PPC vs. SEO: which is the best search marketing method for your website?

PPC and SEO are the two best options you have if you want to boost traffic through search engines. Though their end goal is the same, their approaches and techniques are different. So, as a business owner, you’re probably wondering which of the two will work best for your website. Let’s look at them both in more detail…

Paid Per Click (PPC) marketing

PPC requires you to pay to have your ads on search engine results pages (SERPs). You pay after every time a user clicks on your ad. The amount you pay is dependent on the level of competition in your chosen keyword. Depending on the amount you are paying, and the keyword you are paying for, your website can appear on the first page of SERPs, even above organic search results.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO organically puts a website on the first page of SERPs. You do not have to pay the search engine. However, you have to employ SEO best practices and be patient.

When to use PPC

• You want fast results. The bottom line of any website is conversion. PPC can instantly put you on the first page of search results.

• You are in a competitive niche. In highly competitive niches, authority sites dominate SERPs. It will, definitely, cost you time, and money, to displace well-established authority sites. Therefore, it might make sense to gain an edge by using PPC.

When to use SEO

• You want consistent results. It takes time to get to the first page of SERPS. However, once you get there via SEO, there will be constant and consistent traffic to your site. If you maintain a good SEO campaign, you will stay at the top for a long time.

• You have a low advertising budget. On average, small to medium-sized businesses spend £7,000 per month on PPC campaigns. So, if you have a low advertising budget, stick with SEO.

Final thoughts

SEO and PPC have different ways of achieving results. Arguably, SEO is a better strategy since it is organic, and the results are longer lasting. However, it is not always a factor of “either-or”. A good search engine marketing (SEM) strategy should combine both.

For instance, you might start with PPC, use it to identify keywords with better conversion rates, then use SEO to rank for these keywords.

Contact us today for more information and for expert PPC and SEO services.