Did you know that a little bit more than half of all organic exposure for a website comes from organic search? Of course, that leaves almost half of all exposure to come from other sources, like paid ads.
Not everybody is aware of the distinction between paid ads and SEO. Those that do appreciate the difference between PPC and SEO, but do not always have a deep understanding of their different places in strategic marketing.
So what is the difference between these marketing tools, and how can you make the most of them? Read on to learn all about the differences between pay-per-click ads and SEO!
What Is SEO?
When you are looking at SEO vs PPC, the first thing to understand is what they even are.
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It refers to a long list of strategies that you can employ online to appeal to the Google search engine algorithm. Technically, it also refers to how you show up on other algorithms, but Google has most of the market.
Search engines use complicated algorithms and measure every publicly available website on the internet. All of these measurements feed into a calculation that ranks them as better or worse. The websites that the algorithm says are better end up at the top of search engine rankings.
Getting on the first page of Google search results is a huge deal. Almost nobody ever looks beyond the first page. Until you are on the first page of Google search results, you are probably getting next to no exposure from search engines at all.
On top of that, getting on the top of the front page is a huge advantage over being on the bottom of the front page of search results.
People usually pick the first result as long as it looks legitimate. If not, they almost always go for the second or third result. At the end of the day, the higher you are in search engine results, the better.
What Is PPC?
PPC stands for pay-per-click. It refers to pay-per-click ads, which charge you for every click that somebody performs on them. When a customer clicks on a pay-per-click ad, they are directed to the page of your website that you indicate.
These ads have their pros and cons, but they can definitely be an effective marketing tool. By using them correctly, you can increase your exposure to the right customers. In this case, the right customers means people who are more likely to be interested in your business.
These kinds of ads are extremely simple to set up. That is why many people end up using them instead of SEO. In some cases, people start using these ads and never move on to anything else.
Usually, this is a mistake. Pay-per-click ads have their place, but the best marketing strategies move beyond them.
Benefits Of SEO
One of the great benefits of SEO is that you reap permanent rewards for one-time costs. In other words, once you have a quality SEO company change your website to appeal to Google’s algorithm, it will permanently rank higher according to that algorithm. The SEO that you buy today could be benefiting you five years down the road.
On top of that, SEO is a more organic way of reaching people. Only people who are specifically searching for companies like you end up finding you. That means that if they do find you, there is a very good chance that they will be interested in what you have to offer.
Improving your SEO also allows you to direct the attention of potential customers. If there are things on the internet that you would prefer that they not see, you can use SEO to help. By making other pages rank higher, the things that you do not want people to see will rank lower.
Benefits Of PPC
On the other hand, there are certain benefits to using pay-per-click ads, too. It used to be that pay-per-click ads were highly inefficient. The vast majority of people were completely uninterested in the ads for any specific type of service.
However, the industry has evolved. These days, the use of massive amounts of data allows for targeted advertising. Modern pay-per-click ads can be targeted specifically at population demographics that are more likely to be interested in your company.
Of course, many people have a distrust of ads in general. That is a downside that can be ameliorated, but not eliminated. The right pay-per-click ads avoid triggering the suspicion of customers.
You only get pay-per-click ads as long as you pay for them. But done right, they can provide a huge return on investment. In many cases, it is worth getting the right kinds of clicks on the right kinds of ads.
Appreciate The Difference Between PPC And SEO
We hope that you were able to take away something helpful from this brief article on a few of the most important differences between PPC and SEO. At first, it can seem like a lot of work to understand the nuances of the differences between these things. However, the more you know about them, the more you will be able to make sophisticated decisions about your marketing approach.
In other words, learning about these marketing tools is an investment. The hours of research you do in the beginning will pay for themselves many times over when your marketing strategy is stronger month after month for years to come.
To learn more about these marketing approaches and what they can do for you, feel free to reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!