SEO vs Pay Per Click
Gaining Organic Website Traffic
Getting traffic to our website can be difficult. SEO and pay per click are two main sources of digital traffic and both have plus and minus points. The internet is awash with articles recommending them both and you will find that a lot of digital marketers sit in one or other camp. Personally my experience tells me that both have value as a part of your marketing content, although one or other may be more relevant at different stages in a business development. Firstly lets review the key differences
SEO, search engine optimisation
SEO stands for search engine optimisation, and is a technique for getting a page on your website to appear as one of the first results after a keyword word search with search engines, especially Google as they have 4/5 of all search traffic. We all take it for granted that we put our desired word in the box and a series of relevant results appear. Few consider why or how those on the first page got there but it is of vital importance as most of the clicks come from the first page. As searchers ourselves we all know how rarely we visit the second page and never get to the third. For most businesses however, getting top spot is very difficult so a more realistic aim is to get onto page one, which makes a significant difference.
Pay Per Click or PPC advertising as it is known
PPC paid advertising on the other hand is where you pay per click on your listing, which can be through a search engine like Google or Bing or social media like Facebook and Instagram. With some platforms you also have the option of paying per 1000 impressions, and have several targeting options including age and preferences.Whilst many people will say that ppc is a paid for short term advertising model, if your ppc ads yield good results it has value in the medium and long term if it doesn't eat too much into profit margins.
Which one is best, search engine optimisation (SEO) or paid search advertising (PPC)?
If you are looking for a short term solution then pay per click is your only option. The cost of pay per click is based on an auction and depends on the level of competition for specific keywords such as insurance or men’s clothing. The more competitive the bidding the higher the cost per click of your paid search. Services industries often have very high bids surrounding the main keywords.
If you can afford to pay the cost per click of ppc advertising your ads can be on page one of Google and will appear as a sponsored post.
SEO on the other hand is playing a longer game and is more complicated than many experts will claim. While Google use a number of variables when determining rank including site speed and mobile usability, the three we find the most important are:
● Domain authority of your overall website
● The page authority of the page you want to rank
● The quality of the content on the page
The first two are achieved through other websites linking to your website and page. What is known as backlinks. The more you have of these providing they come from high quality and relevant websites the higher probability you have of your page ranking high.
The third component is the quality of the content. Make no mistake if the quality and length of the content on the page is not up to scratch you will not rank high. Success in SEO comes from all three.
Last but not least you have to also consider the competitiveness of the keyword you are targeting and the easiest way to check this is by looking at the current search results. For example if you type in men’s clothing you will find some big names that you are trying to compete against like John Lewis and Next. In such cases you are really up against it and even if you do everything right, the chances of ranking high will prove very difficult
As a result we always recommend to focus on less competitive keywords to give you the best chance of ranking. These are known as long tail keywords like mens cream trainers. Not only are these words easier to rank for but also have the benefit of higher intent as the person searching is looking for something very specific.
In Summary the difference and advantages of SEO and PPC advertising
Advantages of SEO Marketing
SEO builds a solid foundation, and when done properly in the right market can provide a more permanent, less costly way of increasing organic traffic to your website. SEO marketing can provide a long term solution after an initial outlay.
Disadvantages of SEO
It may be impossible to ever feature on page one of a search if your competitors are very well known substantial companies. Although it is often claimed that once you have achieved a good position you are there to stay without further costs. The truth is that if a new competitor emerges with a stronger standing they can easily leapfrog you and can cause a catastrophic drop to page two. This can also happen if several companies decide to bid for search terms and as result they feature on page one and your listing drops. The key here is to continually monitor where you are. Technical SEO is complex with numerous elements contributing to overall ranking, some of which evolve with changes to search engines themselves.
Advantages of PPC Marketing
If you can afford the cost of a first page listing and still make a profit then ppc marketing is immediate and will continue to produce results if your market is big enough. It's a good way to get traffic to your site, particularly in the short term. It also has some very good targeting options that allow you to get to your genuine customers. To make proper use of PPC you need to get beyond its basic elements.
Disadvantages of PPC
PPC, particularly with Google, is notoriously expensive. If you are competing with those who have deep pockets your ads can be priced out of profitability. The bidding can change on a daily basis as can the number of companies budding. As with SEO it needs to be watched.
Conclusion SEO vs PPC
SEO and pay per click marketing both have their benefits and disadvantages and to succeed you need a solid technical knowledge of both if you are to benefit. Although this blog is titled SEO vs PPC both of these options can drive traffic to your website and can even work together. Traffic is only the first step. The true measure of success is the conversion rate which we explore in our three pillars blog. If the traffic you get does not convert you will have wasted a lot of time and money.
Start your journey in becoming a successful business owner. Book a FREE 30 min strategy call today. What have you got to lose?
