SEO vs Promotional Marketing

SEO and promotion are both excellent ways for businesses to get their products, services, and content seen by more people. But while they are both forms of marketing, they’re not the same thing.

SEO is all about optimising your website and content so that you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), while promotion marketing, on the other hand, is all about making your brand more visible to your target audience. In this post, we’ll explore the differences between SEO marketing and promotion and discuss which one is right for you.

What is SEO?

To the layperson, SEO may seem like a bit of a mystery. But it’s actually pretty simple: SEO is all about helping search engines find and index your content. When you optimise your site for search engines, you’re improving your chances of showing up in the search results when people are looking for information related to your business or website.

And since most internet users never go past the first page of results, it’s important to ensure your site is as close to the top as possible. There are a variety of ways to improve your SEO, but some of the most common include:

Optimising your titles and metatags
Making your website easy to navigate and mobile friendly
Publishing relevant and unique content regularly
Improving your website speed
Attaining backlinks from high-quality authority sites
Getting your web content shared on social networks
Utilising keyword research

What is promotion?

Promotion marketing is a type of marketing that focuses on creating buzz and excitement around a product or service. It can involve tactics like contests, gifts, and reward cards. The goal is to get people talking about the product or service and generate interest. Many businesses use promotional marketing as a way to increase short-term sales, but it can also be an effective tool for building long-term customer relationships.

Promotion marketing can also be an effective way to generate leads and build brand awareness. However, it’s important to use this marketing technique strategically. Otherwise, it can come across as spammy or overwhelming. There are various ways to do promotional marketing, but some common examples include:

Sponsoring a contest or giveaway
Offering free samples or trials of your products or services
Creating coupons, discounts codes, or loyalty programs
Hosting an event
Participating in trade shows or conferences
Sending out direct mail, email, or SMS
Running social media campaigns and other forms of advertising

What are the main differences between them?

You’re probably getting an idea of what SEO and promotion are, but there can be some overlap. Knowing how to distinguish them is important because sometimes they work together in a single campaign or strategy.

Search marketing services differ from promotional activities in several key ways.

SEO is a long-term strategy that can take months or even years to see results, while promotional marketing is typically a shorter-term effort that can produce results more quickly.
SEO only occurs in the digital world, whereas promotion can also occur offline and utilise physical means like custom basketball jerseys, printed flyers, and signage.
SEO requires ongoing work to maintain and improve a website’s ranking, while promotion may only require periodic effort.
SEO is focused on improving a website for the top search engines, while promotion can target many different channels.
SEO is focused on organic or unpaid traffic, while promotion can also include paid traffic-driving tactics.

Examples of promotional marketing and SEO

Here are some real-life examples of promotional marketing and SEO.

Promotion examples

An example of promotional marketing for a business targeting the Australian market could be giving away gift bags at community events, much like the Melbourne showbag. Gifts and showbags are popular at fairs and festivals and are a great way to get your brand in front of numerous people in a target location. Plus, if you fill your showbag with Australian made promotional products, you’ll show that you support local businesses while promoting your own.

Another example of promotional marketing could be something specific such as basketball jersey design. A soft drinks company could create custom jerseys for a team or league and include their product logo and slogan on the front. This is a great way to get product and brand exposure while supporting a sport or activity. And since jerseys can be worn repeatedly, they’re a cost-effective form of marketing.

SEO examples

Let’s say you’re a pet store owner with a website. You want to use SEO marketing to make sure your website appears in the top results for searches like “local pet store,” “buy quality pet food,” or “special dog toys.” You can do this by optimising your existing website content by using those keywords and regularly publishing new related content that helps to promote them further. By doing so, you gradually appear in the top results, increasing traffic to your website and generating more sales.

Another example would be a salon owner in a small town. They want to attract new customers, so they decide to invest in marketing through SEO. They start by optimising their website for relevant keywords, such as “best in (location) haircuts” and “the hottest hairstyles in (location).” By including the location or general area in the keywords, they are more likely to attract local customers and build a stronger client base.

In addition, they should set up an online business profile and get their salon listed on the local directories for anyone who searches for that product or service in their area.

Finally, they can build backlinks by writing guest posts for other high-quality hair-related websites.

The lowdown

SEO and promotion marketing are two distinct but related fields. SEO is focused on improving a website’s ranking in search engines, while promotion marketing focuses on generating exposure and traffic through various channels, including offline methods.

However, both SEO and promotion can be used to achieve similar goals, such as increasing website traffic and generating sales. And in many cases, SEO and promotion can be used together in a single campaign or strategy. So, if you’re looking to increase your visibility and reach, consider using both SEO and promotion marketing.