In the world of Digital Marketing, two behemoths rule the landscape. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, reigns supreme as a producer of organic, search results-based traffic to your website, while Pay-Per-Click, or PPC, provides immense advertising power by granting you direct, pay-as-you-go access to your target market.
You may have heard that you need to optimize your website for SEO only to then understand that you need to be running a targeted PPC campaign as well. The idea is to grow your online presence both organically (through SEO), and through paid advertising (via PPC). We are often asked by our clients which of the two nets the most profit for dollar spent, and the answer is simply that it depends.
To understand why we’re demystifying SEO and PPC. In this article, you’ll learn the differences between both, and why they matter for your business.
SEO vs. PPC: The Grudge Match Continues
SEO vs. PPC: SEO
In a nutshell, SEO means making the content on your site as relevant as possible to people who are searching for businesses like yours. There are many ways to do this, and they each have their own set of best practices depending on how your site is structured and the kind of product or service you are providing.
SEO optimization often includes at least the following:
- Keyword Inclusion: To be found online, your site needs to have the right keywords placed at strategic locations throughout your website.
- Link Building: Earning links to your site from other locations on the internet improves your popularity score with Google and other search engines.
- Load Speed Auditing: If your site doesn’t load well or doesn’t have a mobile-optimized version, your SEO rankings will likely suffer.
- Site Design and Usability Enhancement: Google gives preference to websites that have higher user engagement. This makes it very important to keep your visitors on your site for longer. Good site design and sticky content achieve this.
As far as reaping digital marketing results from your campaign investment, SEO doesn’t stand alone on an island. It’s complementary powerhouse, PPC, also has unique benefits to offer the savvy business owner.
SEO vs. PPC: PPC
When Google, Bing, or Yahoo present their search results to users looking for “hardware stores nearby,” they also include advertisements typically inserted into the margins of the search results page. These advertisements are paid for by the companies wanting the attention of that search user. In the case of hardware stores, a paint manufacturer might want to have their ad presented to search users as they’re shopping for a store to visit.
Google has streamlined the PPC experience for businesses through their development of Google AdWords. Leveraging the enormous power of Google’s traditional web and mobile search along with other sites on the Google Display Network, AdWords is one of the most popular online advertising platforms offering companies deep, targeted reach within their markets.
We Don’t Choose Sides – We Choose Success
Developing a smart digital marketing strategy for our clients involves an appropriate mix of both SEO and PPC. Learning what’s best for your small- or medium-sized business comes from working with experts who specialize in both disciplines, experts like the Sympler team.
To supercharge your online presence with results-driven SEO and PPC services, get in touch with us today.
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