SEO Vs. Paid Search – What’s the Best Choice for Your Brand?

SEO Vs. Paid Search – What’s the Best Choice for Your Brand?

Although SEO (also known as Search Engine Optimization) and Pay Per Click Advertising have a lot in common, they are very different forms of digital marketing. The one that you will choose for your brand will depend on a number of factors, including:

• Your internet marketing goals,
• How your website pages are currently performing on Google for certain search terms,
• Your digital marketing budget, and
• How quickly you want to see results.

To best understand which option you should choose, it is important to understand some of the key differences between Search Engine Optimization and Pay Per Click Advertising.

• Search Engine Optimization

SEO refers to certain on-page and off-page tactics that a digital marketer employs to get your website pages ranking in Google’s search results ‘organically’ (in other words, without paying for ad space). These tactics include everything from internal and external link building and content marketing to keyword placement in your content, writing keyword rich ALT tags for your images, checking the loading times of your pages and ‘optimizing’ the way people use your site and consume your content. SEO is an ongoing and long-term strategy: the more you do consistently, the better it will be for your brand in the long run.

• Pay Per Click Advertising

PPC, on the other hand, refers to the ad space on the top and bottom of the Google search results page. These advertisement spots, which usually include a heading and a short description, can be purchased by bidding on certain keywords. The benefit of PPC campaigns is that, when expertly planned and executed, it can bring you immediate results. Instead of spending months writing content to try to get your pages ranked on Google, you can bid on keywords and be in front of your potential customers’ eyes immediately.

The drawback of PPC is that you will be paying for each click, which means that you need to think carefully about the keywords that you want to bid on (and make sure that you have content on your site or a separate landing page that will compel a potential customer to contact you or buy something directly off your site). You can set a daily budget, but when your budget has been reached, the ads will disappear off Google.

Both Search Engine Optimization and Pay Per Click have their uses and major benefits for any brand. Many times, both strategies are used in conjunction with each other for maximum results.

If you are considering investing in SEO or PPC, get in touch with WSI New Media Marketing in Greensboro, Carolina. We can guide you through the process and make sure that you get the most bang for your buck.