There are several acronyms involved in digital marketing and it can be tough to keep up with them. However, there are two such acronyms that all online marketers will need to be aware of and they are SEO and PPC. When you are looking to find concentration and boost the brand visibility take into consideration PPC or SEO to find out the more suitable approach depending on your budget. Keep in mind that PPC and SEO are two sides of the same coin that is trying to get your business noticed on the internet. Let’s take a close look at the pros and cons of both.
Differences between SEO and PPC
The clue for the difference lies in their acronyms. SEO or search engine optimization enhances your site content for refining its placing in the SERPs or search engine results pages. It is many times denoted as organic search results. Pay Per Click or PPC on the other hand as the name would suggest involves the promotion of your content or site through paid alternatives by using the advertising platform of your choice. Some of the popular PPC platforms are Google, Bing, Amazon, and Facebook.
Usually, when you are using PPC, you will find your advertisement close to the top spots in the SERPs. The optimized content may also appear near the top but it will always be below the paid content. Similar to all things in real life there are several exceptions and caveats for these statements. If you are a savvy online marketer you need to be aware of the ways of using these tools effectively.
SEO or PPC – What is the better alternative?
Can you make a better choice between these two? It depends a lot on what you are trying to achieve as your results. Both these marketing alternatives have their pros and they can be extremely beneficial at certain points in the business journey. You need less money for SEO excluding the costs involved in content creation and the time spent for content management. While PPC can bring in your customers now or at least in a short period.
For most business managers and website owners’, investment in SEO, in the long run, is the right thing to do. The importance of research and the decision-making process for average customers is widely documented. Therefore, getting your content out there to answer the queries and being available all the time, is critical in the phase. A successful organic SEO means you can save a certain amount of money for paid clicks. However, for some marketing goals, it is a good idea to have an effective PPC campaign. This is because it can easily pay for itself if it is done properly.
When to use PPC/ SEO?
PPC:
If you have a time-sensitive promotion for your company, such as a discounted sales period or live events for your products and services, you need to use PPC.
- If you are launching new products and services, you must provide a lot of exposure.
- For profiling your brand in the competitive market.
- If you are looking to focus on a specific audience or demographic.
- If you do not have the time for managing the SEO for your site.
- When your website is not designed for SEO purposes and does not have blogs.
SEO
- When you are looking to develop a foundation for a continuous flow of traffic that is not paid for.
- Developing your DA or domain authority, Trust flow, or some other similar ranking metrics.
- If you are developing your brand as an information portal or as thought leadership.
Most site owners will be working on their SEO because it is a long-term goal that requires your constant input. However, the PPC campaign may also benefit your SEO campaign. The brand exposure provided by PPC may lead to better opportunities for people to click on the organic links. Ensure that your PPC campaign is seen by the audience that you are targeting. Keep in mind that there is huge fake traffic on the internet with crawlers, bots, and click farms taking out a fair share of your traffic. If your business located in Tampa Bay, FL area and you are planning an SEO or PPC campaign, get in touch with pros at Alphabet Marketing for a successful venture.