Is SEO Better Than PPC?
The SEO vs PPC discussion has been going on forever and there’s no simple answer to the question ‘which is better: SEO or PPC?’. It all depends on some factors like your goals & objectives, your industry, and your current performance.
You’re not alone if you’re wondering if you should focus on building an organic SEO strategy or use PPC to buy your way to the top of the search results. Here’s some helpful information that can help you make the right choice.
About SEO & Its Advantages
Search engine optimisation or SEO refers to the process of getting traffic from the non-paid or ‘organic’ listings on Google search result pages. When you conduct a search on Google, the organic listings are those that appear after any paid ads.
The biggest advantage of SEO is that it’s free if you do it yourself. SEO is also long-lasting because a properly optimised website can maintain a high position in search results for a long time.
Another advantage to SEO is that it’s relatively stable. A well-optimised website with excellent content and good link authority can hold its search engine position even if left unattended for a while.
SEO Disadvantages
SEO is slow compared to PPC. It can take several months to start seeing results with SEO. It’s a time-consuming, on-going process that requires work to keep your site well-optimised.
About PPC & Its Advantages
When you use Google to look for a product or service, you’ll see pay per click or PPC in action. Called ‘sponsored results’ PPC ads typically appear above the natural search and shopping results in Google.
PPC doesn’t take as long as SEO to set up nor does it take a lot of time to see results. As soon as your PPC campaign begins, you’ll start seeing results like increased traffic and better conversions.
PPC doesn’t rely on Google’s algorithm to impact your ranking. Instead, you bid on the top spots so your organic ranking doesn’t matter. It’s quite the opposite with SEO because you have to optimise your site according to Google’s guidelines or lose rank.
PPC Disadvantages
With PPC, you have to pay to get good results and the more you pay, the better your results will be. The competition for keywords is fierce and it continues to grow.
It takes time to research and select the right keywords to target for your PPC campaign. You have to spend time managing your budget too and measuring your returns.
Takeaway: So, is SEO better than PPC for you or is it the other way around? If you have the budget and want to see an immediate impact, PPC is the way to go. But it still takes time and lots of trial & error to zero in on ads that convert without busting your budget.
If you don’t need immediate results, SEO is a good choice. It won’t cost you much money if any, and it brings solid results.
If you can’t decide which method is best for you, consider combining the two. When used together, SEO and PPC can provide amazing business results.