As a digital marketing professional & blogger, there is a one question which is being often asked from me and that is, what’s better? SEO vs PPC; I’m sure if you are connected with this field, you may also have faced the situation where a question like this has been put on the table for you.
Even as a marketer, for online marketer, the major two advertising & marketing options are ‘PPC & SEO’.
SEO vs PPC 2024
So today, my versus post is about SEO & PPC.
Yeah, I am loving the versus thing the most since it allows me to sneak peak into the two things/products/tools/services to locate the deeper details and to come up with the winner.
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But here… I am not after the winner. I am actually after what is the best because both of the things are too-essential and very important to have under certain situations, and over different stages of the success-level.
Before heading towards the core of the topic, we first need to understand for our better understanding about both of them.
What is the SEO?
It needs no formal introduction because it is into the world from years. And the first and actually the foremost known thing whether the person knows something about the internet marketing OR just as new as the first visible star in the night time.
You ask for the website promotion or the marketing, you are jumped right towards the SEO and its importance.
But… Stick to it. Hold on for a sec. (second.)
Who know if it is being read by the one who is just taking the baby steps into the world of IM (not instant music but the Internet Marketing)?
Yeah, we need thar formal introduction to be shared here as well.
Apologize if it confuses you… And I seek for it in the advance.
So…. The SEO is called ‘search engine optimization’ in the easy words where it is used to optimize every bit of your website/blog to gain the trust off the search engines (notably the Google) to be shown for the search query/term for which you get your website/blog be optimized for and the search engines, due to the good trust in your website/blog against the search query/term, show up your website/blog to the people searching up with those search query/term which actually you had optimized your website/blog for.
Sounds kinda…. puzzling?
“Get the free traffic from the search engines by the search results.”
Got it better now?
The first introduction consists upon the pretty accurate process of “What is the SEO?” and it shows it all that what is it, how it goes, what it does, and what you get in the end?
Second introduction is the formal one and that almost everyone knows but for the new people who are taking the baby steps into IM (the internet marketing) industry, the “how?” thing may strike in their mind and for that, the first introduction is totally enough to deal with.
The core ingredients of the SEO
And they are two…
On-page SEO.
And…
The off-page SEO.
We do not really go into the good details about on-page and the off-page SEO.
What is the PPC?
PPC (or pay per click) is another marketing model used when advertisers place their ads on search engines. The fee for the ad placement is paid back to the search engines each time an ad is clicked. It is totally opposite of the ‘free traffic’ a.k.a. SEO. Looking for instant results? PPC is the thing.
Unlike PPC which involves direct payment to gain visibility, SEO or search engine optimization is focused on enhancing your website’s presence using natural or organic methods. This includes optimizing the website with the right keywords, effective linking, and ensuring the site is user-friendly for both search engines and visitors. The primary allure of SEO is that it doesn’t require payment for the traffic generated, making it a cost-effective strategy over time.
While PPC can provide immediate traffic boosts by simply paying for ad placements—which makes the fees seem negligible if the campaign is successful—SEO requires a deeper understanding and a strategic approach. It’s about building a foundation that attracts visitors naturally over time. The investment here isn’t monetary but rather in the effort and time needed to learn and apply effective SEO techniques.
Each of these strategies holds distinct advantages depending on your immediate and long-term business goals. PPC is ideal for quick results and targeting specific demographics swiftly, whereas SEO, while time-consuming, cultivates a steady stream of traffic that can prove more sustainable. Understanding these differences is crucial in choosing the right approach to meet your digital marketing objectives.
We will go into more details of the SEO and the PPC that what is better and what to choose.
Relevant post: How to Make a Successful PPC Campaign?
How Can PPC Help Reconnect with Previous Shoppers?
If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of potential leads slipping through your fingers, you’re not alone. When customers leave your site without making a purchase, they often become “out of sight, out of mind.” That’s where Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising shines.
PPC Provides Immediate Reach
By implementing PPC, you place your ads directly within Google’s vast network. These ads can target users who have previously interacted with your site, showing them specific products they viewed or added to their cart but didn’t purchase.
Tailored Reminders
Through strategic PPC campaigns, you can remind these previous visitors about their interest in your products. Imagine placing an ad in front of someone that highlights exactly what they abandoned in their shopping cart. This isn’t just a nudge—it’s a personalized prompt to revisit and complete their purchase.
Re-engaging Abandoned Carts
PPC can be incredibly effective for re-engaging shoppers who abandoned their carts. With retargeting ads, you can create tailored messages that appeal directly to those users, increasing your chances of converting them into paying customers.
Boosts SEO Efforts
Moreover, combining PPC with your SEO strategy ensures comprehensive coverage. While SEO works on building organic visibility over time, PPC provides that immediate connection, bringing previous shoppers back to your site when they’re most likely to convert.
In summary, PPC helps reconnect with previous shoppers by providing immediate, tailored reminders that encourage them to return and complete their purchases. It complements your SEO efforts, maximizing your chances of converting potential leads into loyal customers.
Why is Social Media Visibility Important for Businesses?
Social media visibility plays a crucial role in modern business for several reasons. First and foremost, it allows companies to target specific audiences with precision, ensuring their products and services reach those most likely to be interested. This tailored approach significantly improves marketing efficiency.
Additionally, social media platforms provide a wealth of data about customer behaviors and preferences. This information is invaluable for refining marketing strategies and optimizing SEO. When businesses understand their customers deeply, they can create more engaging content and better meet customer needs.
In essence, social media visibility not only enhances direct communication with potential buyers but also offers insights that drive smarter, data-informed decisions.
SEO vs PPC in 2024
Now… it is the time now to be over the versus part.
Let’s have a view on SEO vs PPC Search Results. For instance, let me search ‘Buy Cheap WordPress Hosting’
Why pick SEO?
SEO is definitely the best selection, if you are;
- Have a blog and want to grow it.
- Make it an authority.
- Want to use it for the long term.
- To make yourself an internet personality using your blog — turn yourself into an impacting brand.
- Do it on your own OR with very little budget.
Then why pick PPC?
PPC is best selected in the situation, if you are to;
- Have the static website.
- Core purpose is to sell services/products.
- Have good budget at hand.
- Expect instant and targeted traffic.
- Quick results you want. Rank instantly and immediately.
- Want high ROI (return on investment.)
- Want to target just the selective region.
Did you check my PPC Comparison of Facebook Ads vs Google Ads?
SEO
SEO is the “game of the patience.”
If you do not have it (the patience), you are immediately out of the game.
And if you have it, you are the absolute winner right from the start.
It is all about becoming a trusting property and you know that the trust is not built within the few hours or the few days.
Hence it requires complete patience and continuous input as per the process’ requirements to finally gain the trust.
And when you have that trust, you have to be more cautious and more worried about not losing it at all, and at any cost.
When you have that TRUST, just then do not ever try to drop the ‘T’ out of that ‘Trust’.
Related post: How to Improve Your SEO Techniques in 2024
Originality and the SEO
Originality is achieved by doing one thing for days, weeks, months, and years.
And your originality with having the website/blog, you need to do what you do for the good long time, and the SEO is its basic ingredient.
Some SEO & PPC Terms to remember
PPC – Pay Per Click
CPC – Cost Per Click
Organic Traffic : Traffic coming from organic channels such as Google Search, Yahoo or Bing search via organic regular results; It is known as Organic Traffic.
Paid Traffic : Once you advertise on search engine via Paid listing. The traffic received from such traffic source is known as Paid Traffic.
CTR : Click through rate. It is being calculated by dividing the number of impressions your ad received with how many times it was clicked.
A/B testing : When you are doing split test between 2 variants of same thing. Its like promoting the same product via 2 different angles.
Additional Readings
Take my advice.
Why Hiring a Digital Marketing Team is Beneficial
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- Expertise and Experience:
- A dedicated team brings a wealth of knowledge, ensuring your strategies are up-to-date with the latest trends and algorithms.
- With specialists in SEO, PPC, content creation, and social media, every aspect of your online presence is optimized.
- Time and Resource Efficiency:
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If you have the blog for the information sharing, and your target is to become an authority, focus only over the SEO and little of PPC. And having the website just for the sake of making the sales, you need some immediate recipe to cook up the curry to inspire the customers with its taste. Then PPC. All the hail to the PPC. It is (and almost) beneficial for the quick monetary results that you expect out of your website.
But let’s not just park our strategies there. Integrating the rich data from your PPC campaigns into your SEO strategy can bring surprising benefits. When you use PPC on social platforms, you gather intricate details about your audience—what they like, what they search for, and even how they interact online. This treasure trove of data isn’t just for direct advertising; it’s a compass pointing your SEO to the areas where it will be most effective.
How to Use PPC Data to Refine Your SEO Strategy:
- Target Keywords More Effectively: Use the keywords that perform well in your PPC campaigns to optimize your website’s content and metadata.
- Understand User Intent: Analyze the queries leading to clicks and conversions in PPC to better align your content with what your audience is actively seeking.
- Optimize for Demographics: Tailor your SEO efforts to match the demographics most engaged with your PPC ads, enhancing relevance and engagement.
By not just relying on PPC for immediate gains but also using its data to sharpen your SEO, you ensure a more robust, informed strategy that helps both in building long-term authority and achieving quick wins. This dual approach not only maximizes your digital assets but also ensures they work in concert, giving you a competitive edge in the digital marketplace.
Static website…? Thinking of PPC?
Also for the static type of the websites where the content is not going to be changed for the long time, PPC is better.
Why?
Because Google loves the continuous updation of your website and the sales-generating-related websites are not going to get updated very soon which clearly means to what?
No recent updates on the website > PPC > Still show up high on the competitive search queries.
For the highly-competitive search queries and you possess to have a good relevant website and you actually aim to sell something out, go for the PPC.
My two cents…
I know you are here to see what is better out of the SEO and PPC but I say (and being the marketer myself) to go with both.
I would do every bit of the SEO to maximize the natural reach of my blog, and do PPC to win the immediate expectations.
Where is the winner?
There is no winner here… because;
SEO and PPC are relatively the important component for the marketing of your website/blog.
“And, it is totally all up to you to decide what you want for yourself. And what you want to stick with. Whether you need only the SEO or just PPC. Or… Okay to utilize both (as I advised earlier that I would do both) together. When you choose both SEO and PPC, you’re not just sticking with one combat strategy against negative feedback—which, by the way, can really sway public opinion since people rely heavily on online reviews.
Why Opt for Both SEO and PPC?
- Combined Strength: Using both SEO and PPC gives you a comprehensive control over your online presence. This dual approach lets you shield and fortify your brand effectively against any negative reviews that might pop up.
- Control the Narrative: Specifically with PPC, you can steer the conversation in a direction you prefer. This is especially useful when you need to counteract any disparaging comments swiftly and strategically.
This strategy isn’t just about fighting back against negative reviews but about taking proactive steps to maintain a positive public perception. By controlling both your organic search results and paid ads, you’re essentially covering all fronts, ensuring that your brand’s best foot is always forward. It’s like being smart enough to have a backup plan that complements your main plan, making sure you’re ready for anything that comes your way.”
I did video on this
See my video on YouTube over the same topic of “SEO vs PPC – What’s the Difference?”
Get to see it all from here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4yYE5tbkis
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of data can be gathered by using both SEO and PPC?
When you harness the power of both SEO and PPC, you can gather a comprehensive array of insightful data to understand and optimize your website’s performance.
By analyzing SEO metrics, you’ll capture information like organic traffic flow, key search terms, and user behavior over time. This helps highlight which content resonates best with your audience and performs well in search engine rankings. On the other hand, PPC campaigns quickly offer immediate feedback on click-through rates, ad performance, and conversion rates, providing a real-time snapshot of what attracts and engages your audience.
Combining these two data sources, you can pinpoint what’s driving traffic and conversions on your site. This informed perspective enables you to refine your marketing strategies, targeting high-performing keywords for SEO while optimizing PPC campaigns for maximum ROI. Together, SEO and PPC provide a full-spectrum view of your online performance, allowing for smarter, data-driven business decisions.
How does PPC’s keyword data benefit SEO?
When you incorporate PPC into your marketing strategy, you gain valuable insights into which keywords are driving the most revenue to your site. This data is crucial because it highlights the terms your audience is actively searching for and converting on.
Moreover, PPC allows you to target keywords that might not yet be ranking well organically. Running PPC campaigns for these keywords provides immediate visibility and traffic, while your SEO efforts work on improving organic rankings over time.
An important point to note is that if you ever decide to pause your PPC campaigns, about 89% of the traffic generated through PPC won’t be replaced by organic search alone. This underscores the synergy between both approaches.
By leveraging PPC’s keyword data for your SEO strategy, you can ensure a higher volume of traffic from both paid and organic search channels, maximizing your online presence and revenue potential.
Conclusion on SEO vs PPC
Let’s conclude the not-so-versus post.
Though it so depends on what is your motive about having the website/blog for, and you get the budget in your pocket, as well as the time that is one more important element to grow and grab the hand over the success.
So, what are you going to employ?
Just PPC? Or only the SEO? Or both?
Do tell me how you are going to market your website/blog, and of course, about your motive as to why you have the website/blog running?
And, I would definitely love reading about your thoughts and the feedback on this topic, too. 🙂
Do share what you have in the comment.
And, I am so waiting to read it all! 🙂