SEO vs PPC: Which is better?
Jul 20, 2019
Terms
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
PPC (Paid Per Click)
Among the many tools and techniques digital marketers and advertisers have on their tool belts, search engine optimisation and pay-per-click advertising are two that get a lot of use. Paid search and organic search are in a group of select few digital marketing techniques that amount for a quarter of the average marketing budget’s expenses, surveys show.
As far as digital marketing techniques and tools go, SEO and PPC are among the most popular. And it’s like that because the people who use them agree that they deliver results.
Three-quarters of marketers would say that SEO increases the number of leads. Almost four out of five would say it increased their brand awareness. Roughly a half would report a decrease in the cost of customer acquisition thanks to SEO. At the same time, marketers are increasing their spending on text ads and social ads, which is something they wouldn’t do if they weren’t seeing results.
While both methods have their benefits, it can be difficult for businesses to determine which approach is best suited for their needs. That’s why in this article, we’ll be exploring the pros and cons of both SEO and PPC. We’ll break down the differences between these strategies, and provide you with a comprehensive analysis of each approach. By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of both SEO and PPC, and be able to make an informed decision on which strategy is right for your business. So, let’s dive into the world of SEO vs PPC and see what each of these marketing strategies has to offer.
My rule of thumb is build a site for the user, not a spider
Dave Naylor
PPC is a good way to drive traffic to your website, but it can also help you reach new customers and explore new opportunities
Zeitzan Palazli
Understanding the Difference Between SEO and PPC
SEO and PPC are two distinct digital marketing strategies that can help businesses increase their online visibility and drive traffic to their website. SEO is the process of optimising a website to rank higher in organic search results, while PPC is a paid advertising model where businesses pay for clicks on their ads.
SEO is a long-term strategy that involves optimising your website’s content, structure, and technical aspects to improve its visibility and ranking in organic search results. This involves identifying relevant keywords and creating high-quality content that is optimised for these keywords. It also involves optimising your website’s structure, including its URL structure, internal linking, and meta tags.
PPC, on the other hand, is a paid advertising model that involves creating and running ads on search engines or social media platforms. Businesses bid on keywords and pay for each click on their ads. This allows them to target specific audiences and drive traffic to their website.
SEO: The Better Long Term Option that Requires Patience
When we speak about search engine optimization, we are referring to a variety of practices, techniques, and strategies that should get our website, product page, or landing page on the first page of search results for certain queries. Usually, the goal is to get as close as possible to the first result on a Google search results page.
The practices and strategies SEO utilised are diverse. They include, for example, ensuring that a website is crawlable and search-engine friendly, as well as the creation of website content and even blog posts.
SEO Benefits
If you’d ask an SEO professional about the benefits of SEO, they will mention:
- Long Term Results
SEO is a long term strategy that can deliver sustainable results over time. By optimising your website and creating high-quality content, you can improve your website’s ranking in organic search results, which can drive traffic and leads to your website.
- Cost Effective
SEO is a cost-effective strategy compared to PPC, as it does not involve paying for clicks on your website. Once you have optimised your website, you can continue to benefit from increased traffic and leads without incurring additional costs. - Credibility and Trust
Ranking high in organic search results can help establish your business as a credible and trustworthy authority in your industry. This can help build trust with potential customers and increase brand awareness.
SEO Drawbacks
On the other hand, SEO is far from being perfect. Even some of the benefits of SEO can become a drawback
- Long Term Investment
SEO is a long term strategy that requires ongoing investment and maintenance. It can take several months or even years to see significant results, and you need to continually optimise your website to maintain your ranking.
- Competitive
SEO is a highly competitive field, and it can be difficult to rank higher than your competitors. This requires a significant investment in time and resources to create high quality content and optimise your website. - Unpredictable
SEO can be unpredictable, as search engine algorithms are constantly changing. This means that your website’s ranking can fluctuate, and you need to continually adapt your strategy to stay ahead of the curve.
SEO Verdict
So, the final verdict on SEO would be that it’s best for businesses looking for long-term gains and a better return of investment. If this sounds like you, however, remember that the less money you invest in SEO, the more of your time you’ll have to devote to it. Also, playing a slow-paced long game has disadvantages.
PPC: Get Quick Results If You're Ready to Pay for Them
As opposed to SEO, a type of marketing we consider “organic,” PPC is a paid type of marketing. It doesn’t happen because of optimisation or simply having a website. You have to find advertising networks, such as Google Ads or Bing Ads, and use them to bid on keywords and have your ads appear in search engine ads or website placements.
PPC can become overly complex very quickly. You have to plan budgets, it wouldn’t hurt if you’d calculate important KPIs regularly, and stay on top of your ad performance.
PPC Benefits
If you ask a specialist with PPC experience, they will mention that this type of advertising would be great because:
- Immediate Results
PPC can deliver immediate results, as you can start driving traffic to your website as soon as your ads are approved. This can be especially useful for businesses looking to increase their online visibility quickly. - Highly Targeted
PPC allows you to target specific audiences based on their location, search queries, and interests. This can help you reach the most relevant audience for your business and increase the chances of converting leads into customers. - Measurable
PPC campaigns are highly measurable, and you can track the performance of your ads in real time. This allows you to optimise your campaigns for better results and maximize your return on investment.
PPC Drawbacks
Those are the good things about PPC. And there’s plenty that’s not that good about it, such as:
- Expensive
PPC can be a costly strategy, as you need to pay for each click on your ads. This means that you need to carefully manage your budget and bids to avoid overspending. - Temporary Results
PPC results are temporary, and you need to continually invest in your campaigns to maintain your online visibility. Once you stop running your ads, your website’s traffic and leads will likely decrease. - Ad Fatigue
PPC campaigns can suffer from ad fatigue, as users can become desensitized to seeing the same ads repeatedly. This can result in a decrease in click-through rates and conversions over time.
PPC Verdict
So, what’s the bottom line? PPC is great if you want to see results quickly and have a lot of control over your marketing setting and the outcomes. Results might not be as great as they get with SEO, but you can improve them with more precision and certainty that your effort will pay off.
Which Strategy is Right for Your Business?
Deciding between SEO and PPC depends on several factors, including your business goals, budget, and timeline.
If you are looking for a long term strategy that can deliver sustainable results over time, SEO may be the best option for your business. However, if you need to increase your online visibility quickly and have a larger budget to spend on advertising, PPC may be the better choice.
It’s also important to consider your target audience and the keywords that they are searching for. If your audience is highly competitive and you need to stand out from your competitors, PPC may be a better option. If your audience is more niche and specific, SEO may be the more effective strategy.
Ultimately, the best approach is to combine both SEO and PPC for a comprehensive marketing strategy that can deliver both long-term and short-term results. Especially when your business is first starting out.
Combining SEO and PPC for a Comprehensive Marketing Strategy
Combining SEO and PPC can help businesses maximise their online visibility and drive traffic to their website. By using both strategies, you can benefit from the long-term results of SEO and the immediate results of PPC.
One effective approach is to use PPC to drive traffic to your website while you work on improving your SEO. This can help you increase your online visibility quickly while you work on optimising your website for organic search results.
You can also use PPC to target specific keywords that are highly competitive or have a high search volume. This can help you reach your target audience more effectively and increase your chances of converting leads into customers.
Measuring the Success of Your SEO and PPC Campaigns
Measuring the success of your SEO and PPC campaigns is essential to determine the effectiveness of your marketing strategy.
For SEO, you can track your website’s ranking in organic search results, traffic, and leads generated. You can also use tools like Google Analytics to track user behavior on your website and optimise your strategy accordingly.
For PPC, you can track the performance of your ads, including click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost-per-click. This allows you to optimise your campaigns for better results and maximise your return on investment.
Conclusion
SEO and PPC are two popular digital marketing strategies that can help businesses increase their online visibility and drive traffic to their website. While both methods have their benefits, choosing the right approach depends on several factors, including your business goals, budget, and timeline.
SEO is a long term strategy that can deliver sustainable results over time, while PPC can deliver immediate results and help you increase your online visibility quickly. Combining both strategies can help you maximise your online visibility and drive traffic to your website.
By measuring the success of your SEO and PPC campaigns and choosing the best digital marketing consultant for your business, you can create a comprehensive marketing strategy that can deliver both short-term and long-term results.
