Search marketing is the process of acquiring traffic or customers via search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo and others. Search marketing generally involves two disciplines: SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing).^[1][2][3] Originally called “search engine marketing,” the shorter phrase “search marketing” is now often used as the umbrella term over SEO and SEM. The longer phrase "search engine marketing" — or SEM — is now typically used to describe paid search activities.^[4]