SEO focuses on on-site and off-site optimization techniques to improve a website's visibility in search engine results. SCO takes a broader approach by evaluating where people find information across different channels and platforms. While SEO focuses on numbers, SCO aims to maximize efficiency and effectiveness in reaching customers across various sources. SCO involves creating high-quality, unique content that is shared widely either through famous contributors or improved distribution methods in order to cut through online noise.

1. SEO vs SCO
According to Hostingfacts, there are 1.24 billion websites in the world in
2017. In 21st
century, due to the wave of digitalization and extreme penetration of
internet, Website has become primary source of making an impact on customers
mind in first glance. In any competition, everyone comes with motive of winning
the competition. The same is happening with competition of winning the
customers using attractive website. To win a competition, there is need of skills.
In a competition of websites, to win a battle of searchable website, company
needs tools such as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), SCO (Search Channel
Optimization), PPC (Pay Per Click), SMO (Social Media Marketing) and another
SCO (Social/Sharable Content Optimization).
(Image Source- Google)
Search Engine Optimization is one of the most popular ways to make
website more visible to customer. It is basically part of Search Engine Marketing.
Highly ranked website or website which more repeated is more visible for any
person. Even person always visits the first website displayed during search. This is
the reason why every company wants their website in first place. SEO is one of
the ways to convert a person into a customer. Search Engine Optimization
includes perfect finishing for a website apart from visibility. SEO has two pillars on
which the whole Search Engine Optimization is based upon. One is on-site SEO

2. and other is off-site SEO. On-site Search Engine Optimization works in terms of
surface finishing of a website. There are set of rules which anyone can apply to
make his/her website more user friendly. It includes correct URL, impressive title
and good description. Other than that, company can focus on body tags (H1, H2,
and H3), internal linking and SEO images. Off-site SEO contains helps from other
websites to improve the ranking and visibility. Visibility of our website on others
website creates a way to connect another set of people to our website. It
increases the visitor‟s base by large volume. Also, it increases website‟s trust in
the eyes of search engines. There are lots of techniques involved in off-site SEO.
Some of them are social networking sites, blogging, Blog marketing, forum
marketing, search engine submission, social bookmarking, photo sharing, online
shopping network etc. Social networking sites plays bigger role in the concept of
off-site marketing. If we consider countries with highest population, then
Facebook can be the 3rd
most populated country. This kind of visitor base can
help us to spread information of our website in different region and to the
different sectors of visitors. Submitting your website and sharing your blog on
social bookmarking sites such as StumbleUpon, Reddit, Digg etc. will help to make
your website more visible to search engine crawl. Photo sharing on sites such as
Picasa also increases ways to connect with potential customers.
(Image source- Google)

3. Under SEM (Search Engine Marketing), there are ways in which using money we
can buy specific area of webpage to present our site.
(Image source-Google)
SCO means Search Channel Optimization. SCO came into picture for the
first time in 2015. In simple words, it is a framework to check visibility and quality
of your website with respect to its ranking on Google. Search Channel
Optimization is more broad and in depth concept than Search Engine
Optimization. 4-5 years ago, we had a problem in terms of where are people
going to find our company‟s name. Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine
Marketing solved the problem and it gave new approach to digital marketing.
Now, we have lots of sources where we can present our company in different
markets with different perspectives. But, for today‟s marketer, the question is
“How can our company breakthrough the noise, and make it easier for people to
find my site?”. To answer this question, we have to think bigger and Search
Channel Optimization is the answer. Visitors do not stay on only one channel.
They try for different platform for various types of information of single product
or service. We have to evaluate which way is working and which is not working.
SEO is all about numbers of techniques we can use to increase visibility of
our website. SCO is approach to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of
ways to reach customers. In SCO, we have to focus on „People Connect With
People‟, your content on website or on blog must be written by someone who is
expertise in that specific field. People always trust on big names. To stand apart

4. from the crowd, be the unique one. Sharing content is essential for SCO. Quality
content is going to be shared so if you have big name on board then you do not
have to worry. But, if content is not sourced from famous name then you should
focus on improved distribution of content. Try to get connected with different
industries and sectors; mouth publicity is necessity of modern market. Last but
not least, improve your client service.
Basically, SEM gives you ways and SCO gives you power to make ways
more effective.
Author- Sangram Pisat
SIMSREE, Mumbai