SEO or PPC? It’s a common and (at least in Internet terms) very old question.
Both have their benefits and negatives. Here I am going to take on the role of a seasoned SEO guy and pretend I know it all and save you from paying for clicks forever and ever amen.
In life, there are those who follow the right path and those who will fall down a dark hole filled with nothing but sauerkraut. The problem is: where is the right path – and where is the sauerkraut?
The question of whether to go with paid search or SEO can be one of the biggest decisions for any business. Here, we will look at the key differences between PPC and SEO and discuss how best to utilize both in your business. Both SEO & PPC (Pay-Per-Click) have their benefits and drawbacks, but comparing them directly can be incredibly challenging. This is because there are just too many variables involved, from budget to time frames to audience needs.
Understanding these benefits and drawbacks help you better understand when to use each of the two most popular forms of advertising in 2023. Here’s the honest scoop on which works better for most marketing teams.
Until not so long ago, SEO and PPC (or, rather, their advocates) were at war with each other. SEOs couldn’t stand the idea of PPCs – and vice versa. They couldn’t agree on anything, except their desire for white space (seriously) between the sentences in a paragraph — but even that was up for debate.
Things are different now. Everyone finally understands that both are important strategic tools to succeed online. Choosing between SEO or PPC can be as tough as choosing a new peanut butter and jelly sandwich from the lunch line.
You’re the marketing director at Your Company, Inc. You’ve been tasked with the job of choosing between two strategies: Pay Per Click or Search Engine Optimization. What do you choose? This is the question I will (try to) answer through this article.
Do you think people will talk about your company when they see your ad on TV? Probably not, but if they see your company name come up in their search engine, that creates instant branding every time.
And yet – there is an equally valid counter argument: if you’re just starting out and don’t have much of an online presence, then PPC could be your best bet. It’s faster and easier to kickstart your presence. With SEO, you have to invest time to get it started and it can take a while. But as we’ll see in Part 2, there are tons of arguments both ways.
So, should you focus on producing amazing content that ranks on Google? Or is pay-per-click (PPC) the way to go? Some studies (from Searchmetrics and others) provide insights into why it might even be better to mix the two. Which adds to the confusion.
All that said, and after this intro, let’s jump to Shootout Part 2 where we’ll address the actual pros and cons of SEO and PPC. Let’s see who is the better, faster, deadlier shot.
