Search Engine Optimisation VS. Pay-Per-Click. What’s the difference?

Are you struggling to understand or have never heard of search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC)? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Only 30% of small businesses use SEO/PPC despite the many benefits it can provide.

So, what’s the difference between the two?

Well, SEO is all about optimizing your website to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords or phrases. PPC, on the other hand, involves creating and paying for ads that appear on search engine results pages when users search for specific keywords or phrases. Let’s have a closer look at each.

SEO

It involves a structured approach to increasing the position of your website or products in search engine natural or organic results listings for selected keywords or phrases. You do this by analysing your key phrases, considering qualifiers, optimizing your page content, and building quality external links. Sounds easy, right? But watch out for search engine spamming, which can reduce your ranking.

PPC

Pay-per-click refers to when a company pays for text ads to be displayed on search engine results pages as a sponsored link. The marketer pays each time the hypertext link in the ad is clicked on. The position in PPC is often based on an auction system where the highest bid wins the highest ranking. However, quality score also plays a role, which takes into account click-through rates, the relevance of the keyword to destination site content, and overall user engagement.

Now that you know the basics, let’s discuss the pros and cons of each. SEO is great for long-term organic results, but it takes time and effort to see the benefits. PPC, on the other hand, can provide immediate results, but it can be expensive.

So, which one should you choose? Well, it depends on your business goals, budget, and timeline. Do you want immediate results or long-term organic results? Are you willing to invest time and effort or money? Thank you for reading this week’s edition of the weekly marketing digest and I hope you choose wisely!