The Difference Between PPC and SEO
Today’s businesses operate in a fierce, competitive landscape. For this reason, they tend to rely on a variety of internet marketing techniques. Two such techniques are search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) marketing. Both of these strategies can help you attract more traffic to your website. This, in turn, can mean more conversions, more visibility, and more success. However, they are distinctly different from one another, and it’s important to understand their differences and how to use each one to your advantage. Fortunately, here at C0MPLÉX1, we are experienced at both SEO and PPC advertising and can help you make the most of each technique.
Understanding SEO
Before you can understand the difference between PPC and SEO, you first have to understand each technique. SEO, for example, is about optimizing the performance of your website, the content on your website, and even its images and videos to make your site more appealing to users and major search engines. When implemented correctly, SEO can help you rank higher on the search engine results page when relevant searches are performed. As a result, you can see increased traffic, as well as higher quality traffic. However, quality SEO is complex and requires an immense amount of research, planning, and expertise in order to drive the results you want. That’s why the most effective SEO campaigns are enacted by knowledgeable, experienced professionals.
Understanding PPC
An obvious difference between search engine optimization and pay-per-click marketing is that PPC advertising comes with a direct cost. Specifically, you pay each time someone clicks on one of your ads. With SEO, you might pay a company to implement and monitor SEO strategies, but you don’t pay each time those strategies are effective. Of course, when managed properly, the costs associated with PPC advertising can be reasonable and worthwhile. A skilled PPC agency will help you maximize your budget, minimize waste, create ads that appeal specifically to your target audience, and will place those ads strategically. That way, the clicks you get are more likely to lead to conversions, sales, and other positive outcomes, such as better brand recognition and increased credibility.
The Power of a Combined Approach
While people often think in terms of SEO vs. PPC, one is not necessarily better than the other. It’s all about choosing the right strategy for your specific needs and goals. And, in most cases, you will see better results when you use both strategies together. For example, a combined approach can lead to increased brand visibility, conversions, a more positive online reputation, and faster results. This is because the two strategies can reinforce one another, with each making the other more effective.
The Business and Numbers Equation
The decision on which strategy will work for you should be based on an underlying business and number equation. Each business has unique factors that will affect which strategy to use. Depending on the margins of your products / services, along with calculations such as average ticket sale, value of a new customer, lifetime value of a new customer etc, you can determine which SEO and/or PPC strategies will work best for your business. SEO will generally deliver more customers at a higher profit margin over the life of the business, however, PPC often brings in a higher volume of customers faster than SEO. While these calculations can be complicated to work out, C0MPLÉX1 has the experience and expertise to help you choose the strategy that will allow you to get the most out of your online marketing budget.
Personalized Help
Even with all this information, fully comprehending the differences between PPC vs. SEO can be challenging. Luckily, at C0MPLÉX1, we spend time getting to know you, your business, the challenges you’re facing, and the objectives you’re trying to achieve. This enables us to find the best marketing strategies for you. And, once we’ve put those strategies into action, we’ll carefully monitor the results and provide you with detailed reports that help you make informed choices about your business. Furthermore, our qualified team of experienced marketers, SEO / SEM specialists, writers, graphic designers, and web designers and developers will be with you every step of the way.
Contact Us Today
Still have questions about the differences between PPC and SEO? Or, maybe you want to talk more about your business goals and how you can reach them. Whatever the case may be, we’re here for you. To learn more, contact us today.