SMM and SEO promotion

Our clients often ask with what tools to develop their business on the Internet. “SEO or SMM?” they ask. In order to answer this question once and for all, we have prepared a short review article. Similarities, differences, interchangeability.

What is SEO and why is it needed

SEO (in translation means Search Engine Optimization) is a set of works designed to influence search robots in order to promote your site to the TOP of search results. Getting to the first page of search results (TOP 10) is guaranteed to increase traffic and profits. What is SEO?

• Increased website traffic = increased profits. Getting on the first page in the SERP will allow you to be in the sight of 85-90% of people who do not go further than the first page of search.
• Not only will an increase in traffic increase profits. SEO is an extensive set of work to improve the entire site (its convenience for visitors, design, content, program code, etc.).

  In practice, this means that it is not necessary to double the traffic to the site in order to increase profits. You can work on the conversion of the existing traffic volume. Improving each of the parameters by several percent.

• SEO works with generated demand. After all, its main goal is to promote the site for certain commercial or information requests.

What is SMM and why is it needed

SMM (translated as Social Media Marketing) – marketing in social networks is not based on selling goods or services head-on, but on arousing interest by attracting the attention of the target audience and “warming up” them with communication (useful posts, interactive, communication in the comments, and more). We have prepared a list of theses on the topic: “What is SMM”.

• Social media marketing doesn’t sell directly. His task: to attract attention and slowly arouse the desire to buy (warm up the client).
• Hence the following thesis follows. Social media ads can’t be intrusive. It should attract the attention of the target audience, and the sale is done much later. More precisely, the client buys much later, since the sale is ongoing from the moment of the first contact in the advertisement (only the process is stretched out in time).
• CMM gives a lot of information about the product. Rather, about the user experience with this product. This is presented in the form of reviews, comments, communication between users within your community.
• The goods and services of the B2C sector are great in social networks. The B2B sector can be problematic.

Social media is in cold demand. More precisely, with an absent one – there is only a hypothesis that some group of people will be interested in your product or service.

SEO or SMM which is better

It is difficult to compare these two different techniques. Ideally, a competent strategy for promoting a company on the Internet should include a presence in all Internet channels for attracting and communicating with customers. But, now we will try to compare seo and smm, so that you understand what to do in the first place.

Work speed

Speed ​​plays a big role in business. Especially at the start of his work. The fate of your business will depend on how quickly you get your first result in the form of profit.

Even if you carry out all the necessary work on the search engine optimization of the site, then search robots need time to visit your updated site and fix the improvements. In addition, the position of the site is influenced not only by internal optimization, but by factors such as:

• External links. Yes, in 2019, links are not only relevant, but useful. Link building has become a whole science – link building.
• Behavioral factors. This includes what characterizes user behavior on the site and (albeit indirectly) the degree to which the answer to users’ questions is found.

Obviously, you cannot create so many high-quality links in one day that your incoming traffic to your site will multiply. Growth will be gradual — faster and faster as the optimization work continues.

In SMM, the speed of work is several times higher. If you have to wait 3-6 months with search engine promotion, then promotion in social networks will bring results in a few weeks.

Financial expenses

At the stage of choosing tools, you must clearly understand the cost above which you cannot go. Often, even large companies need maximum results at minimum costs.

If the budget issue is acute, then we recommend choosing SMM. Here you just need to create a business page (or group), design it, fill it with content and launch an advertisement. In SMM, financial investments will be required for content preparation, placement of paid posts, targeting and targeting services.

In SEO, the situation is more complicated. To get started, you need to create a website:

• Pay rent for a domain name.
• Rent hosting.
• Pay for the services of a programmer.
• Pay for designer services.
• Pay for the services of a copywriter.
• Additional costs may be required (for the purchase of external links, for example).

In the future, you will need to pay for the services of a seo-optimizer on freelance or hire him to the staff of the company. Freelancers do not always fully immerse themselves in the subject of your business, and an employee hired on the staff brings additional costs. Therefore, it is more expedient either to learn everything yourself, or to outsource everything to a marketing agency.

What happens after launch

An extremely interesting thing is happening – if the time factor was previously on the side of SMM, then after the launch everything changes places.

Recruiting subscribers to a group on a social network is still half the battle. You need to make sure they don’t get bored there and unsubscribe. To do this, you need to provide an influx of interesting content, arrange contests, games and other activities. You also need to quickly ensure the processing of incoming requests. On average, it takes 2-3 hours daily to maintain life in a promoted group.

SEO is much easier. Having invested considerable effort in fixing all the shortcomings, or doing everything from scratch, you can simply check the work several times a week. You just need to monitor, make adjustments or take additional optimization steps. All this will take no more than 2 hours a week. The hassle with a promoted website is usually much less than with a business page or group on social networks, the promotion of which requires maximum involvement.

Versatility

Here again SEO wins. In search engines, you can promote absolutely any goods or services (if they are searched for on the Internet). In the case of SMM, the choice of topics for promotion is limited.

The fact is that everything related to consumer goods, clothing, services in the B2C sector (business – client) is excellently sold on social networks. If you sell pipes in bulk, then finding your audience on social networks will be difficult for you. And there is nothing – the CEO will do it for you.

Outcome

Let’s summarize:

• SEO – “starts” for a long time, but then a minimum of interference in the course of promotion is required (if everything is done correctly). SMM is distinguished by a quick start, but also by maximum involvement in further work.
• SEO is a costly technique (3-6 months only spending without much visible effect). SMM – maximum results in a short time.
• Search engine optimization is universal. SMM – can be applied in a limited number of topics.

We recommend that you carefully study the article and, using it, choose the best way to develop your business.