SMM for Search Engine Marketing and its subcategories like SEO, SEA, as well as SMM for Social Media Marketing including, among other things like SMO and SMA, are terms for areas that are closed and often obscure for some.
If some are linked to search engines, behind each one is a particular area and we sometimes tend to confuse it. Especially since with the rise of social networks, new terms have been added. But don’t worry, here is a quick explanation of each term, but also those related to them.
SEM : Search Engine Marketing
Let’s start with the most common term, because it includes the website visibility on search engine, but also on social networks. So, we often define this domain like that:
SEM = SEO + SEA + SMO
In SEO we are often talking about SERP (Search Engine Results Page), the result page in search engines. SEO objective is to have the website displayed the highest possible, so in first results.
However with social network evolution, it happens we are using it only for search engines and that becomes:
SEM = SEO + SMO
What are SEO, SEA and SMO? Don’t worry we’ll see them.
SEO : Search Engine Optimization
SEO is the best known term, the one in which others are often included by mistake. The SEO is the referencing on search engines. That includes web page indexation and their optimization (by the layout, content quality,…) to have the best ranking in search engine natural results, those not related to auctions, so advertisment systems.
SXO : Search eXperience Optimization
Fusion between SEO and UX (User Experience), SXO is the search for an experience, fluid, fast, clear, in order to improve the SEO of a site (the algorithms of search engines taking more and more account of this aspect).
SEA : Search Engine Advertising
Le SEA concerne tout le référencement de manière payante, soit l’achat d’espace publicitaires. L’exemple le plus connu est les résultats sponsorisés des moteurs de recherche, via des programmes tels que Google Adwords ou Bing Adwords. Ce sont les résultats apparaissant dans les rubriques « liens commerciaux » dans les résultats de recherche. Le classement des résultats repose sur un système d’enchères et de pertinence des pages sponsorisées.
The SEA concerns all referencing paidly, the purchase of advertising space. The best known example are sponsored results of search engines, by programs such as Google Adwords or Bing Adwords. These are the results appearing in the “commercial links” sections in the search results. The classification of results is based on a system of auction and relevance of sponsored pages.
SMM : Social Media Marketing
It’s the term we are sometimes using for the social network visbility.
SMM = SMO + SMA
SMO : Social Media Optimization
It’s a term not related to search engines but to the social networks. SMO objective is to optimize a brand/site visibility on networks, on search results (like video search on Youtube) and ensure that publications have the most scope through their comments, likes, sharing, etc.,…. An area that also joins community managers work.
VSEO : Video Search Engine Optimization
This more recent term is a child of SEO and SMO. The VSEO is dedicated to optimization and positioning on video platforms. Thus, YouTube, Tik Tok are examples of the platforms on which he will, among other things, concentrate.
SMA : Social Media Advertising
The SMA is the SEA equivalent for social networks. It consists of adverstisment space purchasing on those platforms. It is therefore all the publications mentioned sponsored that we can see in our Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram feeds…