Potential clients often ask what the difference is between SEO and PPC, and whether they should have both, one or the other, or indeed if either of them are required. In this article we are going to look at SEO vs PPC, what each of these is, their relevant role and how they can potentially affect business.
SEO Vs PPC
Lets start with a high level overview of what they are and what they do. One of the easiest ways of approaching this is by looking at them from the point of view of organic and paid searches.
An organic search is when someone goes online, searches for a product or service, and the results of that search are displayed. These results are based on how the search engine has identified the details that are held on different websites, and then places these results in order based on how relevant the information found on the site is to the original search term.
When the results of a search are displayed, sometimes at the top and bottom of the screen there will be results which will have the word Ad next to it. These are paid results. What has happened here is that the company has paid for their website to be displayed when someone searches for a particular word or phrase.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation is the process of ensuring that your website has the relevant information to be displayed as high as possible within ordinary search results. PPC, or Pay Per Click, is the act of creating adverts for your website which will then display in the search results.
SEO
Search Engine Optimisation is made up of a series of different processes designed to make your website appear to its best advantage when searches are performed. There are many different areas within SEO and all of them need to be addressed on a regular basis to ensure that the maximum scores are achieved. There needs to be an understanding of what Google looks for, and this includes the technical aspect of how the website is created and displayed, the speed of display of the website, as well as the actual content. Content in particular needs to be up to date and relevant, and so it is important to ensure that any website has regular updates to it to remain relevant. SEO can take a long time for a client on a regular basis. This is not something that is set up once and then can be forgotten or ignored. At least once a week additional work needs to be carried out on a website to ensure the best overall SEO scores are maintained.
PPC
Pay Per Click is the act of creating adverts, and then paying for them to be clicked on. A series of words or phrases linked to the specialities of the website are created, and then adverts are designed to be displayed at the time that someone searches for those terms. This works on a bidding system, and so a great deal of time and work is required to identify the words that are most likely to be searched for in relation to a clients business, as well as understanding the cost implications. If a particular search word is very popular, it will cost more for your advert to be displayed. The way this works is through a bidding system where a client specifies the maximum that they are willing to bid on a particular series of words. The client only pay if someone clicks on their advert, but only the adverts which are willing to pay the relevant bid amounts are then displayed. There is also the detail of creating the actual advert that will be displayed. This needs to be relevant and also try to encourage the searcher to click on the relevant link.
In Conclusion
To ensure the maximum visibility of a website it is important to understand how both SEO and PPC work, and to use both of them to maximise your lead generation. SEO will ensure that your site is viewed and shown in the best way when an individual searches, and PPC allows you to boost your organic visibility with adverts displayed targeted on specific words and phrases which may be searched for. It is not a case of SEO vs PPC, but understanding how both of them have specific roles and using them together gives you the best results.
Digital Bazaar helps clients understand and control both their SEO and PPC and work with them to create a holistic approach to their website visibility. Contact us now to see how you can join the many happy clients who work with us, and boost your web presence.
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