PPC and SEO are two popular and effective online marketing strategies.
PPC stands for ‘pay-per-click’. It refers to a type of advertising in which you pay for an advert to display until a certain number of people click on it. It’s the most popular type of internet advertising – the types of adverts you find on Google and Bing are typically all pay-per-click.
SEO stands for ‘search engine optimization’. It involves using a variety of tactics such as use of keywords and use of hyperlinks to help build a website’s search rankings on Google or Bing.
Both PPC and SEO can help a company to get more traffic and more customers. But just when should you use each strategy?
The Pros of PPC
When you pay for PPC ads, the results are pretty much instant. Your ads are immediately sent out to targeted internet users around the world. You may end up getting a customer that very day. This can make it an ideal marketing strategy for when you want to build customers immediately.
You can run PPC ad campaigns yourself without too much complex know-how. Platforms like Google Ads are very easy to get to grips with. That said, you can also pay an advertising agency to handle your campaigns for you if you want to increase the chance of better results.
The Cons of PPC
Once you stop paying for ads, the effects may wear off immediately – without ads, your visibility is gone.
This leads many companies to keep paying for new PPC campaigns. The costs can add up quickly and there’s no guarantee you’ll make money back from each campaign. This is one of the biggest drawbacks of PPC compared to SEO.
The Pros of SEO
SEO has much more positive long term effects. If your rankings improve and you decide to stop paying for SEO, you may find that your rankings continue to stay at the same level for several months after.
Generally speaking, companies spend less on SEO than they do on PPC. However, it does depend very much on what you’re trying to promote.
The Cons of SEO
SEO isn’t instant like PPC. After launching an SEO campaign, you may have to wait several months for your rankings to improve. If you’re trying to promote a current deal or an event that’s coming up soon, SEO may not be the best solution.
It’s also very difficult to carry SEO out on your own due to the expertise and network that is needed. In many cases, you’re better off hiring an SEO agency. Finding the right agency is key if you want your campaign to be successful.
A Summary
Both PPC and SEO can be great for your business if you use them both for the right purpose. PPC advertising is ideal for instances where you want to instantly promote your product.
It can also be ideal when you don’t want to outsource marketing (although you can outsource your PPC if you want).
SEO is better for long-term promotion strategies – it’s ideal for products that aren’t going away any time soon.
You may also find that SEO turns out to be more budget-friendly.
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