As a marketing agency, we often get asked by small business owners which is better for their company: SEO vs. Paid Advertising. Optimising their website for search engines known as search engine optimisation or SEO, or paying for clicks to their website, known as paid advertising or PPC. It’s a common question, and the answer isn’t always straightforward. Both strategies can be effective in their own way, and the right choice will depend on the specific goals and resources of your business.
To start, let’s define what each strategy entails when it comes to SEO vs. Paid Advertising. SEO involves optimising a website to improve its ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords or phrases related to the business. This can involve a range of tactics, such as keyword research and analysis, optimising the structure and layout of the website, and ensuring that the website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. The goal of SEO is to attract more organic (non-paid) traffic to the website over time.
On the other hand, paid advertising involves paying to place ads on search engine results on pages or other websites. This can be a quick way to drive traffic to a website, as the ads will appear as soon as they are paid for. However, it can also be more expensive, as the business will have to pay for each click on the ad. Paid advertising can be a good option for businesses that have a specific promotion or events they want to promote, or that want to target a specific audience.
So, which strategy is right for your small business, SEO vs. Paid Advertising? The answer will depend on your specific goals and resources. Here are a few things to consider:
Time frame: If you need to drive traffic to your website quickly, paid advertising may be the better choice. SEO can take some time to see results, as it involves making various changes to the website to improve its ranking.
Budget: One argument for why SEO may be better for small businesses than PPC is cost. PPC, or pay-per-click advertising, typically involves paying for each click on an ad, which can add up quickly and may not be sustainable for a small business with limited resources. SEO, or search engine optimisation, involves optimising a website and its content to rank higher in organic search results, which can bring in targeted traffic without the cost of paid advertising. Additionally, SEO can have a longer-term impact, as a website that ranks well in organic search results will continue to drive traffic to a business over time, whereas PPC campaigns may only drive traffic while they are active.
Long-term vs. short-term: The benefits of long-term results using SEO compared to short-term results of using PPC is that SEO can provide a sustainable source of traffic for a business. Once a website is optimised for search engines and is ranking well for relevant keywords, it will continue to drive targeted traffic to the business without the need for ongoing investment. This can be especially beneficial for small businesses with limited resources, as they can allocate their budget towards other areas of their business while still reaping the benefits of SEO.
On the other hand, PPC campaigns are time-sensitive and often need to be constantly monitored and adjusted. Once a PPC campaign is stopped, the traffic from it will also stop. Additionally, the cost of PPC campaigns can be very high, especially for competitive keywords, and it’s not always easy for small businesses to compete with larger companies that can afford to spend more on advertising.
Specific goals: If you have a specific promotion or event you want to promote, or if you want to target a specific audience, paid advertising may be the better choice. SEO is more focused on improving the overall visibility and ranking of the website.
in the SEO vs. Paid Advertising discussion SEO is a valuable strategy for online marketing, it may not always be the best fit for certain campaigns and promotions. In these cases, PPC can be a more effective option and can provide benefits such as:
Faster results: PPC campaigns can be set up and start driving traffic to a website almost immediately, whereas it can take several months for SEO efforts to start showing results.
Targeted reach: PPC campaigns can be targeted to specific demographics, geographic locations, and even specific times of day, allowing for a more targeted reach compared to SEO.
Measurable results: PPC campaigns provide detailed analytics and tracking, allowing businesses to see how many clicks and conversions their ads are getting, and make adjustments accordingly.
Increased visibility: PPC ads can appear at the top of search engine results, increasing visibility and driving more traffic to a website.
Cost-effective: PPC campaigns can be cost-effective for businesses and easy to control the budget as you pay only for the clicks you get.
Ultimately, the choice between SEO and paid advertising will depend on the specific goals and resources of your small business. It may be helpful to consider a combination of both strategies, as they can complement each other and help to drive more traffic to your website. As a marketing agency, Digital Storm can help you to determine the best approach for your business and develop a plan to achieve your goals. Why not call us and we can have an informal chat about what’s best for you and your business.
