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PPC vs. SEO: Which One is Right for You?

By December 15, 2021December 17th, 2021No Comments

Using digital marketing for your new business is the best way to promote it. When it comes to your options, you have two: PPC, which represents paid advertising, and SEO, a free but time-consuming way to generate organic traffic. There will always be PPC vs. SEO debate. To better understand both, and figure out which option is a better fit for your business, let’s discuss both strategies in more detail.

The advantages of Pay-Per-Click advertising

The title says it all. You pay money, and you get exposure. That’s how PPC advertising looks like at first sight. However, there is more to it than meets the eye. One of the best advantages of PPC is that you have the option to show your ad exclusively when someone searches for it.

This is a fantastic option because your ads only target people who are interested. You don’t have to deal with all those visitors who accidentally stumbled upon your website and have no interest in it. That is a common problem with traditional advertising. It is like fishing. You throw a bait, and you wait. There is a reason why PPC is one of the most efficient online marketing services your money can buy.

Another considerable benefit of PPC is that you can see the results immediately. You only need a good landing page, an eye-catching CTA button, and you are all set.

Before we look at the disadvantages of PPC, here are a few key takeaways to remember:

  • PPC has immediate results;
  • it is buyer-oriented;
  • Google updates do not affect PPC advertising;
  • PPC provides quick scalability of your business;
  • even though you still need to learn PPC, it is easier to understand than SEO;
  • doing A/B testing is relatively easy; it all comes down to tweaking your investment.

Now, let’s take a look at the disadvantages of PPC.

What can go wrong with PPC advertising?

If you ever played games, you are undoubtedly familiar with the term “pay to win.” That’s what PPC, in general, is. Every time someone clicks on your ad, you have to pay for it. Another thing to consider is that PPC only brings traffic. It does not guarantee sales. For example, if you spend $100 on PPC advertising but only make $10 in return, you will quickly lose your money.

Furthermore, the ROI of PPC advertising is smaller than SEO, which we will cover later. It would be best to look at this strategy as a short-term investment. As long as you are paying for it, you will see results. However, as soon as you stop, your ads are gone.

If you choose PPC, remember that:

  • it is buyer-oriented, which means it is used for quick sales. Sometimes people don’t like to be pressured into buying;
  • ROI is low, and the campaign lasts as long as you are paying for it;
  • the growth of your business is tied to your budget, do not forget that;
  • you don’t have complete control over your content creation process; there are strict rules you must follow. Some niches do not support PPC;
  • PPC does not guarantee sales, only traffic;

Now that we understand both the good and the bad sides of PPC, let’s look at SEO.

Why you should use SEO

SEO is free for everyone. This is important to know in today’s business world, where nothing comes free. All you need for SEO is a strong will, dedication, and time. You can gradually learn the rules of SEO and slowly upgrade your knowledge. Create a website checklist to monitor SEO, and watch your ROI grow.

Another thing to have in mind is that SEO is a long-term investment. It does not disappear overnight, even if you stopped doing website audits. That means you have more time to fix potential mistakes.

Furthermore, the ROI on SEO is good. When done the right way, it will boost your organic traffic and bring many interested customers. It generates more money than PPC because you don’t have to pay for it. You get to keep every dollar you make.

The most important benefits of SEO are:

  • it is a free strategy that brings organic traffic;
  • you can precisely control your content and keywords you use;
  • SEO is excellent for brand awareness;
  • with SEO, you don’t have to spam potential buyers with ads. They will come to you;
  • long-term results make SEO one of the most critical elements of digital marketing today.

SEO is not a walk in the park

When we talk about the disadvantages of SEO, the first thing to understand is that SEO takes time. A lot of time. And even after all of the effort, it might still underperform if not done the right way. Not everyone can call themselves an SEO expert because it is tough to learn.

Furthermore, it will be challenging to scale your business with SEO if you work alone. There are just too many things to think about and do. It would be best if you had a team of skilled professionals. SEO only becomes more complicated if we add constant Google algorithm updates to the equation. The updates change the game, and you need to learn new rules.

The main disadvantages of SEO are:

  • it is hard to understand and apply;
  • SEO takes time;
  • there are too many unknowns with constant Google algorithm updates;
  • doing A/B testing is very hard;
  • SEO is not buyer-oriented, so it takes time to generate ROI;

Boost your business with software

Before we give the final decision on PPC vs. SEO, let’s mention one more thing. Whatever strategy you choose, it would be wise to boost your business with software. Apps for customer support, lead management, or CRM integrate both with SEO and PPC very well. Using software that works to your advantage will improve your chances of getting the results you want.

PPC vs. SEO – which one to use?

Now that we know the advantages and disadvantages of PPC vs. SEO, we can talk about using these strategies the right way. The only natural conclusion is that you need a mix of both. SEO is crucial because it secures a long-time presence for your website on search engines. And it’s all for free. At the same time, PPC is that useful strategy you want to use when you want to quickly boost your business. Do you have some keywords you cannot rank due to your competitors? PPC fixes that problem right away. Like with everything else in life, you want to balance using PPC and SEO. That is the best way to grow your business and secure a profit. Set Fire Creative has been recognized as one of the Top Salt Lake City SEO agencies by DesignRush. For all o f your PPC or SEO needs, contact Set Fire creative today.