SEO vs. PPC
SEO or PPC? This is a pressing question that businesses have been tackling since the Internet took over our lives. The short answer is that there is no easy answer. The two both have their own distinctive benefits and can be used for a variety of different gains. The answer will also vary depending on your objectives, the marketplace and the current situation that your business is in. It’s important to look at the benefits of both SEO and PPC and figure out how to integrate both into your digital marketing strategy so that they can work together to optimize the power of each.
SEO Benefits
SEO acts as the foundational success for a business because people are most likely to end up on your website via a search engine. According to Jupiter Research, 81% of users find their way to a desired destination through a search engine rather than going directly to your site. That means it’s super important for brands to have a strong presence in search engines – and organic search is driving the bulk of the traffic. It also offers the highest quality and most consistent leads and has the lowest cost per client.
However, SEO is a long-term play with long-term results. Over time, you can benefit from becoming a known source and authority in your space by using blog posts and other forms of content to engage your audience and provide material that is relevant and has value – and doing this consistently over time. Not only will this greatly improve your search rankings but it will also help you improve your owned and earned media strategy. Related Article: The Importance of Paid, Owned and Earned Media
To learn more about the combined efforts of SEO & PPC contact us or call us directly at 1-866-477-4420.
PPC Benefits
The power of SEO is undeniable but PPC actually has a slight edge when it comes to conversion rates. Paid search results are 1.5x more likely to convert click thrus from the search engine. But it’s important to note that this could be that you can custom optimize the paid search result’s text and landing page with SEO.
It’s helpful to think about it this way – where SEO is a long game, PPC can offer results fairly quickly. It has the speed and expansiveness that SEO doesn’t offer. With a great PPC campaign, you can pop up on the first page of searches for many different search terms the same day you purchase the ad. But, the price can turn out to be very cheap or very expensive (many dollars per click). It also requires almost full-time management in order to be effective so they can get very expensive over time.
The Combo - SEO and PPC
The best thing a brand can do is combine the power of these two tactics in order to leverage the benefits of both. PPC is a great strategy for when you are first launching your company. It helps you to ensure that your name is in front of a wide audience, you can be easily found and you are building brand awareness. It’s also a great tool to lean on for short-term offers or special campaigns that you want to make sure have extra exposure. SEO wouldn’t necessarily contribute to an immediate effect of bringing in traffic. PPC also has better results with products than services because the value-add is more recognizable in a paid campaign. It ultimately drives better short-term results.
But when it comes to considering the long term life of your brand and your marketing strategy, SEO offer the most value in search marketing. It won’t get you to the top ranking right away but it’s a very affordable option that will offer long-term benefits that have been proven time and time again. Investing time and resources in both options means you are beefing up your marketing efforts in the best possible ways and also reaching beyond the limits of organic search.
To learn more about the combined efforts of SEO & PPC contact us or call us directly at 1-866-477-4420.
