One major question people often ask us here at Gold Level Marketing is, what’s the difference between SEO vs. PPC?
These two digital marketing strategies can be very beneficial, though you might be wondering what the best option for your business is. We’re huge fans of SEO, as organic search can deliver a higher volume at a better cost per lead compared to paid searches.
Of course, with so many businesses utilizing SEO, it can be difficult for new businesses to get started. This is where PPC comes in. In many ways, it’s a fast track to leads in terms of search marketing.
Trying to decide which of these approaches is best for your needs? Come dive in as we look at the ins and outs of each in our SEO vs. PPC guide.
SEO vs. PPC
SEO Pros and Cons
SEO has many advantages to it. Let’s check out a few of the top benefits you can expect to receive from SEO:
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Awareness: When you target keywords and consumers find them in organic searches, you’re essentially putting your brand in front of potential customers.
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Branding: Become an authoritative voice in your industry when people need to find information regarding a relevant topic.
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Traffic: When you increase website traffic, you drive business awareness and educate prospective customers.
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Credibility: Audiences often trust organic search results more than standard ads. When you have this kind of visibility, you get a better consumer stamp of approval.
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ROI: You can gain higher ROI with organic search results than with traditional PPC.
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Sustainability: With organic marketing, your traffic won’t dry up as soon as you stop paying for marketing, making SEO the more sustainable choice overall.
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Improved CTR: Your CTR is your click-through rate. More users click on organic search results, especially those on the first page. Essentially, you’ll generate more click-throughs with quality SEO organic searches than with paid ads.
The main disadvantage is that SEO can be a slow burn. Trying to build consistent organic traffic can require strategic marketing, which can take up a fair amount of time and resources. Plus, you’ll likely already be up against other companies who have already built a steady following with organic SEO.
PPC Pros and Cons
When you compare SEO vs. PPC, it’s easy to see that PPC is better for quick, laser-targeted visibility. Let’s look at a few of the pros and cons of PPC:
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Improved Advertisements: PPC is advertising, meaning you’ll have a higher level of control over your target demographic and marketing messages.
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Page Position: You can pay more to be above the fold with PPC. You’ll often find four ads if you’re searching on a desktop and three on mobile searches. Pick the right target words, and you could be in one of these spaces.
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Budget: PPC is a more budget-friendly approach, as you can pick how much you want to spend per day.
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Efficiency: PPC is a much quicker approach to marketing. It’s a much faster method for getting your business in front of consumers than SEO.
SEO Vs. PPC – Which Is Best For Me?
When trying to decide between SEO vs. PPC, you need to determine your business’s unique situation.
If you’re a super-localized business looking for a few weekly leads from organic search results, SEO might be the better choice.
If you’re an eCommerce business that needs leads now, and you don’t think you have the organic search results to compete with other businesses that are already one step ahead, you might consider PPC.
Contact us today at Gold Level Marketing to see how we can help you develop a strong SEO or PPC strategy for your business.
