SEO vs. SEM: Key Differences for Rental Property Sites

Those handling rental property websites often encounter the terms SEO and SEM. Both are essential for website optimization, though people mistakenly interchange them. Property management SEO is different from its SEM counterpart. Whether you’re focused on apartment SEO, SEM, or others does not matter. You must consider both as a part of your overall strategy!

However, without knowing the similarities and differences between both, you could neglect one. For example, you could focus on website SEM without considering SEO, or vice versa. 

At ExactEstate, our company focuses on each strategy and maximizes its potential. Here is what you need to know about all the two and how they can help your rental property website.

Understanding the Basics

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing. Both can produce the same results, though each approach differs.

SEO is about optimizing your website and helping it appear at the top of search engines. When you’re working on website SEO, you take each technical and content element of the website and improve them. The goal is for search engines to recognize it as a relevant website to your ideal searchers. The higher you appear in the search bar, the better the chance of you becoming the first option for any visitor.

SEM focuses more on marketing using the different features available through search engines. The most common application is pay-per-click advertising (PPC), which utilizes keywords so your ads appear at the top of searches.

Both SEO and SEM produce similar results in several ways. They can:

• Increase sales
• Improve website traffic
• Improve visibility

The main difference lies in how you approach and apply strategies for both. Another big difference between the two is the results they show. SEM can show immediate effects, with impacts you’ll feel right away. However, it is more of a short-term strategy that involves heavy investment. SEO may not show immediate results, though it has a more lasting impact on your online presence.

Why Would a Realtor or Property Manager Want to Focus on SEO?

SEO is all about bringing in organic traffic. When you rank highly on search engines, the perception is that you are one of the most reputable realtors in your area. More people also means a higher chance of getting business. You’ll be able to stay within the radar of prospective buyers, opening more opportunities.

SEO improvements will impact your business on numerous fronts. You’ll be able to:

• Improve or maintain credibility thanks to your search engine positions.
• Allow your business to scale up and improve profits.
• Reduce the need for more expensive marketing strategies.
• Give you an edge in an ever-competitive industry.

The Challenges of Running SEO

Building your website SEO takes time, and it can be time-consuming if you have any problems with your infrastructure. Time is one of the considerations for any business, as you also want to have an immediate impact on your investment.

SEO is a strategic investment that lays the foundation for sustainable growth. With time, your property's visibility improves, ultimately driving more renters to your door.

Some considerations to consider before fully committing to SEO improvements: These are:

• Optimizing your website's content and updating the design will require time, money, and possibly other professionals.
• Search rankings can take months to increase.
• Constantly adapting to any new changes to search engine algorithms.

Why Would a Realtor or Property Manager Want to Focus on SEM?

Implementing a short-term SEM strategy alongside your SEO strategy will drive fast results. It will increase the number of visits to your site in a shorter time, leading to more visitors and business opportunities. While SEO can take months, SEM can have noticeable results within a few days.

When implementing an SEM strategy, you want to ensure you’re spending money efficiently. This means using campaigns that will help you reach potential buyers or sellers. This can be a process of trial and error, as some businesses find that different strategies work best for them. The goal here is to increase visitors and potentially bring in high-quality leads.

Implementing SEM can improve your website in numerous ways. These include:

• Having a method for testing marketing strategies.
• Having the ability to control spending on marketing.
• Reaching out to previously inaccessible audiences.

The Challenges of Running SEM

You'll have several challenges, even if it’s property management, SEM, or another business. The biggest of these would be cost. SEM is one of the most expensive marketing strategies you can implement. While you can limit your budget, even a little can add up over time. You are essentially using money in hopes of getting more money in return.

Businesses that use SEM balance the money available to them to ensure they don’t exceed the budget. You have to stick with a plan and make adjustments as you go. There are also other challenges that realtors face with SEM. These include:

• Continuous optimization: SEM strategies require time for optimization. You’ll have to constantly check your campaigns to see if you need to make any changes.
• Inherent risk: You must know about SEM strategies that could penalize you. Your ads could suddenly stop showing because you’ve been unknowingly going against guidelines.

The Differences Put Together

Putting SEO and SEM side by side will reveal how they differ. Here’s a breakdown to help you compare and contrast both.

Cost

SEM is a more expensive strategy. Pay per click means paying for each click, even when your advertisement takes in thousands. This amount can compound over time. While SEO is free, it does take time to improve your rankings.

Immediacy

SEM provides more impact after implementation. Your website will quickly gain attention after you begin posting ads. Compared to that, SEO is a slow and steady strategy. 

Visibility

SEM allows you to appear at the top of searches as advertisements. It is possible to achieve that in SEO, but it takes time and is not guaranteed. As such, SEM is often better for visibility, but it does come at a higher cost.

Return of Investment

SEM requires continuous spending, and it can be hard to gauge whether any money is coming back. On the other hand, SEO has a higher chance of achieving returns. A properly optimized website will need very few improvements moving forward, while SEM will require continuous monitoring.

Conclusion

SEM and SEO are two strategies that work effectively on their own but that are better together. With a solid plan, you’ll be able to achieve your goals with the proper implementation of both strategies.

Property management software is one of the best ways to manage SEM and SEO. A program like ExactEstate can save you time and provide you with all the resources you need in one platform. Contact us today to request a demo of our software. We’ll answer any concerns you have.

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