If you’re working on a digital marketing strategy, you need to know about SEO and PPC. Both involve driving traffic to your website. And both have different strengths and weaknesses. As an experienced SEO agency, we’re frequently asked whether SEO or PPC is a better fit for your business. This article will look at both strategies in more depth to help you make an informed choice.
SEO vs PPC: the basics
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. This strategy is about improving your search engine ranking, making it easier for potential customers to find your website.
SEO uses a combination of technical tweaks, engaging and compelling content and link building to give your site relevance and authority. In turn, you’ll improve your chances of making it onto the all-important first page of results.
PPC or pay-per-click advertising uses ads targeted at your audience. So you only pay whenever a customer clicks through to your website. We’ll bid on relevant keywords on your behalf so you can target the right customers for your goods and services. PPC delivers results fast if you have the budget to succeed.
Why you should use SEO
SEO has several advantages over PPC. So if you can create compelling, keyword-optimised and evergreen content, it’s a solid long-term investment.
Cost-effective RoI
Building an effective SEO strategy is a marathon, not a sprint. Building website authority takes time, and you won’t find yourself on page one of Google search results overnight. But once the momentum builds for your site, the return on your investment is impressive.
If you need a hand creating an effective long-term strategy, consider speaking to an SEO agency.
Dominate the competition
SEO is designed to satisfy Google’s algorithms and put you top of its SERP (Search Engine Results Page). But, unlike PPC, you can’t buy your way to the top.
Instead, you’ll use your content, link building and tweaks like fast page loading speeds to establish ultimate authority in your niche market. Ultimately, this strategy will ensure that customers see your page first, not the competition.
Organic credibility
94% of users breeze straight past Google Ads. Instead, they’re looking for organic search results that they trust and have a higher perceived authority.
Why you should use PPC
PPC should be part of your strategy if you’re looking for fast results. But it has other benefits over SEO:
Guaranteed results
If you’re looking for guaranteed results, then 75% of users say they use paid ads because it makes finding the website they want easier. There’s no guesswork involved in reaching your audience, and you only pay when someone clicks.
Immediately effective
PPC gives you instant results, so you don’t have to wait for months until it kicks in. Google’s suite of tools and analytics lets you see at a glance what works so you can fine-tune your strategy.
Effective entry point
Competitors with established SEO strategies can be tough to topple. But targeted ads can give you a compelling entry point to start getting your business noticed.
SEO vs PPC: the bottom line
Both SEO and PPC have their advantages and drawbacks. SEO is a long-haul strategy with no guaranteed results. On the other hand, with PPC, when your ad spend stops, so does your ad campaign.
Instead, stop thinking of SEO and PPC as competing forces. If you want to grow your online marketing quickly and effectively, use a combination of both. By constantly improving your website for organic traffic, you’ll give Google Ad users a compelling reason to stay around and make a purchase.
Athlone Printing SEO agency
As an established SEO agency, we know that sometimes your website needs fast results and a strategy for long-term success. So contact us to find out how Athlone Printing SEO agency can boost your website’s performance.