Search engine optimisation (SEO) refers to the techniques designed to improve the natural, organic ranking of a web page in the search engine results pages (SERPs). You employ on-page and off-page optimisation tactics to make your website more attractive to search engines for specific keywords.
The closer you are to the top of the SERPs, the more chance your target audience will see and click through to your website.
Pay per click (PPC) is a paid search advertising tactic. You bid to ensure your ads appear on the results page when someone types in a search query with your keyword. Why is it called pay per click? Because you pay the bid amount every time someone clicks on your ad. Your goal is to generate the most clicks at the lowest cost per conversion, because that’s where you achieve the best return on investment.
So, the main difference between SEO and PPC is simple: SEO is organic, and PPC is paid. But there’s more. SEO provides one of the most sustainable, long-term growth solutions while pay-per-click advertising delivers more immediate results. Together, they form the foundation for the most profitable digital marketing campaigns.
Getting to page 1 of Google naturally doesn’t happen overnight – it takes months. But when you get there, you get the advantages of consistent, targeted traffic over the long term.
If you need conversions right now, a targeted PPC campaign will deliver. PPC is proven to launch businesses from zero web presence to first-page dominance in a matter of hours. And you know what that means? Targeted traffic clicking through to your site. So, if you need to promote an offer with an expiration date, PPC can help you get the word out on Google Shopping to generate real sales – FAST.
PPC also helps you target people with a strong likelihood of buying, which means a high proportion of those clicks translate into actual sales.
Here’s the twist: while SEO and PPC are different strategies with their own unique have strengths and weaknesses, you can use both together to dominate the search results, and the competition. Using PPC data helps inform your SEO strategy and vice versa. You can combine SEO and PPC for remarketing campaigns, and you can invest in both tactics to rule the search engine results– paid and organic. Work with a digital marketing agency who knows how to do SEO, PPC and social media advertising brilliantly and see what’s truly possible.