SEO vs PPC & PPC vs SEO

Advantages of SEO vs PPC:

• Organically ranked pages generally receive the highest click through ratios, 5-10x more than PPC, depending on the market.
• As Page Rank grows, a site’s position in the ranking will appear higher in the results listing directly increasing legitimacy, and the appearance of expertise. SEO has long term benefit.
• Once solid ranking has been established, the cost of maintaining or increasing that rank will be substantially less than a comparable PPC campaign.
• SEO, if done correctly, will simultaneously improve the user experience of your site. It will benefit your customers because your content will be efficiently cataloged and easier to use.
• At this time, SEO has a direct impact on PPC costs by increasing keyword relevance. PPC does not help SEO.

Disadvantages of SEO vs PPC

• Patience is a factor! Building ranking is a slow process and requires dedication. It may take 2 months, or 2 years, there is no way to exactly delineate how long it will take to reach your ranking objectives. It is dependent upon how aggressive you are, the skills of your SEO provider, and the amount of competition.
• Did I mention that it takes time to build rank? This is especially true in a competitive marketplace!
• An Exception to the Rule: Yahoo’s “Paid Inclusion” allows website owners to purchase Organic Ranking, in a PPC format. Sites will appear in the normal search field as an organically ranked site, but all traffic is paid for each click through to the site.

Advantages of PPC vs SEO

• Immediate Results!
• Allows anyone to get top ranking exposure.
• Customizable daily spending limits per keyword.
• Real Time Tracking: Click Through/Spending Stats.
• Easy to use and control
• Allows user to set and compete for unlimited keyword fields.
• Provides invaluable conversion feedback on keyword targets

Disadvantages of PPC vs SEO

• Talk about potentially expensive – just imagine a retailer paying $10 cash to everyone who walked into their store!
• Requires daily/weekly/monthly maintenance in most cases.
• Provides no long term benefit to your site or SEO efforts.

As more and more people every day are utilizing search engines as their primary shopping and purchasing medium, the internet provides a business marketing field unlike any other. Your product can be viewed by a larger audience than is afforded by any other form of advertising - an indisputable fact. Therefore, it can be easily argued that a savvy business will dedicate the largest portion of its marketing budget to the internet, with the majority going to SEO and/or PPC campaigns. As with any marketing strategy, a sufficient budget is a must, the question is one of priority: immediate or long term results? The best campaign will encompass both. A 50/50 approach is recommended, or something close to it; half to SEO, half to PPC. Assuming your budget is sufficient for your industry, then you are assured exposure now, and for the foreseeable future.

Once organic ranking has been established, and the website/page is in the top 5 or 10 results for your keyword, the PPC budget can be directed to new keyword targets to expand your scope and exposure. Or you can reduce or eliminate it if desired. However, as competition grows, continued vigilance will be required to ensure those rankings are maintained, providing efficient ROI, and sufficient results. Many companies with top organic rankings are still maintaining PPC budgets to guarantee top placement in both fields, for maximum exposure."