Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC) are the two most widely used techniques to drive traffic to your website.

Both ,methods are highly effective tools for promoting your business online and getting new customers. Whether to use Pay Per Click advertising or SEO promote your website on search engines, is a decision every business needs to make at some point. This article introduces both these internet marketing methods and discusses pros and cons.

The video above provides an insight into the two forms of internet advertising, SEO and PayPer Click advertising (e.g. Google Adwords).  If you are not already familiar with these two forms of online marketing then you are advised to read the article prior to watching the video.

SEO Vs Pay Per Click – Main Differences

If you are new to SEO, it is important to first understand the difference between SEO and pay per click.  Organic search engine optimisation deals with the process of improving your rank for desired keywords in the main free section of the search results. Pay per click advertising on the other hand refers to the paid listing or sponsored results that appear typically on the right of the search results and in the single ad spot in the centre.

The image below shows where the organic and pay per click ads appear on Google search results.

In addition to the placement on search result pages, there is another key difference between PPC and SEO. As the name suggests, in pay per click ads, you pay a certain amount each time a users clicks on your listing and visits your website. You are charged for each visit irrespective of whether the visit turns into a lead or not.

In SEO listings on the other hand, you do not incur any expenses on the number of clicks or visits that your listing provides. The higher you rank for your desired keywords, the more traffic you will receive. Although there are costs per click in SEO, it will be foolish to assume that SEO is completely free. It takes time and effort to improve your rank in organic results.

Advantages of SEO over Pay Per Click (PPC)

Pay per click has many drawbacks, making organic SEO better than PPC in most circumstances.

1) Better Click-through Rate

Many surveys and search engine marketing studies have pointed than users are more likely to click on organic search results that appear on the main section of the page rather than the paid listings that appear as ads on the right.

2) More Trusted

Organic listings are non-biased and cannot be bought. As such users trust the results more than the paid listings which are governed by payments. The conversion rate for organic listings are much higher than for paid listings.

3) Drain Your Budget

As your clicks mount up, PPC campaigns such as Google Adwords can be quick drain on your marketing budget. It is very common for businesses to suspend campaigns temporarily or compromise on keyword choices to stay within the limits of intended expenditure. Fortunately, PPC services like Google Adwords allows you to set a maximum monthy budget in advance. However, setting it low will only mean your ads will not run most of the times.

Click fraud is another rising concern in pay per click advertising where you may be charged for clicks that are not by genuine customers.

4) Rising cost of Pay Per Click (PPC)

Rising costs is another disadvantage of Pay per click advertising. Prices are set based on competition for targeted keywords. With rise in competition, cost per click has sky rocketed in recent years. Campaigns are becoming more and expensive to run every year. The cost of the averagely competitive keywords have risen from around a dollar per click a few years ago to $5 per click for a top 5 position.

5) More Permanency in SEO Results

Another key difference between the PPC and SEO is the duration of your listing.  The results of organic search engine optimisation campaign are more permanent. In pay per click the results stop immediately when you end your  campaign and stop your payments.

When to Use Pay Per Click

In spite of the above advantages that SEO offers over Pay Per Click advertising, there are instances when Pay Per Click campaigns can be very beneficial.

Even if you have an established long term SEO strategy, it takes effort to achieve first page rank on Google. A typical SEO strategy will include several content marketing and link building techniques including directory submissions, press releases, article marketing and social media marketing.  This takes time. And PPC campaigns such as Google Adwords can be perfect to fill this gap.

With Pay per click, the results are achieved immediately, same day. This is particularly beneficial if you are new to internet marketing. On the other hand SEO is time consuming and takes time to achieve.

PPC is also useful to advertise events and time sensitive campaigns which cannot be planned months in advance. In such instances, it may not be practical to use SEO as organic listing would be next to impossible in a short time frame.

What then is the Right Strategy for My Business

Both pay per click advertising and Organic search engine optimisation are important ways to promote your website and in turn get more leads and customers. We have discussed the advantages of SEO as well as instances when PPC may be the better choice.

It is common for businesses to use a combination of both organic SEO as well as Pay per click campaigns like Google Adwords. Both methods can easily co exist for your business.

However, PPC should not be used as a replacement to SEO. In the long run, SEO will offer a far better return on investment.  It is hence recommended to focus on a long term SEO strategy and use Pay per click as an interim solution if needed, while you work towards achieving a favourable Google ranking for your desired search terms.

SEO is a better all round approach to online marketing and results in a much wider coverage.

Investing in an organic search engine optimisation (SEO) is a must for every business Although you may not see the result within the first 3 months it will undoubtedly be the best marketing investment you will make for your business.