If have done any type of online marketing in the past then you know the difference between Pay Per Click or PPC and Search Engine Optimization or SEO. PPC simply allows you to bid on your ranking position and every time your ad is clicked on you will pay the search engine the amount you bid. SEO is organic rankings which is determined by the search engine using a complex algorithm. So there are major benefits to using both types of marketing but where should you be allocating more of your marketing dollars in 2014? This is a question that many small online businesses struggle with and depending upon who you ask the answer may differ. Let?s take a look at the pros and cons of each and then you can make up your mind. PROS FOR SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
- Probably the biggest pro to search engine optimization is that you don?t have to pay every time a user clicks on your website. Once you obtain the rankings for keywords the traffic to your website is free.
- When people use search engines such as Google most everybody skips past the paid listings down to the organic rankings. If your website is ranking in the top 5 for keywords that get a lot of traffic odds are you will see more targeted traffic to your website. There are statistics out there that show about 60% of clicks go to the first organic result.
- Brand creditility will be much higher when you rank for competitive keywords. People are more likely to trust websites that rank highly on search engines especially if that search engine is Google. The reason for this is because the search engines have very complex algorithms that place the most relevant websites on the first page for specific keywords.
- If done correctly by a Phoenix SEO company then you will notice a high return on investment.
- While there is not a lot of cons to SEO probably the biggest is the fact that it takes time to rank and there is no guarantees that you will rank on the 1st page. Running a successful SEO campaign is time consuming but you must remember that a successful SEO campaign is a marathon not a sprint. If you do things the right way and play by the search engine?s rules then you will be fine. Remember to do keyword research prior to starting a SEO campaign because there are some keywords that you simply won?t be able to rank for as the companies that are ranking for certain keywords are fortune 500 companies and throwing 100?s of thousands of dollars at this.
- Another con is trying to keep up with all of the algorithm changes. Just when you get a strategy down that appears to be working and you are beginning to see rankings Google can update their algorithm and you could see a dramatic drop in your rankings. This can be frustrating but if you do things honestly and with integrity this shouldn?t affect you too bad.
- Unlike SEO, PPC results are instant depending upon how much you bid. This can create instant traffic to your website and allow you to see an instant return on investment.
- You will have the ability to set up a budget so that you don?t go over it. Whether you want to spend $500 or $10,000 a month you will be able to determine your budget. Remember that once your budget is met your ads won?t show again until the following month.
- A major benefit to paid ads is that they are what most users see when searching from a mobile device before they have to scroll. On most mobile devices the paid ads are the ones that show above the fold making your ad stand out above all others to mobile users.
- You will be able use a variety of keywords in your campaign and run tests to see which keywords have the best conversions.
- Results can be expensive when using a PPC campaign because every time a user clicks on your website you will have to pay. It doesn?t matter if the user converts or not.
- Unlike an SEO campaign results will only last as long as your budget lasts. If you have a $1,000 per month budget once it is met your ads will no longer show up on the search engines. With an SEO campaign once you achieve high rankings on the search engines your rankings can hold even after you stop your campaign.