A Glossary of Terms
This post was made Mar 12, 2010 by Carlos del Rio
I’ve seen SEO + PPC = SEM referenced a number of times this week. I don’t agree with that formula.
So, here are the terms the way I use them.
Search Engine Optimization = Actions taken to improve position within organic search placement
PPC = Pay Per Click
CPM = Cost Per Thousand
CPA = Cost Per Action/Acquisition
Paid Inclusion = Search placements that are bought but not attributed as sponsored
Paid Search = Paid placements in search engines (includes PPC, CPM and Paid Inclusion)
Social Media Optimization = Actions taken to improve results from social media platforms (paid or organic)
Search Engine Marketing = All actions taken to drive traffic, money or impressions through search platforms. This term is currently evolving through the debate over whether Facebook and Twitter should be classified as person to person search platforms.
Search Engine Optimization + Paid Search = Search Engine Marketing
