Fundamentals

SEM (Search Engine Marketing)

Search engine marketing is the broad practice of gaining visibility on search engines through both paid ads and organic optimisation.

In common usage it often refers specifically to the paid side, such as Google Ads, while SEO covers the unpaid side. A business bidding on "hotel booking Bangkok" while also optimising its content for that term is running SEM across both channels. The two work best in tandem, with paid covering immediate demand and SEO building long-term equity.