Search Engine Optimization vs Pay Per Click Advertising

Written by Helen
January 2nd, 2010

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Our clients often ask us if Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising compliments Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and vice versa. One of our clients had a theory that their PPC contributed to their high organic ranking. Some clients want to dominate the page, and think it is important to appear in both organic and paid search results. So, what are the basic key points you need to know about SEO and PPC and how they differ.

How it works:

SEO: Search engine optimization’s goal is to bring organic (not paid) traffic to your website. If your site is well optimized it will appear in the left-hand side/middle of the search results page.

PPC: When running a Pay Per Click advertising campaign you will pay each time when users click on your ad. You do not pay for displaying the ads, just for the clicks. Your ads will appear in the right-hand side column of the search results page or at the top of the page (if certain bidding requirements are met).

Some Performance Statistics:

SEO: The statistics show that organic results have a much higher click through rate (CTR) verses paid search placements (in case of comparable position placement). This means that users are more likely to click on the free, organic results, rather than on the paid ads.

PPC: Your click through rate must be monitored closely for each of your PPC campaigns. You can improve your CTR, by adjusting your keywords and ad text.

Timeline:

SEO: A long-term commitment is required if you wish to improve your site’s ranking position.
By improving your SEO you are essentially improving your website’s online reputation. The more effort you put into it, the stronger your reputation (hence your ranking position) will be.

PPC: It is easier to get a higher position (when appropriate bidding requirements are met) and attract instant traffic with Pay Per Click campaigns. In this case, you do not contribute to your overall site’s web score, and once you stop running your ads, your site will have to rely on your organic rankings only. So, technically your PPC ranking does not affect your SEO in any way.

In order to decide which option is right for your business you need to determine your goals, your budget and your audience and go from there.

Need a little help figuring it all out? Contact us today to design your own search engine marketing strategy.

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