SEO vs PPC: Which Should You Use?
Both SEO (search engine optimization) and PPC (pay per click) are methods of digital marketing which help gain more traffic on your website. There are other methods to gain traffic on your website, but SEO and PPC are considered to be the best ones.
Before we start comparing these two processes, let us take a look at what exactly they are used for. Both SEO and PPC help gain more traffic on your website, as you can imagine, it’s a rather tough choice for most people. Some say PPC is the best way to attract more traffic, while others beg to differ.
The truth is, there is no hard and fast rule. It totally depends on the type of business you have, the kind of market you are in, and the type of growth you are looking for.
So, it’s good to have a little understanding of both SEO and PPC to know which method is best for your business. This article would help you gain a basic understanding about both of these methods, so that you could make an educated choice for yourself.
What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
SEO or search engine optimization is a process through which you could get quality traffic on your website. It is known to be a rather time consuming process. Depending on the size of business you own and the industry you are in, it takes a considerable amount of time before you can see clear results of SEO on your website.
But, once you get a higher rank with the help of SEO, chances are, you’ll stay in your rank for a long time and your chances of improvement are better. In short, SEO is known to provide a slow, steady, and lasting progress. Now let’s take a more detailed look at the Pros and Cons of SEO.
Pros of SEO:
FREE: Search engine optimization is totally free of cost, depending on the amount of time you spend on it. If you are willing to spend a generous amount of time searching for the best keywords and utilizing them for your webpage, then SEO is totally free of cost. There are also many keyword research tools online which would help you find the keywords best suited for your business.
INTEGRITY AND RELIABILITY: Once you get to the top few rankings on Google search page using SEO, your company and your website would have more integrity and reliability in the market. The further back you are in the Google search results, the less reliable your company looks. Thus, SEO provides a good name for the company.
LOCAL NAME: You can use SEO to gain local traffic. For that you can use local SEO tools such as Google My Business or get yourself and your business registered in the local business registry so that people in your area can find you in just a quick little search. This way you can increase your localized traffic.
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH: This is one of the best things about SEO. Once you gain a high rank in the Google search results, you stay up there for a long time. It doesn’t matter if you stop using SEO, your website would still maintain its rank for quite a while.
Cons of SEO:
TIME: Even though it's free to use, it does take a lot of time. People spend months trying to get more traffic before they get to see any result. If you are in a business where you need to get instant results, then SEO might not be the best option.
ZERO ASSURANCE: There is no assurance that this method would actually work. People have spent months waiting for results only to be disappointed. It all depends on the amount of time you spend on researching keywords and the amount of experience you have in this field.
If you don’t have enough experience, you can always get professional help. Yes, it’ll cost some money, but at the end, the results would surpass the investment quite easily.
What is Pay Per Click (PPC)?
PPC or pay per click marketing is a marketing strategy where you can get instant results from the visitors of your website using the relevant keywords. Using PPC, your company could show ads next to relevant searches on Google, right when people are looking for what you have to offer.
You only have to pay when someone clicks on your add and visits your website. Businesses with the need of instant results use this method of increasing traffic on their website.
Pros of PPC:
INSTANT RESULTS: This one the best reasons to use PPC. It provides your company with instant results. Unlike SEO, you don’t need to wait for months before you get to see progress. It even allows extremely targeted visitors to come to your website.
PINPOINTING YOUR TARGET: With the help of PPC you can not only target the location of the user but you can also drill down to their age, background, and income. But to access all of these privileges, you would have to pay more.
BRAND VISIBILITY: If you use PPC, your ad would be visible to everyone at the top of the search results. This increases your brand visibility and promotes your website.
Cons of PPC:
EXPENSIVE: Compared to SEO, this method would cost a lot of money. You would be charged every time a viewer clicks on your website. This might not be a good option if you do not have the funds to operate this process.
RISK: How many times have you actually clicked on a Google ad? Let’s face it, it’s just an ad, not many people click on ads. So, a lot of your money might just be wasted on putting your ad without any real results.
YOU’RE JUST VISIBLE: One thing you should know about PPC marketing is that you are only visible on the search results but that does not guarantee any real and meaningful conversations with conversations with your viewers.
Conclusion:
As you can see both of these methods have their own pros and cons. This choice totally depends on the kind of company you have and your current needs. If you want slow and steady progress with little to no money spent, SEO is the best option for you. But, if you want instant results with detailed analytics and you are willing to spend some money, then PPC is your best bet. The choice is up to you.
Let us know how this article helped you.
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