Helping Small and Medium Businesses Achieve Their Full Marketing Potential | Digital Marketing Expert
SEO vs. PPC: Which Is Better For Your eCommerce Business
No matter what stage your business is in, it’s never too early (or too late) to think about your marketing campaigns. But how do you know which tactics are going to work best for your business?
Two of the biggest players in the digital marketing game are search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. But what’s the difference? And is one better than the other?
When it comes to knowing which you should choose for your business, it can almost feel like choosing a favourite child, but luckily for you, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about these traffic-generating strategies. From what they are to which is ‘better’, this is everything you need to know in the great SEO or PPC debate.
First Things First – What’s The Difference Between SEO and PPC?
Let’s Talk SEO
If you’re new to the game or just new to SEO, it’s important you know exactly what you’re signing up for. SEO is all about knowing how search engines work and using that to your advantage to boost visibility and drive traffic to your site.
When it comes to how consumers use search engines, for the most part, people really only click on the top few results, making those spots the coveted spot for your business if you want to generate traffic.
SEO is all about implementing a series of on-page and off-page optimisations to help you improve your ranking on SERPs (search engine results pages) so that your business shows up in the top spot.
Whether it’s creating high-quality content for your site, incorporating keywords, improving your site speed, investing in quality backlinks or a combination of the above, the aim remains the same – get your site to the top of SERPs.
Before jumping straight into an SEO strategy, though, it’s important you understand exactly what you’re signing up for. Here are some of the pros (and the cons) of choosing SEO for your business.
The Pros of SEO
- Build organic traffic.
- It is generally cheaper than PPC.
- Allows for long-term growth for your business.
- Improved sense of trust for customers, as results shown in SERPS will be organic and not ads.
Now, the Cons
- It takes time. We mean substantial time. Think 3-6 months before you start reaping the rewards of your SEO strategy.
- Algorithms are always changing – and AI is changing the landscape too.
- It can be time-consuming to create the kind of content that ranks well.
It’s PPC’s Time to Shine
Alright, so that’s SEO. Now, let’s go on to all things PPC. Pay-per-click strategies make sure that your site appears at the top of SERPs. Ever seen a sponsored tag next to a site on Google? That’s PPC, baby!
PPC is a paid strategy, but you only pay when someone actually clicks on your link, and because it’s paid, you really need to make sure you get the most out of your ads. This means you have to make sure your landing page (that place where users end up after clicking on your site link in SERPs) is structured for the maximum number of conversions.
Much like SEO, you’ll also need to be well-versed in what kinds of keywords your customers are searching for so that you show up on the right results pages. Think about what kinds of keywords you want to show up for most, as well as which keywords people are actually searching for day in and day out.
Now it’s time to get into the nitty gritty – what are the pros and cons when it comes to implementing a PPC strategy?
The Pros of PPC
- You’ll get quick results.
- You can reach the right people quicker.
- You’ll appear at the top of SERPs – guaranteed.
Any Cons?
- It can be expensive.
- It may not always be profitable.
- If you stop paying, you disappear from SERPs.
What If I Want Both?
We were kind of hoping you’d say that! SEO and PPC, when used in conjunction, can be the start of a great marketing strategy. You get the benefits of the quick results and wins from PPC while also building that long-term, sustainable growth with SEO.
Rather than SEO vs. PPC, start thinking about how you can use SEO and PPC!
Now What You’re Really Here For: Is SEO or PPC Better?
Remember when we said choosing between the two was like picking a favourite child? We weren’t kidding! And I’m sorry to say, there’s not a surefire strategy that’s going to be “better.”
It really comes down to what you want for your business and the goals you have in mind.
Want a long-term, cost-effective strategy? SEO is the one for you.
But if you’re looking for quick results and you’ve got money to spend? Meet PPC, your new BFF.
One isn’t necessarily better than the other, but one might be better for your business than the other – and that’s where we can help.
As an expert digital marketing agency in London, we specialise in both SEO services and PPC services, so we’re here to help you make the right choice for your business.
Contact a member of our team today to get a complete rundown of which service is going to work best for your business – or if a combination of the two is in order!