Leveraging SEO and SEM Strategies to Enhance Online Sales Performance

A Comparative Study of Ramayana.com and Matahari.com

Authors

  • Alma Syifa Maulidina Digital Marketing, Telkom University
  • Widi Prayoga Management, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37278/eprofit.v8i1.1511

Keywords:

SEO, SEM, Digital Marketing, Website Optimization, Online Sales

Abstract

This study examines the role of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) in enhancing digital visibility and business performance through a comparative study of Ramayana.com and Matahari.com. The study employed a qualitative comparative approach using secondary data obtained from website observation, Google search result analysis, Google Trends data, social media visibility, and company financial reports from 2017 to 2025. The data were analyzed using comparative descriptive analysis to evaluate on-page SEO, off-page SEO, search engine visibility, search interest trends, and profit growth patterns of both companies. The results indicate that both websites have low search engine visibility. For the keyword “beli baju pria,” neither website appeared on the first page of Google search results; Matahari.com ranked on the second page, while Ramayana.com appeared on the third page. Google Trends data further show consistently low search interest for both websites throughout 2025, although Matahari.com recorded a temporary spike with an index value of 100, indicating short-term traffic driven by SEM-based campaigns. In contrast, Ramayana.com demonstrated relatively stable but lower digital engagement. From a financial perspective, both companies experienced post-pandemic recovery; however, profit growth remained fluctuating. Ramayana recorded profit growth of 14.45% in 2024 before declining by 13.09% in 2025, while Matahari recorded growth of 10.53% in 2024 before declining by 14.29% in 2025. These findings confirm that SEO contributes to long-term digital visibility, whereas SEM is more effective in generating short-term traffic. Therefore, the integration of SEO and SEM is essential to strengthen digital visibility, improve user engagement, and support more sustainable business performance.

References

A. Kader, “The Role of SEM in Boosting Online Transactions,” International Journal of Digital Business, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 40–52, 2024.

A. Zulmy, “SEO Strategy for Optimizing Online Sales,” Journal of Digital Marketing Research, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 45–62, 2022.

D. Ningsih, “SEO as a Tool for Increasing Website Traffic,” Journal of E-Business Research, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 60–72, 2022.

S. Darmayanti, “Enhancing Traffic and Sales Using SEM,” Journal of Digital Marketing Studies, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 55–68, 2023.

R. Fitriasari, “The Role of SEO in Building Consumer Engagement,” Journal of Marketing Innovation, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 21–34, 2024.

A. Saputra, “Evaluating the Effectiveness of SEM Strategies in Online Retail,” Journal of Digital Business Strategies, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 33–48, 2024.

Ahrefs, “SEO Audit Best Practices for Fast-Food Websites,” https://www.ahrefs.com.

Dave. Chaffey and P. R. . Smith, Digital marketing excellence : planning, optimizing and integrating online marketing. Routledge, 2023.

Philip. Kotler and K. Lane. Keller, Marketing management. Pearson, 2016.

M. Chen, “Search Engine Marketing Optimization in the Era of Algorithmic Advertising,” International Journal of E-Commerce Research, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 50–67, 2025.

Eric. Enge, S. M. . Spencer, and Jessie. Stricchiola, The art of SEO : mastering search engine optimization. O’Reilly Media, Inc., 2023.

J. Smith and L. Brown, “The Impact of AI-Driven SEO on E-Commerce Performance,” Journal of Digital Marketing, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 15–29, 2025.

Dave. Chaffey and Fiona. Ellis-Chadwick, Digital marketing. Pearson, 2019.

P. S. H. Leeflang, P. C. Verhoef, P. Dahlström, and T. Freundt, “Challenges and solutions for marketing in a digital era,” European Management Journal, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 1–12, Feb. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.emj.2013.12.001.

Google Trends, “Website Visit Analysis for Ramayana.com and Matahari.com,” https://trends.google.com.

Google Analytics, “How to Measure SEM and SEO Success,” https://analytics.google.com.

Downloads

Published

2026-04-23

How to Cite

Maulidina, A. S., & Prayoga, W. (2026). Leveraging SEO and SEM Strategies to Enhance Online Sales Performance : A Comparative Study of Ramayana.com and Matahari.com. Economics Professional in Action (E-Profit), 8(1), 19–26. https://doi.org/10.37278/eprofit.v8i1.1511

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2026): Economic Professional in Action (E-PROFIT)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Alma Syifa Maulidina, Widi Prayoga

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish articles in Economics Professional in Action (E-Profit) agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright of the article and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a CC-BY-SA or The Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).