One of the most important questions that business owners need to answer is whether they should use SEO or PPC to drive traffic toward their site. This decision is vital, especially during their starting years, when a company’s brand is only starting to take shape. Whether you pick one marketing strategy over the other or a combination of the two, your choice will ultimately determine how successful your promotional campaign(s) will be.
Pros and Cons
SEO services are undoubtedly more affordable than PPC, however it takes a bit of a long time for the results to take hold. With SEO you need to literally climb the ladder of the results page, in order to reach the top spot. Another problem with SEO is that search engines frequently upgrade their algorithms, so your ranking in the results page can literally change in a matter of days if you’re not updated.
On a positive note, however, an SEO service is more stable than PPC. Every content that you develop via SEO will not disappear, in fact it just keeps on stacking up. PPC is effective for driving instant traffic, but the moment you stop paying for every click, your traffic also declines.
Keywords
One good determining factor is the targeted keyword. With PPC you need to pay a certain amount (cost-per-click) for each keyword to get displayed. The more frequently used keywords are, of course, more expensive. If you’re on a tight budget, you can use PPC for the lower-priced keywords, and SEO for the more expensive ones. With correct planning and an experienced internet marketing firm by your side like Your Marketing Crew, LLC, SEO can get you the same results that PPC can without bleeding your funds dry.
Industry
The industry itself is an important determinant. If you are marketing a new product or service, and your keywords are relatively unfamiliar or not so common, then PPC is the best way to go; however, if you are in an industry that people are already familiar with, then SEO is a better choice to differentiate your business from the rest. Of course, with a good strategy you can also achieve the same results either way; a new business can still drive traffic by creating the correct content with the right links, which are then placed on the best social media platform.
As a final tip, remember that if you have just started a business in Tampa Bay, for example, you need to strengthen your business both inside and outside. You may be able to get people to your site, but unless the experience is satisfying or better than they expected, then they most probably will not visit again.
Sources:
SEO vs. PPC: Knowing Which Is Right for Your Website, Entrepreneur.com
How to Distribute Your Marketing Budget Between SEO and PPC, Entrepreneur.com
SEO vs. PPC – Which Provides You the Better Value?, Newmediacampaigns.com
