Search engine marketing (SEO) or social media marketing? And which strategy is better for your business?
Let’s explore what makes each marketing strategy unique.

First – the purpose of each strategy:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

SEO is to be discovered and get traffic through search engine rankings. It fills the top with the funnel and creates awareness.

Social Media Marketing:


Social media builds connections and gets traffic from the networks. It strengthens the middle of the funnel and creates engagements.

The most five differences between SEO and Social Media Marketing:

1.Knowing Your Audience and Intent – The mindset of your potential visitors:

It’s crucial to both your SEO and Social Media Marketing strategies. This is the fundamental difference between these two channels. One group is holding a mouse or tapping a screen. The other is typing on a keyboard.

Social Media:
It tells a lot about whom the people are, but very little about what they’re thinking. Also, it shows what they’re clicking around, and what they’re browsing. That’s why visitors from social media marketing are less likely to act. They were cruising through a social network when they found you. Despite that they have weak intent, they’re more likely to share and spread awareness. That’s why you need social fans and followers as they influence potential buyers.

Search Optimization:
Here, you know a lot about what people are thinking, but very little about whom they’re. It tells you about what they’ve just searched, and if they’re looking for something. Visitors from search are more ready to buy, but less likely to share. These visitors enter with a specific purpose, need, or question. That’s why they have stronger intent.

2. Content

Content is the key in both SEO and Social Media. What content marketing format is the best for each channel? Text, Videos, Audios, or Images?

Social Media:
Visuals perform best in social media. They help in capturing visitors’ attention in fast-moving social streams. On another hand, images & videos are the most shared content on the web. Posts with images generate the most likes and shares. Punchy, emotional headlines work well.

Search Optimization:
Long-form text performs best in search. The average page that ranks high in Google has 1500+ words. That’s a good reason why Google loves Wikipedia’s detailed articles.

3.Topics – What works where?

Which topics work well in which channel? Once you have an instinct for it, you’ll know where to promote any piece of content.

Social Media:
Content & trending topics that stir an emotional response do best. We talk about emotions such as anxiety, anger and awe.

Search Optimization:
Research-based content performs the best. For example, articles that answer common questions. Evergreen topics that don’t go out of style, also do well in search engine marketing.

SEO & SM marketing strategies can be used to promote your site content. Use the content you create for each marketing method to supplement the other.

For example, link an infographic in your post for your social media campaign to long-form content on your site. When someone sees your infographic on social media, the link makes them more likely to share it and head on over to your site.
What a way to increase awareness and drive traffic, all at the same time!

4.Speed: How long before you’ll see results

How much time and patience is required? How soon will you see results from search and social?

Social Media:
Although growing a following takes time, social media posts appear instantly and results can happen within minutes.

Search Optimization:
SEO is typically slow and uncertain. Even highly relevant pages take days to get indexed and rank. It often takes years to build up enough credibility to compete for the most valuable phrases.

5.KPIs: Those little goals on the path to success

Are you making progress? What goals and KPIs should we be tracking along the way?

Social Media:
Followers are the most obvious and visible way to measure growth. But there’s more to life than followers… Build relationships, have meaningful conversations, and grow your network. Genuine friendships are the best outcome of social media. Don’t be distracted by vanity metrics.

Search Optimization:
Links are the greatest indication of long-term success. But there’s more to life than links… Rankings are more important. But even rankings aren’t your ultimate goal. You’re looking for traffic, a steady stream of targeted visitors. Don’t be distracted by vanity metrics.

Bonus: The click

The need for a good click-through rate (CTR) is common to both of these channels. Appearing in a social stream or a search results page means nothing unless someone clicks!
So, optimizing for the click is the one skill that every digital marketer needs, and that includes email marketers.