Did you know that there are over 1.5 billion websites today? Out of these websites, only 200 million are active.
Are you wanting to be a popular website that people flock to? In this article, we’ll take a look at SEO vs PPC, the similarities and differences. Read on to explore all about them in order to decide which is the right option for you.
What Is SEO?
SEO is search engine optimization. It’s the way that you’re found on Google for free (organic traffic). You can break it down further into organic results, the quality of traffic, and the quantity of traffic.
An expert in PPC or SEO will tell you that search engine optimization is about understanding what your audience types in. For example, say you’re heading to Google and type in ballet slippers near me. Ballet slippers near me is the keyword.
Google will pull up a bunch of websites that have to do with ballet slippers in your area, and include that keyword. Keywords are vital since what you put into the content of your site will attract visitors.
What Is PPC?
This is where advertisers will pay a fee every time their ad is clicked. It’s a way to buy visits to your page instead of just using free traffic.
You’re bidding for ad placement in a search engine and trying to show up at the top of a search. The search will be related to what you sell depending on the keywords used.
In order to be successful with this, there’s a lot of research and planning that includes choosing the right keywords. If your PPC ad is set up well, then you’ll wind up paying less and receive more clicks.
What Is Google Ads?
Google Ads is a common PPC advertising system. This is where you’ll create ads that show up on Google.
Every time someone does a search, Google goes through the different ads and picks the right ads depending on the audience. They’ll take a look at the keywords you use, as well as the topic that someone is searching for.
How you’ll appear depends on your Ad Rank. Your quality score and CPC bid will be calculated for your Ad rank.
The quality score is your click-through rate, landing page quality, and relevance. Your CPC bid is the amount that an advertiser will spend.
The Benefits of SEO
You can have consistent traffic from search engines for the keywords that you use. Whereas paid marketing is strong when you pay for it, and then it dies off when you stop paying for ads. Also, SEO will cost you less since it’s organic traffic.
The Cons of SEO
It takes time in order to build organic traffic. For many, it’ll take months in order to rank.
You’ll also need expertise in order to do well with SEO. If you’re not an expert, you’ll want to consider hiring an SEO expert.
The Benefits of PPC
You can see results fast. You can see conversions, clicks, and traffic. While SEO can take months for these same results.
Also, with ads, you can show up at the top of the page for search results. They’re the first thing someone sees whether they’re on their phone or computer.
You can also target customers as well. For example, you can target those who are looking at shopping or search ads.
PPC campaigns give you information on what ads work, and what keywords work. Anything that isn’t working you can easily change.
The Cons of PPC
The first con is that PPC advertising isn’t free. Even if someone clicks to your site and doesn’t buy, you’ll still need to pay for it.
This click can wind up being higher than anticipated as well. You’ll need to have an investment first before paying for PPC ads.
Keep in mind that once you turn your ad off then traffic will stop from it. Will your site do well without those extra leads?
SEO vs PPC
The best option is to try a mixture of the 2 and see which performs best. But, you can also choose one channel to invest in.
For those who are already seeing sales, then you’ll want to invest your time into SEO. For new offers or products and testing them out, choose PPC.
The Main Difference
The main difference between the 2 is that SEO is free traffic, whereas PPC isn’t. Keep in mind that SEO needs much more work put into it due to it being organic traffic.
Competition is fierce when it comes to keywords. You’ll want to have a strong SEO plan and a high-quality web site.
Traffic
In the long term, SEO can bring you more traffic than PPC. If you can get your website into one of the top spots, then you can stay there on a consistent basis and watch the traffic come in.
Conversions
You’re more likely to have conversions from a PPC ad than SEO. This is because you can target specific visitors who are looking for certain items or products.
Ease
Both PPC and SEO aren’t easy, they both require experience and knowledge. While SEO can take months or years, you can see results fast with PPC, but they don’t last once the money stops.
SEO vs PPC: A Comparison
Now that you’ve explored a guide on the differences between SEO vs PPC, you should have a better idea of which is the right choice for your business. Would you like to read about self-improvement? For everything from relationships to self-improvement, check out our other articles today.
