“SEO vs PPC” is a top recurring debate in the digital marketing industry. The two camps argue that they are the best strategy for achieving business growth from search engine traffic. In this article, we will explain and explore the differences between the two and why we believe that SEO should be higher on your priority list. Let’s begin with some definitions.
What is SEO?
SEO is a short form for “Search engine optimization”. It is a long-term marketing and business strategy employed to improve website and product visibility in organic search results for Google and other search engines users.
What is PPC?
The definition for PPC is pay-per-click, a type of internet marketing traffic in which advertisers display ads on their website and pay a fee to the host website each time their ad is clicked. In this example we are talking about PPC traffic coming from Search Engines.
The main difference between the two is that SEO traffic is free while PPC traffic costs money (for every click). However, this does not mean that PPC is always more effective than SEO. In fact, most businesses should prioritize SEO over PPC because it provides greater long-term benefits and has a long-tail effect that we will explain later.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of SEO and PPC
There are many advantages and disadvantages of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising. You can read the endless debate between the two on the Reddit PPC or Reddit SEO subreddits. Here are a few key points to consider when making a decision about which marketing strategy is right for your business:
SEO Pros:
- Very effective in getting your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which can lead to increased traffic and conversions.
- Is a long-term strategy that can continue to provide benefits for years to come.
- Can gain traffic that you were not aware of when bidding on PPC.
- Is a more cost-effective option than PPC, since you don’t have to pay for each click every day.
- Ranking higher organically improves the trust of your brand as you will not be associated with having to pay to convince.
- Journalists and bloggers will find you organically and promote your website for you.
SEO Cons:
- Takes time to see results. The feedback loop on SEO can take from weeks to months to materialize.
- Requires ongoing effort to maintain and improve rankings. A content schedule must be implemented.
- Can be complex and difficult to do yourself. Working with a knowledgeable digital marketing agency is needed to stay on top of current trends and best practices.
PPC Pros:
- Can provide immediate results. You can start receiving traffic within 2-3 days of setting up a campaign.
- Is a flexible and easily adjustable marketing strategy. You can push a product or visitors to a specific page for launches.
- You only pay for the clicks you receive so you can be extremely picky on the traffic or visitor type.
PPC Cons:
- Requires continuous investment to maintain results.
- Can be very competitive, especially in popular industries. You can explode your budget if you bid incorrectly.
- There is a risk of click fraud, which is when people artificially inflate your clicks by clicking on your ads without intending to convert.
- You can either go very specific or very wide with traffic.
- The traffic does not grow naturally as you have to craft the campaigns to get you more traffic.
What Is Long Tail SEO Traffic?
Long tail traffic is a term used for a site’s traffic that comes from searches that are more specific and niche than the average. For example, someone searching for “red shoes” is likely not looking to buy shoes online, but someone searching for “where to buy red shoes in new york” is much more likely to make a purchase.
The long tail keyword traffic is important because it is generally easier to convert than other types of traffic. When someone is specifically searching for something that you sell, they are far more likely to buy it than if they just stumble across your site. When you build up your SEO strategy you will receive more visitors like this, with PPC the more narrow and highly valuable the searches the more competitive and expensive they are.
Going Deep With Local SEO Traffic
Local SEO is a form of SEO that is used to target a specific geographic area. For example, if you are a business in New York City, you would want to use local SEO to target people in New York City who are searching for your products or services.
There are several advantages to using local SEO. First, it allows you to target a very specific geographic area, which can be helpful if you are a business that only serves a specific area. Second, it can be much cheaper than other forms of marketing, such as PPC advertising. Third, it can be more effective than other forms of marketing, since people who are searching for your products or services in a specific geographic area are more likely to actually be interested in what you have to offer.
The disadvantages of local SEO are that it can be time-consuming and difficult to implement. That is why you should partner with a digital marketing agency like Kick Digital Marketing for Local SEO Services.
We Believe SEO Is Superior
SEO and PPC are both valuable digital marketing tools, but we believe SEO is superior to PPC. With SEO, you can bring in more qualified traffic that is likely to convert into customers. PPC can be expensive and competitive, and it often attracts people who are not actually interested in what you have to offer due to them knowing they are clicking an advertisement. If you want to get the most out of your digital marketing budget, invest in SEO, especially Local SEO.
Kick Digital Marketing is an elite team of digital marketing professionals. We specialize in SEO, PPC, and social media marketing. Contact us today to see how we can help you grow your business and take you to the next level.