What is SEO and SMO?

Both SEO and SMO are acronyms that are often used interchangeably, but they’re different. What’s the difference between these two popular digital marketing strategies? An SEO (search engine optimization) is best defined as a subset of marketing that focuses on increasing traffic to websites.

This can be done via related backlinks, keyword usage, and search engine optimization techniques. Engaging in this type of practice is generally done by web developers through content creation or website design.

SMO (social media optimization) on the other hand is a subset of the content marketing industry. This subset focuses on optimizing Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites for traffic. Unlike SEO, SMO is most often done by individual marketers who seek to make contact with customers or clients through social media.

Difference in SEO and SMO

Many people make the mistake of combining both SEO and SMO into a single strategy. For example, a business owner may have an SEO person creating content on their site and then hiring someone to manage their Facebook page.

Or they might have a hired the services of an affiliate marketer to help them build their email list. While these two strategies can be combined into one grand plan, it’s important to note that they’re not one in the same.

What Makes These Effective?

Understanding the difference between these two strategies will help you determine which avenue is most appropriate for your business. SEO and SMO both harness the power of social media and the search engine to drive traffic to websites. The only difference between SEO and SMO is how they execute their strategy.

SEO uses better practices to get traffic to a website, while SMO uses social media to drive customers or clients directly to a site’s content at much faster rates. There isn’t one strategy that is better than the other, it’s just about finding what works best for you and your business.