SEO or PPC? Which is right for you?

The ongoing debate between search engine optimization and pay per click advertising has our clients asking which web marketing strategy is the right investment for them.

SEO and PPC both have the same desired outcome, they both drive traffic and increase leads or sales for a company or individual’s website.  It’s just the money, time and return of investment that clients worry about.

Search engine optimization takes time and skill from experts to get top search engine rankings for related keywords. The results of SEO can lead to greater authority, long-term, top rankings on search engines, with steady traffic. However, SEO is an art with no guarantee, and a return of investment that happens organically, over time.

With pay per click, clients can buy their way to top search engines through advertisements like Google Adwords.  It is quick to setup, guarantees top search engine rankings and fast results. However, staying at the top can cost a lot of money by paying for every click.

In “SEO vs. PPC: When Should You Invest In Each?” published in Business to Community by Jayson DeMers, he said, “It’s natural for us to seek and adapt a system that offers greater returns for lesser inputs (money spent, time invested, resources employed, etc.). If your goal is simply ‘get listed on Google for specific keywords in order to generate traffic,’ PPC wins as the most optimal solution, at least in the short term. People who run websites that aren’t intended to sell directly (or where revenue isn’t directly related to quantity of traffic) are much less likely to find PPC to be a viable option for their search marketing. In this case, only SEO can do the trick.”

PPC campaigns can work wonders for ecommerce websites that are looking to sell products directly and quickly, while SEO can give websites great authority and lead to a much higher return of investment than PPC over time.

“If you’re not running an ecommerce website (or if your intention is not just selling something but building authority over the long haul), don’t waste your time debating SEO and PPC. Your strategy has to be SEO, hands down,” Meyers said.

And we agree with Meyers. Overall, return of investment will go far with search engine optimization and give your website the authority it needs to succeed online. Back up your search engine optimization efforts with pay per click campaigns to sell more products if you are an ecommerce website.

Either way, web marketing initiatives should be customized for your company, its website and the type of business you do.  Mission Web Marketing and a team of SEO and PPC experts are here to help customize your marketing initiatives for your online success.

If you have questions or need help with your web marketing initiatives to generate more traffic and sales, contact Mission Web Marketing today and schedule your 100% free consultation at 800.260.6406.