Should Your Business Choose PPC or SEO To Drive Traffic?

by ​Chloe Smith, Guest Contributor

Today the importance of online marketing has become undeniable and most of it is done through search engines. People are searching for the things they need and it’s very unlikely they’ll go directly to your website. So they’re going to find their destination through a search engine, meaning that you’re faced with rapidly-growing competition that grows bigger every second. Having in mind that users will rarely go past the first page of the results you need to be on that first page if you want your business to survive. That means you need to improve your site rankings in order to bring more traffic. You can do it via SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or PPC (Pay Per Click), and which option to choose has turned into a never-ending debate. 
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Understand the basics of PPC and SEO.

Reaching a decision can be pretty difficult and confusing since both options have pros and cons and each of them relies on different knowledge, underlying strategy, and set of resources. You need to figure out which one is better for your own traffic goals and for that you need to understand the basics of both.

Building a strategy patiently (and adapting it)
If your goals are not just to improve your online presence immediately but also to build a strong community with the customers, then implementing SEO strategies can be a great way to accomplish that. If you develop an organic SEO strategy you will make sure that your business is gonna make more money in the long-term period of time. And during that period it will drive more qualified traffic with the content that will become relevant because your customers find it valuable.

But building internet strategy that big requires some patience.  Experts know that all three phases of the development must be executed with care and precision - first you need to create a high-quality content, then you need to optimize it, and then publish it in the end. That's why quality SEO strategy often requires an entire team of experts, but, on the other hand, it doesn’t depend on an immediate cost. It is more like a long-term investment in long-term results. And don’t worry, long-term doesn’t mean that you’ll also have to wait an eternity to see the results - if done properly, SEO can start delivering qualified leads to your website after just 6 months.

The best thing about this option is that it will make your content live online with search engines continuing to serve it to customers through various searches. But the truth remains that you’ll have to wait for those results a while after you’ve invested your time or money. But once that initial start-up period is over and the results start growing they will fulfill your expectations.

Bear in mind, that SEO doesn’t boil down only to link building. You need to pay extra attention on how to optimize the website itself, and how to use web design to your advantage. GWM SEO suggest that you invest time and money into coordinating your web design with your on page SEO efforts if you want maximum results from your campaign.

The only thing that can ruin the success of this strategy is the change in algorithm that Google and other search engines make. But if you have an experienced team of experts behind you they should be able to track these changes and adapt the strategy in order to keep you on the first page. So it’s an ongoing process that requires patience and certain adaptations, but the results (or rather your place in them) are certainly worth it.

I want it all and I want it now
f patience is not your virtue and you need to drive qualified traffic to your website immediately, Pay Per Click marketing strategy can enable you to do just that. Basically, in this strategy everything is immediate, and that allows you to have more control.  There are a whole bunch of settings you can change anytime (ad copy, keywords, etc.) and your business ranks will also change the moment you make them.

So, as soon as you optimize your PPC ads you can increase your traffic and get immediate results on search engines. But, of course, there is a catch, and it hides in the very name of this strategy - each click will cost you money. So, you can have it all and you can have it now if you have the budget for it now. This means that you can spend a great deal of money pretty quickly. And then there are bidding wars to watch out for.

As you can see, the biggest con of this marketing strategy is the fact that you actually pay for all the clicks which can become pretty expensive. PPC provides you with an option to set a budget so you wouldn’t spend further than a given range, but this option doesn’t really allow you to put your mind at ease. If you don’t monitor it carefully it won't cost you money, but it will cost you the traffic you’ve been building - if the budget is exceeded the advertisements are gone. As we said at the beginning, you can gain all the traffic you want right away, but you can also lose it in a blink of an eye.

So, which to choose?
It seems that SEO is better for bigger companies that have time an money to develop a bigger and longer-lasting marketing strategy, while PPC is for small business owners that need to increase their traffic right away. But this only appears so. The reality is not so black & white. In fact, this is a question only you can give an answer to, according to your capacity, budget, and before all, your goals. So, what’s it gonna be?
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Author bio:

Chloe Smith is a business consultant for SEO Reseller Hub, a cycling enthusiast and a part-time writer always willing to share tidbits of advice. She believes that passion, courage and, above all, knowledge breed success. When she’s not working, she’s probably somewhere cuddled up with a good book, and a cup of lemongrass tea (or more honestly binge-watching the newest Netflix hit show).