SEM Project - How would YOU categorise SEM?

[jempp]

I have been given the task, as part of a university assignment to categorise the various options available to search engine marketers.

As a group, we have come up with our first attempt, based on a brainstorming session.
Link available here:

Search Engine Marketing tree

Now to you, the experts, how would YOU categorise SEM?

*P.S. All help will be greatly appreciated!!

[randfish]

Jempp,

I'd probably remove some items from SEA (I assume stand for Search Engine Advertising). The only two that I'd put under that direct category would be PPC ads and banner/sponsorship ads - which apply to sites like Yahoo! & MSN, but not Google.

I'd also consider reviewing seomoz.org/articles/search-ranking-factors.php if you're seeking more guidance on how to flesh out this document in more detail.

[Marcia]

Paid and organic are separate avenues with the distinction sometimes getting muddied by use of the term SEM - and local search is another avenue to look into including and seeing where it fits, both for the paid options and optimizing for local ranking in organic search.

I've always broken SEO down into three classifications, and here's a very rough outline (needs fleshing out and updating) I've got up based on a forum post I did way, way back in 2001 or 2002

http://www.webmasterwoman.com/seo-optimization/

To me, the elements that are strictly on the page as an individual unit are separate (though connected) from issues that affect the whole site, like the domain name, file and directory naming conventions, back end (like dynamic vs. static URLs) and real important, the navigation structure.

[Chris Boggs]

Hi Jempp,

I agree with Rand. That was easy. Really though it looks pretty good but as R points out there are some things that belong to the right of your top SEM branch, such as banners and other forms of interactive non-search related advertising. You could split Paid into Search network and Contextual network.

I have always used the Classification of Species analogy, with "Marketing" being the Kingdom; "SEM" and "Interactive Marketing" would be examples of a Phylum; SEO, Paid Inclusion, Paid listings (PPC) would be examples of a Class; "Search Network PPC" and "Contextual Advertising" would be examples of an Order; etc...