s the Difference Between SEO and SMO?
As businesses go we’re always striving to find ways to gain awareness and visibility and one most commonly used strategy is online marketing.
Online marketing is slightly different from digital marketing in the fact that it requires an internet connection for it to work. There are various forms of Online marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and SMO (Social Media Optimisation) being two of the many options available.
Our UK SEO, PPC & SMO experts explain what the differences between SEO and SMO are and why you should be adopting these strategies in your online marketing campaign.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO is probably defined as the most important thing to your business, without it you will not survive.
As a new business starter the words SEO can become very scary and overwhelming due to the many different sub categories that make up its form. However, SEO is fairly logical and simple once you understand the basics to get you started.
SEO refers to the method used to organically increase traffic to your website and improve search engine rankings. It is obvious that the higher ranked a website appears from search results the more trusted it is and the more likely it is to receive visitors.
The objective, ideally is to turn these visitors into real customers. The important thing to remember is that whilst SEO can perform miracles for your business it cannot be achieved overnight, it is a long lasting and continued process.
If done correctly the rewards are great and contribute to a long lasting success. (For more information on SEO read Getting Started With Search Engine Optimisation).
Social Media Optimisation (SMO)
SMO is a great tool to use in your online marketing strategy and is very similar to SEO, so much so the two complement each other very well.
SMO however, as it’s name suggests, has one sole focus and that is the use of and optimisation of social media. Social Media is a very powerful marketing tool that you should be using to your advantage which has the potential to reach an immense amount of people.
There are various different social media platforms at your disposal, depending on what type of business you have (B2B or B2C). Some are far more suited for the message you are trying to portray as well as the demographic you are looking to target.
SMO is a great way to increase awareness and visibility to your business and brand. With the way the world has evolved there are numerous approaches you can take to lead a great social media campaign, examples being: Content Marketing, Video Marketing and Visual Content to name a few.
In today’s world more and more consumers are turning to social media to gain trust and authenticity from businesses and brands, SMO is a way to build that trust and strengthen your brands awareness. As with SEO, SMO is a great tool for lead generation and sale growth for all niche businesses.
Bottom line is both SEO and SMO are required tools and techniques to keep your business both sustainable and able to grow within a competitive Digital World. Each are essential to run a great online marketing strategy that benefits you and your business.
If you need any help or advice, feel free to get in contact with one of our UK SEO & SMO experts today. Alternatively sign up for one of our SEO or SMO plans to propel your company to the next level.
