It’s the golden rule in e-commerce – traffic is the lifeline to any online business! The success of an online business is based on the amount of traffic it can generate.
Now there’s a huge debate going on when it comes to which search marketing method is best for online businesses. Some would say that SEO is the best route to go if you’re a local business, while some would argue that PPC is better. Who to believe?
First things first, both SEO and PPC are two of the most powerful traffic generating methods.
For those of you who are new to the SEO world, SEO stands for search engine optimization. PPC stands for pay-per-click. So what’s the difference? The good news is: Both SEO and PPC end goals are the same – to get visitors to a particular website. The bad news is that to succeed with both methods, online marketers should know their strengths and limitations. So to clarify what method to use for your company, the Avenue180 team is here to tell you the key differences between SEO and PPC and when each one is appropriate.
When Should You Use SEO?
SEO is aimed to target a specific website to the first page of major search engines like Google and Bing.
The first reason why SEO would be appropriate for an online business is when you want to track results. SEO has a relatively long gestation period, so it’s ideal for tracking results.
Showing up on the first page of Google won’t happen in a few weeks or months. It’s going to take some time. But the moment your website shows up on the first page of Google searches because of SEO, you’ll have a steady flow of traffic and you’ll be able to track it from a monthly to a yearly basis.
Second reason for implementing SEO plans and maintaining them is so your online business can achieve longevity on the first page of search engine pages.
When Should Use PPC?
Pay-per-click or PPC literally means you pay every time a user clicks on your promoted advertisement. It’s basically an online advertising method that shows up on Google search engine results pages.
For example, when someone types keywords related to your business on Google, your promoted ad will appear in the sponsored results. When the user clicks on the ad, they will be directly linked to your website, and presto, you’ve got traffic!
The top three PPC platforms are Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook’s advertising platform. At Avenue180, we live and breathe PPC, so we’re Google Adwords Certified and Bing Ads Accredited.
The first reason why you should use PPC advertising is when you want to see instant results. Let’s say you launch your first PPC campaign, within minutes of it being approved and published online, your ads will immediately reach millions of users. The traffic is instantaneous.
So, with our PPC experience, we say if you have a new product to launch, a seasonal promotion, or squeeze page, PPC is the best option to choose over SEO.
Second reason to choose PPC over SEO, is when you’re targeting a specific demographic. Let’s say in October you want to advertise your Halloween costume website to college students, PPC marketing will allow you to choose the age group, gender, and education level.
Facebook gets even deeper, allowing you to target people based on their college. So if you’re located in a specific city near a certain college, you can choose the college and surrounding area to target college students in your PPC campaign.
Third reason to choose PPC over SEO, is when you’re promoting an offer with an time-sensitive expiration date like 48 hours. This is where PPC gets the traffic you need in a matter of minutes and you can compare results during the 48 hour time period.
Let Us Help You Create Effective SEO and PPC Campaigns Now!
We’ve just presented you the main differences between SEO and PPC, and now it’s time to put SEO and PPC into effect with your business! At Avenue180 we’re professional SEO and PPC experts, so let’s work together to create the best SEO and PPC campaigns! Contact us here and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!
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