In today's highly competitive digital marketplace, businesses face the critical challenge of choosing the most effective strategies for driving traffic and generating leads online.
Two of the most common and powerful digital marketing techniques are SEO (search engine optimization) and Paid Search Campaigns (PPC). However, understanding when and how to leverage each method can be difficult.
To help you create the most effective search marketing strategy possible and optimize return on investment, we’ll provide further insight into PPC and SEO techniques, how they differ, and the best times to utilize each.
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SEO, or search engine optimization, is a set of practices for enhancing a website’s visibility in organic (non-paid) search results by optimizing its content, structure, and technical performance.
It involves strategies such as keyword research, on-page and off-page optimization, and improving user experience to increase a site's ranking on search engines and attract more relevant traffic.
Here is an example of organic search results:
PPC, or pay-per-click, is another common search marketing strategy.
It allows businesses to bid on keywords relevant to their products or services, and pay search engines to show their webpage immediately and prominently in the SERP. Search engines label these results as "sponsored" paid ads.
Additionally, businesses must pay a fee each time users click on their ad.
Now that you know the basics of SEO and PPC, it’s time to understand their differences.
The main differences between SEO and PPC are cost structure, timeline for results, and ad placement.
When considering cost for each campaign, PPC is often more expensive than SEO.
Businesses incur immediate costs by paying for every link audiences click, so traffic and budget work hand-in-hand. And if you’re in a more competitive industry, like insurance or retail, PPC can become expensive to keep up with – especially over time.
SEO, on the other hand, is typically a more cost-effective long-term strategy,
While SEO may require a higher initial investment in time and resources, it yields sustainable results as increased visibility continues without direct costs for traffic.
PPC can produce new traffic in hours, providing faster, more controlled, but temporary results.
SEO is a longer-term investment that builds sustainable traffic and authority over time, so don’t expect it to provide immediate results. Sometimes it can take weeks or months for SEO strategies to improve website rankings.
As previously mentioned, search engines label PPC webpages as paid ads. This comes with advantages and disadvantages.
Your targeted page appears at the top of the SERPs, but audiences can see the “Ad” or "sponsored" label and possibly question the credibility or bias of the information being presented, potentially passing over the page completely.
Organic search in SEO campaigns don’t show up as paid results, building more authority and reputability.
Since organic results are ranked by search engines based on relevance, quality, and authority, rather than paid placement, they are often perceived as more objective and unbiased. Users tend to believe that if a site appears high in organic results, it has been vetted by the search engine’s algorithms as a credible source.
So, when should you use PPC?
Consider using PPC if any of the following goals or circumstances apply:
Understanding the benefits of SEO and knowing when to prioritize it can significantly impact your long-term success.
Here are some situations where it’s beneficial to implement SEO:
Deciding between PPC or SEO is a tough choice, so why not choose both?
Businesses often find that a balanced approach, combining both PPC and SEO, allows for immediate gains while investing in long-term growth.
They work well together, leading to better keyword targeting, improved landing page relevance, strategic digital marketing cost allocation, and increased revenue.
Recommended Reading: Benefits of SEO and Paid Search Working Together
Whether you choose a PPC campaign or SEO campaign depends on your budget, marketing goals, and time. You can always choose both, leveraging the strengths of PPC and SEO campaigns, for your digital marketing campaign.
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