SEO means optimising the html and architectural structure of a web page/site for relevant, targeted key phrases in order to attain higher natural listings than competing websites. SEO provides a cheaper long term solution for increased qualified traffic and generates customer enquiries that ultimately convert to sales.

SEM (search engine marketing) is the process of promoting a business online to achieve higher visibility in the search engine listings. This can be achieved by using paid listings i.e. Google Adwords, which can be very expensive but the benefits are; it can be quick to get traffic and is useful for seasonal for short term campaigns. 

Competition is the reason why SEO is so important. To see your website in the top of search engines is not that easy task when there are so many others to competing for the same spot.

One of the features of my SEO is to try to find your uniqueness and use SEO to promote it. SEO in theory is very easy and more about a 'common sense' than a scientific approach. But results are still not guaranteed. 
SEO cannot help target a market for which it is not suited for example a .com hosted in the USA, may never reach a UK audience. So even the domain and hosting should be considered a vital element of the SEO.

SEO can help with keyword analysis and then promote your website accordingly. SEO enables you to understand different aspects of optimisation, learning to build quality links, keyword analysis, and off page optimisation. If you can learn basic SEO yourself, you stand a better chance of improving your website whilst learning. Plus you may save a fortune from many other unscrupulous SEO websites that exist on the internet purely to part you from your money.

There are thousand of SEO companies who are PAYING to appear in the search engines (Google Adwords) Why anyone would choose to use the services of these charlatans is beyond me. If they cannot SEO their own website, why would you give them your money?

Perhaps it's because I have had my time, and made my nest, that I can make bold statements and point fingers. But on the other hand, I do also have a respectable SEO reputation and I don't pay anyone for my listings.

My SEO is totally self taught based on a commonsense perspective, and ANYONE can learn to do it. I am willing to teach you to. I will give you my free SEO guide, but I will need a quality link from you in return.

I am not going to give you free help willy-nilly. You could be a competitor.
But why not start a dialogue?