Are the terms SEO / SEM Outdated?

For quite sometime I have felt the services provided by SEO / SEM companies need to be expanded. The primary focus must still be Search Engine Optimization. However, the industry as a whole should be considering and working to resolve all web site issues which affect business performance in conjunction with web site designers, developers and owners. I personally feel the industry of SEO / SEM is a times suffering from tunnel vision.

Expanding on the acronym SEO Search Engine Optimization and SEM Search Engine Marketing, leaves the impression the only objective of our industry is to assist web sites to achieve high rankings in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

Of course that is what we do and what we should be doing, after all Search is undoubtedly the most effective and popular method for Internet users to find the services or products they are seeking online.

All too often the SEO / SEM Company focus only on standard on-page and off-page Search Optimization techniques. This is of course necessary, but has the industry evolved with other aspects of the Internet? Some have, some haven’t.

The difficult economic environment we are experiencing puts even more emphasis on the importance of a well performing business web site. Now is the time for the SEO / SEM industry to evaluate and expand the services supplied to provide a heuristic / holistic approach with the main consideration being the overall business performance of business web sites, and not just focus on Search Engine / PPC traffic?

What should SEO / SEM Companies do for their clients?

The time is long overdue for the SEO / SEM industry as a whole to take a close look at the value and services offered to web site owners.

The primary objectives of all SEO / SEM companies should be:

• To drive highly qualified traffic to a web sites using all available techniques:
• On and Off Page Search Optimization
• Pay Per Click
• Social Networking
• Social Book marking
• Blogs and Blog commenting
• Article / Press Release Submission

• Use all available techniques to convert traffic to sales or other identified goals and objectives
• Develop high quality, relevant and well structured content
• Develop keyword phrase relevant landing pages
• Develop keyword/phrase relevant ad copy
• Assess web site for usability issues which affect performance

To accomplish the above objectives SEO / SEM companies must expand their thinking and services to develop effective programs to ensure all traffic generating options are included and to ensure the web site is well developed and meets user’s expectation thereby increasing conversion rates, and overall business performance.

In conclusion the terms SEO / SEM are relevant to the industry, but are only one aspect of the much broader service programs required to achieve high performance business web sites.

So what terms should we use to represent this industry in the future? I will leave that question open and look forward to hearing from others on their perspective of the industry and where it should be headed for the future.