PPC V.S SEO? Which Is Better for Digital Advertising?

PPC V.S SEO? Which Is Better for Digital Advertising is a question we often hear from business owners and potential clients. Rightfully so because when it comes to digital marketing strategies, the two main approaches are pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and local search engine optimization (SEO). 

PPC and SEO are ways to help businesses appear in search results. PPC means “pay per click,” meaning business owners pay money each time someone clicks on their website in a search result.

SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” which is about ensuring a website has the right words and information to appear higher in the search results without paying for it. Your #1 goal of SEO is to rank on the first page because 95% of search traffic goes to the first page of search results.

Deciding which strategy is best for your business can be overwhelming. 

Both have distinct advantages and disadvantages that must be considered before deciding which approach to use.

To be clear, both strategies work. Ideally, you want to deploy both PPC & SEO to maximize your digital marketing efforts. 

 The right approach for your business will depend on your goals, budget, timeline and resources available.

Let’s take a closer look at the difference between the two and determine which best suits your marketing goals.

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization): 

What Is SEO?

SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization. SEO is a marketing strategy and the goal is to make your business easy to find whenever someone searches for a service or a product you offer.  

Example

You are a plumber in Settle and your SEO goal would be for your business (Website or Map Pack) to show on Google whenever someone searches for Plumbers in Settle. 

What is Local SEO and How Is It Different Than SEO? 

Local SEO is a type of search engine optimization that focuses on optimizing a website or Google My Business Profile to be found in local search results. It considers the location of the user searching and adjusts the content, keywords, and other factors accordingly. Local SEO is different from SEO because SEO focuses on optimizing for global search results, while Local SEO is more tailored to a specific geographic area.

Example:

Local SEO:

A resident of Atlanta, Georgia searches Google for “HVAC repair Atlanta ” to find a local HVAC repair service in Atlanta. 

SEO:

A user searches for “best running shoes” on Google. This is an example of a search engine optimization (SEO) query. Google is the most popular search engine, but Microsoft can provide the same quality of leads at a lower cost.

What are the basics of Local SEO?

Here are some basic things you can do to optimize for local search – local SEO 

1. Use high-converting local keywords (Roofers in Chicago) in your titles, images alt and the body of your pages. This will help search engines understand your site and index it accordingly.
2. Create a Google My Business Page (More on this later)
3. Register Your Business With Local Business Directories
4. Generate Positive Online Reviews
5. Make sure the website is mobile-optimized and lightning fast.
6. Build Backlinks to Boost Your Domain Authority 
7. Direct Citation 

What are some common mistakes people make when optimizing for Local SEO?

Here are some of the most common mistakes people make when optimizing their website for  SEO: 

•  Not doing keyword research: One of the most important things you need to do when optimizing your website for SEO is keyword research. With keyword research, you will know which keywords to target, and you could save time and effort by not focusing on the keywords that are too challenging to rank. 

• Not using keywords throughout your website: Once you’ve done your keyword research, it’s essential to place those keywords throughout your website. That means using them in your titles, meta tags, headlines, and content body.
• Dismissing The Power Of Backlinks: Backlinks is one of the most important factors in Google’s Ranking algorithm, and most local businesses make the mistake of dismissing them.  66% of pages don’t have a backlink, so there’s a huge opportunity for your business leap frog to the first page of the search results.

• Ghosting your Google My Business Profile: Having an up-to-date and optimized Google My Business (GMB) profile is essential for businesses to succeed in the digital age. Optimizing your profile will ensure you outrank your competitors for high transactional keywords. 

• Underestimate the Creating: Localized Content: With localized content, businesses can take advantage of the geographical targeting available from search engines such as Google. Not providing localized content could also mean that customers are unable to find local businesses using specific local keywords or phrases – further reducing the potential reach of a website’s organic traffic.

• Ignoring Voice Search: optimizing for voice search is a necessity to stay competitive. Not optimizing for voice search can result in companies missing out on potential customers. 

• Failing To Utilize Local Schema Markup: Failing to utilize local schema markup can seriously impact a business. It can lead to lower search engine rankings, resulting in fewer website visitors and decreased revenue. Additionally, it can make it harder for potential customers to find your business online and make it easier for search engines to interpret the information on your website correctly. 

• Neglecting to Track and Analyze Your Local SEO Performance (missed opportunities for improvement): You need to track and analyze to clearly understand how well your SEO efforts are performing, which can lead to missed opportunities. Additionally, with data-driven insights, it will be easier to make informed decisions on optimizing your SEO strategy. Finally, not tracking and analyzing could result in wasting resources on ineffective tactics that don’t bring desired results.

Pros & Cons of SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

There are both advantages and disadvantages to Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

On the plus side, SEO can be an extremely effective way to improve the ranking of your website and Google My Business Profile. It can also help to drive traffic and generate leads.

However, SEO can also be time-consuming and expensive, requiring ongoing effort to maintain results. Additionally, there is always the potential for Google to change its algorithm, which could cause a website’s ranking to drop.

Pros Of SEO

1. Increased visibility of your website or Google My Business Profile on search engines.

2. Improved credibility with potential customers.

3. Ability to target specific audiences with relevant content.

4. Improved user experience from reduced page load times and better navigation structure.

5. Cost-effective way to generate organic traffic to a website or GMB. 

Cons Of SEO

1. Requires ongoing maintenance and effort to stay competitive in search engine rankings.

2. It Can take time before seeing results in search engine rankings. Often 6 Months to 1 year to start ranking.  

3. Complex algorithms used by search engines can be challenging to keep up with when optimizing websites for SEO purposes. 

4. Risk of penalty from search engines if rules are not followed carefully or if using unethical tactics to gain higher rankings quickly.

Google My Business Profile 

Google My Business is a free tool provided by Google that allows businesses to display important information across Google’s main search platforms, including Search, Maps and the Google+ profile. Typically you’ll see a 

1. The Companies Name
2. Phone Number 
3. Hours of Operation 
4. Map
5. Reviews 
6. Photos 
7. Directions
8. Website Link 
9. Post 
10. FAQ

By creating and managing a Google My Business profile, you can get more visibility for your business, provide potential customers with helpful information about their products and services, and give them various ways of contacting your business.

Instead of visiting your website, a potential customer is more likely to visit your Google My Business profile and reach a conclusion about whether or not they’re interested. 

Going forward, your Google My Business profile should be a high priority if you want high-quality leads from Google. 

Your 

PPC: What is it?

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is an online advertising model that allows business owners to reach potential customers by paying a certain amount for each click on their advertisement. 

Instead of waiting for your website to rank for a keyword (SEO), you can jump the line for a fee. 

The fee is determined based on factors such as competition, keyword relevance and the quality score of the overall page. It’s important to note that while this digital marketing model requires money upfront to get started, it can provide quick results, which makes it worthwhile in terms of ROI.

PPC can be used in various ways depending on the campaign goals, such as driving more qualified leads and increasing website traffic.

(All PPC advertisements have the word “sponsored or Ad” next to the ad: It’s federal law)

Sometimes we talk to clients and they say” I always scroll past the sponsored ads on Google, do they really work?”

Yes, in fact, “65% of customers click on PPC ads”

Pros And Cons Of PPC Advertising 

While PPC offers an effective way to grab your target customer’s attention, some potential downsides must be considered before committing to this type of advertising.

Pros 

1. Cost-effective – Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is one of the most cost-efficient forms when done correctly.

2. Targeted marketing – PPC ads can be tailored to specific audiences, making them much more effective than traditional advertising methods.

3. Quick results – Unlike SEO, PPC can generate leads immediately after launching an ad campaign. 

4. Measurable results – With PPC campaigns, tracking every click and conversion is easy, so you know exactly which ads are working and which need improvement. 

5. Mobile optimization – Most search engines offer mobile-optimized pay-per-click ads that make it easier for mobile users to find what they’re looking for online. 

Cons

1. PPC requires significant knowledge, experience, and time investment to be successful. 

2. Crafting effective ads that stand out from competitors requires expertise and trial & error approach to optimization. 

3. Finding the right keywords to target can be challenging and require extensive research and testing before finding success. 

4. Click fraud can sometimes occur, wasting money on ineffective campaigns or ads that don’t convert into sales or leads as expected. 

5. If not appropriately managed, ad budgets can get out

The Most Popular PPC Platform is Google. Let’s dive into why Google PPC Ads are a game changer and how your business can benefit.

Google Ads is a program that allows businesses to pay to have their website appear at the top of Google’s search results. 

What is Google Ads?

Google Ads is a program that allows businesses to pay to have their website appear at the top of Google’s search results. 

What is a good Google Ads Strategy To Generate Leads & Sales?

Google Ads can be an excellent way for businesses to quickly generate leads and sales.

It allows businesses to target potential customers interested in their offer.

6 Steps to launching a successful Google Ads campaign

1. Set-Up conversion tracking 
2. Select their keywords
3. Create relevant ad copy
4. Send traffic to a high-converting landing page
5. Bid on high-converting keywords
6. Optimize your campaign with a lead tracking software

Once these steps are taken, businesses can look forward to a steady flow of leads and sales. 

What are some common mistakes people make launching a google ad campaign?

One of the most common mistakes when launching a Google ad campaign is failing to research keywords properly. Keywords are the foundation of any effective ad campaign; with them, your ads will be seen by potential customers.

Another common mistake is not setting a budget for your ad spend. Without a budget, you can quickly overspend on your ads and have a negative ROI. 

Finally, another mistake people make is not monitoring their campaigns closely enough.

Google offers many tools to help you track your campaign’s progress and performance, so be sure to take advantage of them.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to launching a successful Google ad campaign.

Pros & Cons Of Google Ads

The Pros Of Google Ads:

-A very effective way to reach potential customers and promote your product or service.

-Target a specific audience, which can be beneficial if you know your target market.

– Flexible regarding budget and campaign goals, so you can tailor your campaign to suit your needs.

-Detailed reporting so you can track your campaign’s progress and ROI.

-Features and tools that can help you customize your campaigns for maximum effectiveness.

Cons: Of Google Ads:

-Expensive, depending on your budget and the keywords you are bidding on.

-Time-consuming to set up and manage if you are unfamiliar with the platform.

-Requires constant monitoring and optimization to ensure that your campaigns perform well.

PPC V.S SEO? Which Is Better for Digital Advertising?

Deciding PPC V.S SEO and which is better your business depends on your goals, timeline, and budget. PPC is great for driving short-term traffic, but SEO can provide long-term organic traffic. Consider what your budget is and what kind of results you want to achieve. Both methods can be effective if used correctly. 

In conclusion, SEO and Google Ads are two very different marketing strategies. SEO is a long-term investment that requires patience and consistent effort, while Google Ads is a more immediate solution that can provide results more quickly. SEO is free, while Google Ads involves a monthly advertising budget that doesn’t include a service fee.

If you are looking for an immediate impact and have an advertising budget, then PPC advertisements are the way to go.

However, both strategies can effectively fill your pipeline with high-quality leads and should be used as complementary tools in your overall marketing plan.

Frequently Asked Questions About SEO & PPC

Is PPC or SEO More measurable and quantifiable? 

Both PPC and SEO can be measured and quantified, though in different ways. With PPC, you can track conversions from clicks on your ads and the cost of each click. With SEO, you can measure organic search traffic to your website and track keyword rankings. Ultimately, it depends on how quickly you want the data. PPC is more short term and SEO is long-term. 

How is ranking different when comparing PPC v.s SEO?

Need Google Ads or SEO Audit?

We will do a complete Google Ads audit of your website and identify the best keywords to bid on.

Once we find the best keywords to target, we will create ads relevant to what you offer so that you can reach potential customers interested in what you have to offer.