SEO is search engine optimization that focuses on increasing the traffic of the website. It aims at getting links back and is more based on the keywords in the blogs. SMO (Social Media Optimization), on the other hand, is associated more with social networks that play a huge role in growing the business. It basically improves the online presence of the business and also has a great impact on the online reputation of the business. It involves several interactive communities including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, forums, and all the platforms where your business is linked socially.
SMO is increasingly becoming more important as a business, in order to build its brand, needs to be available on a number of social media channels. People, today, find your business in three ways:
If the link of your company appears on the top while searching in the search engine.
If someone recommends your business to them, or
If they have heard about your business from anywhere
So, not having an online presence will take you nowhere. If you need to build a successful business, all you need to do is make your presence online. Now the point is what to choose: SEO or SMO. Well, though both the techniques are important for making an organization successful, all that matters is the goal of your business.
If the main objective of your business is to draw the attention of your target audience to your website, then SEO is the right option for you. It will help you optimize your website for search engines. For this, you need to generate effective SEO campaign results which will make people realize your presence online. Use effective keywords, optimize HTML, add Meta descriptions and many more. The process, if done efficiently, will benefit you over the long period of time.
Alternatively, if your current business objective is to enhance the reputation of your brand among the public, then, all you need to focus on is social media optimization (SEO). For this, you must focus on incorporating quality content for a variety of social media channels. SMO can get you a large number of potential customers in a very short period of time.
All in all, it's important to focus on both SEO as well as SMO. Don't forget to focus on one common factor i.e. quality content, which is valued by all. So, be clear about your goals, and choose your platform accordingly.