SEM vs. SEO: Which is Better?

There has been a lot of debate over which internet marketing strategy would be the ideal for any websites. Although there are several methods available, most of them fall under the category of either search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO). But still, the issue has not been fully resolved. Which method is better?

Search engine marketing, is the process where you promote websites by increasing its presence in search engine results pages (SERP). This is done by paying a certain fee to various search engine companies to feature these sites on their results pages. Usually, users of search engines tend to visit these sites, which would effectively increase their traffic. However, there are a lot of people who say that many quality sites are left out using this system. Evidently, only those sites with enough money will be able to obtain the services of search engines. Those who don't end up being dropped from the recommended list.

Search engine optimization, on the other hand, is a process of promoting websites through the use of optimization techniques that takes advantage of the algorithms used by search engines. The aim of SEO is to make a website visible to Google and other search engines by using specific keywords on the content page, optimizing the meta tags and the title heading, and encouraging link-ups with other sites of similar content. Through this method, websites don't have to pay search engines to advertise them, and increase the likelihood that users will visit their sites. The downside, of course, is the abuses committed by some unscrupulous SEO's, commonly called black hats.

Black hat SEO commonly use tricks and other unethical tactics to get their site on top of the search pages. However, this in websites appearing at near the top of the results but with little or no relevant content, spread of viruses and other malware, negative user experiences, and costly overhauls for other sites affected by them.

So which exactly is the better method? Perhaps this debacle could be simplified in this manner: Which would you prefer? Paying William Shakespeare to write you a love poem or making a poem of your own and hope that the girl will like it? It pretty much sums up the issue.