Should You Do SEO or PPC Marketing

by Monika Beck | Featured Contributor

Search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click advertising (PPC) are two powerful tools to market your website.

Each has its own strengths. Understanding how to leverage both approaches will create the strongest outcomes for your business.

When deciding which marketing approach is right for you, consider these three aspects:

Credibility

Often, search engines are a customer’s first option when researching a purchase. People trust the recommendations they see on Google when conducting their research. A person is most likely to trust sites that pop up high in a search ranking. The majority of people will select among the top three results because they view these sites as the best. This is because people trust in the thinking that Google’s algorithm is unbiased. They trust the SEO process.

A website builds a small businesses’ credibility. Because the internet is such a common consumer tool, businesses without strong websites seem shady. With PPC marketing, you can compete with large companies by paying to appear at the top of a search result. This places your business alongside other trusted brands. PPC produces strong leads. If you are small organization or just starting out, PPC has excellent return on investment because it connects you directly with potential buyers.

Intent and speed

With search engines, you know a customer is either looking to make a purchase or research about a future purchase. Because you are focusing on keywords, you understand what a potential buyer wants. SEO is good if you are open to customers who are doing research or browsing. These customers are less likely to respond to paid advertisements because they are still reviewing their options. SEO offers fewer guarantees because there is uncertainty about a customer’s behavior. However, SEO is cheaper as a long term strategy.

Consumers who are looking to make a quick purchase respond more to PPC. This is because they know what they are looking for and your ads can connect them with your products. Because of this, you can see quick results with PPC. You can create ad campaigns with very specific consumers in mind and target a specific budget.

Local customers

Many people prefer to buy from a local business. This means that you need to have a local focus for both your SEO and PPC advertising. To make sure your business appears in these searches, you need to focus on local.

Include your city and metro area for your SEO and PPC details. For example, if you are offering pet sitting service in San Diego, CA, make sure that your ads are optimized for your geo target area. The same is true for local SEO. Optimize your content and web pages for your geo target area.

Be mobile ready

You can also ensure your website is set up to work well with mobile devices. Run some tests to ensure your website is user-friendly in multiple environments.

PPC advertisements receive more views on mobile devices than they do on desktops. Customers are looking to make a quick decision. They could also be looking for a nearby solution.

Make sure your website and your ads are responsive.

Conclusion

By this point you should have an understanding of the advantages of SEO and PPC. It is important to use both when marketing your website. There will be situations where one approach will work better than another. However, a blended overall plan will work best for your company in the long run.

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Savvy web designer with a twist – Monika Beck with Webene – San Diego, CA.

Monika Beck is passionate about website design, web programming, ecommerce, and building businesses. She is a serial entrepreneur and the cofounder of Success Harbor a website dedicated to help entrepreneurs succeed. Success Harbor interviews successful entrepreneurs and publishes topics relevant to business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Monika started Success Harbor with her cofounder in order to ease the life of entrepreneurs through original research, tips and unique content. Monika is also cofounder of Webene, a website design and online marketing firm based in San Diego, CA. Webene specializes in mobile-friendly responsive websites built on the WordPress platform. Monika loves playing classical music on the piano.

Monika Beck

Savvy web designer with a twist – Monika Beck with Webene – San Diego, CA.

Monika BeckMonika Beck is passionate about website design, web programming, ecommerce, and building businesses. She is a serial entrepreneur and the cofounder of Success Harbor a website dedicated to help entrepreneurs succeed. Success Harbor interviews successful entrepreneurs and publishes topics relevant to business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Monika started Success Harbor with her cofounder in order to ease the life of entrepreneurs through original research, tips and unique content. Monika is also a web designer and cofounder of Webene, a website design and online marketing firm based in San Diego, CA. Webene specializes in mobile-friendly responsive websites built on the WordPress platform. Monika loves playing classical music on the piano.