Search engine marketing (SEM) is a form of Internet marketing that involves the promotion of websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) through optimization (on-page optimization & off-page optimization) as well as through advertising (paid placements, contextual advertising, and paid inclusions). Depending on the context, SEM can be an umbrella term for various means of marketing a website including search engine optimization (SEO), which adjusts or rewrites website content to achieve a higher ranking in search engine results pages, or it may contrast with SEO, focusing on only paid components.
SEM methods and metrics
There are four categories of methods and metrics used to optimize websites through search engine marketing.
1. Keyword research and analysis involves three "steps:" (a) Ensuring the site can be indexed in the search engines; (b) finding the most relevant and popular keywords for the site and its products; and (c) using those keywords on the site in a way that will generate and convert traffic.
2. Website saturation and popularity, how much presence a website has on search engines, can be analyzed through the number of pages of the site that are indexed on search engines (saturation) and how many backlinks the site has (popularity). It requires your pages containing those keywords people are looking for and ensure that they rank high enough in search engine rankings. Most search engines include some form of link popularity in their ranking algorithms. The followings are major tools measuring various aspects of saturation and link popularity: Link Popularity, Top 10 Google Analysis, and Marketleap's Link Popularity and Search Engine Saturation.
3. Back end tools, including Web analytic tools and HTML validators, provide data on a website and its visitors and allow the success of a website to be measured. They range from simple traffic counters to tools that work with log files and to more sophisticated tools that are based on page tagging (putting JavaScript or an image on a page to track actions). These tools can deliver conversion-related information. There are three major tools used by EBSCO: (a) log file analyzing tool: WebTrends by NetiQ; (b) tag-based analytic programs WebSideStory'sHitbox; (c) transaction-based tool: TeaLeafRealiTea. Validators check the invisible parts of websites, highlighting potential problems and many usability issues ensure your website meets W3C code standards. Try to use more than one HTML validator or spider simulator because each tests, highlights, and reports on slightly different aspects of your website.
4. Who is tools reveal the owners of various websites, and can provide valuable information relating to copyright and trademark issues.

Comparison with SEO
SEM is the wider discipline that incorporates SEO. SEM includes both paid search results (Adwords) and organic search results (SEO). SEM uses AdWords, pay per click (particularly beneficial for local providers as it enables potential consumers to contact a company directly with one click), article submissions, advertising and making sure SEO has been done. A keyword analysis is performed for both SEO and SEM, but not necessarily at the same time. SEM and SEO both need to be monitored and updated frequently to reflect evolving best practices.
In some contexts, the term SEM is used exclusively to mean pay per click advertising, particularly in the commercial advertising and marketing communities which have a vested interest in this narrow definition. Such usage excludes the wider search marketing community that is engaged in other forms of SEM such as search engine optimization and search retargeting.
Another part of SEM is social media marketing (SMM). SMM is a type of marketing that involves exploiting social media to influence consumers that one company’s products and/or services are valuable. Some of the latest theoretical advances include search engine marketing management (SEMM). SEMM relates to activities including SEO but focuses on return on investment (ROI) management instead of relevant traffic building (as is the case of mainstream SEO). SEMM also integrates organic SEO, trying to achieve top ranking without using paid means of achieving top in search engines, and pay per click SEO. For example some of the attention is placed on the web page layout design and how content and information is displayed to the website visitor.

SEM stands for “search engine marketing.” It is the process of gaining traffic from or visibility on search engines. The phrase is also sometimes shortened to “search marketing.”

Thank yOU very Much to telling me about the sem and a valuable informaiton ......................

Nice information.Really great stuff.Thank you for sharing.

SEM is the best way to getting traffic to our site. Thanks for the info regarding this.

Speech less post but i have a confusion that can be do search engine marketing by the use of social bookmarking, directory submission and by creation paid linking?

Search engine marketing is one type of marketing that promotes the websites by increasing their visibility in different search engines.it increases page rank and also the popularity of the websites.

Good work...really helpful...keep going...

Search Engine Marketing is one of the most cost efficient ways to reach a target market for a small, medium or large business. Traditional marketing such as catalog mail, trade magazines, direct mail, TV or radio involves passive participation by your audience and targeting can very greatly from one medium to another.

SEM=SEO+PPC some where in the web I have read about this formula ,can any one explain me is it really true or noT?

Marketing is all about promoting anything and if you are doing online marketing, then using social networking site is a good option. Social media marketing includes some factors like: SEO, SMO, PPC etc......

SEM is a type of internet marketing that involves promotion of website by increasing their visibility in search engine result. it is very helpful for seo.

Search engine marketing (SEM) is a form of Internet marketing that involves the promotion of websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) primarily through paid advertising.

SEM stands for search engine marketing. This is a form of Internet marketing. It involves the promotion of websites by increasing the visibility in search engine result page.

Thanks for sharing the excellent explanation of SEM.

Thanks for explaining in so much depth the concept of search engine marketing, it is very informational and useful. It will help newbies like me to understand how search engine marketing works.