Search engine optimization and pay per click advertising are two sides of the same coin. They may be opposites, but they are both integral to the success of your business. A dedicated digital marketing plan doesn’t include one or the other, but both. If you’re only doing one, then you’re missing out on a big portion of the digital marketing pie.
The Tortoise and the Hare
SEO is a journey. It can be a slow process that takes months to truly see drastic improvement. Once you’ve hit it though, it’s difficult to knock you off. It’s a slow and steady pace, just like the tortoise from the fable. You may not see increased sales and traffic right away. You need to be dedicated to the long haul.
Pay Per Click is more about immediate results. Once you have created the ad and set your budget, your site might see increased sales and traffic right away. The downside is that once your budget is done, your add isn’t being seen anymore. It’s like a more dedicated hare. As long as there is money to put into it, your ads will show up. If you’ve crafted a good targeted campaign, then results are fast. The biggest downfall is it costs money, time, and effort to be sure you create proper campaigns that pay off.
Attracting Different Audiences
The audience for SEO is people looking for information about products, services, etc. They may not be in the mood to buy right away. They might be in the early stages of the sales funnel, which is why having great content and user experience is important on your website. They may be looking for information or price comparing, but your site will stick out in their mind, especially if it ranks on the first page.
The audience for PPC is ready to buy. They saw your product listing or search ad and clicked on it to learn more. It could be because they noticed your sale or cleverly worded ad. They’re at the end of their sales cycle and ready to put the money down.
Different Keyword Importance
With PPC, you’re paying for every click. You want a laser targeted keyword list to maximize the clicks, so you’re not paying for keywords you don’t need. The keywords that you pay for in PPC can be vastly different from the keywords you rank for in SEO. Clicks in PPC don’t necessarily translate to page views from SEO.
For example, your site can rank number 44 for a keyword, but come up at the top of the page for search ads. Conversely, keywords that are too broad or competitive for PPC may organically rank on the top page. Since SEO keywords don’t cost anything, you can take chances to rank for many different keywords that wouldn’t be logical choices to pay for in PPC.
SEO and PPC are a perfect pair. They’re a team that helps catapult your business to success in different ways.