Difference Between SEO and SMO

The SEO and SMO are the techniques of driving the traffic on a particular site. The SEO uses the search engine while SMO utilises social media for increasing the visitors and visibility of the content. In Search Engine Optimization the rules of the search engine must be followed strictly, in order to enhance the organic search of the content and achieve the proper ranking on the search engine results page. On the other hand, the Social Media Optimization focuses on the publicising the content using the social media to make it more visible.

Content: SEO and SMO

1. 1. Comparison Chart
   2. Definition
   3. Key Differences
   4. Conclusion

Comparison Chart

Basis for comparison	SEO	SMO
Basic	Drive the users to the content.	Drive content to the target audience.
Type of optimization	On-site and off-site	Off-site
Optimization with the help of	Sharing relevant information.	Visually appealing website and relevant information.
Platforms	Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snaphchat, etc.
Basic elements	Site's code and proper use of keywords.	Presentation and description of the product must be appealing.
Analysis	The impact of any change on the site ranking is analysed.	On the type of content which can gain attention.
Marketing to	Search engine	Targeted audiences
Repetition of the messages	Result in the penalisation of the site.	Reward is given for repeating the messages across various platforms.

Definition of SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is an organic technique for improving the website’s rankings on the search engine. Ultimately, it is a technique for increasing the number of visitors on a website with the help of search engine rules. Let’s understand it with an example, When we search for an unknown topic on the internet, we usually check the first page of the search engine results pages. Moreover, a user can evaluate at most five pages of SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). Hence, this is extremely important for a content to get in the top lists of the search engine. For achieving a good position in the search engine results, SEO is used. There are a set of rules which user abide by to optimise their website according to the search engine. The structure and appearance of the website must be effective as it also affects the SEO.

In some cases, people also use SEO to optimise their company site and information related to the company, so that it could be easily found. It provides a simple and effective way to introduce and market a company in a competitive business environment by using a web page. The foundation of the search engine optimisation is the suitable keywords that are used for the website and can be used to search with search engines. These keywords are also helpful in gaining the traffic by seeking the attention of the target users.

SEO step-wise process :

A well-defined process of search engine optimisation is illustrated in the below given Diagram.

Definition of SMO

SMO (Social Media Optimization) is a technique of promoting, disseminating and making the content visible and readily available across third-party communities and networks by using the social media in order to increase the profitability. The main advantage of social media optimisation is that it enhances the communication strategy. In this optimisation technique, the metadata that is organised by the keywords, tags and categories to sort the user-generated content is posted on the social networks. This generates an online content index through which the users can discover it.

The SMO is classified in two ways. The first category involves the inclusion of the social media features to the content. For example, RSS feed, social news, user ratings, polling tool, key sharing, and so on. While in the second type, the social media activity is promoted along with the content itself, discussion and status update on social networking and commenting on the blogs, etcetera.

Rules of Social Media Optimization :

• Generate sharable content.
• Simplify sharing.
• Reward engagement.
• Actively share content.
• Boost the site’s linkability.
• Encourage the mashup.

Conclusion

The SEO and SMO work for the similar purpose, to generate and drive the traffic to the site in order to improve credibility, building the brand and increasing the profitability; however, the processes are distinct. The Search Engine Optimization uses search engine rules to impel the traffic to the particular site such as the design and code of the site must be appropriate, keywords must be appropriately used, and so on. On the other hand, the Social Media Optimization uses social networking to direct the content to the influential audience.