SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and PPC (Pay Per Click) are both essential components of a successful digital marketing strategy. Whether you are a start-up looking to grow your business or a more established organisation planning to develop further, these two marketing strategies can go a long way towards helping you realise your business’ goals.
Getting to Grips with SEO and PPC
First things first –what is the difference between SEO and PPC?
In brief, SEO is the process of improving your website’s results for organic search engine listings. By optimising your website, you can increase your chances of ranking for specific keywords and phrases you want to target, therefore developing your online presence and boosting your chances of success in the digital environment.
Conversely, PPC is considered an easier way to secure ‘quick wins’ when it comes to online marketing and promotion. Instead of working to boost your visibility in organic search engine results, you can pay a specified fee to place your ad in the sponsored results section at the top of the listing. Many people see it as an immediate way to increase traffic and exposure, but over time, a comprehensive SEO strategy is more likely to develop and maintain a consistently high level of visitors to your site.
The Benefits of SEO
Over recent years, SEO has become an increasingly relevant, sophisticated way of developing your online presence. As more and more businesses make the move towards an online strategy, the opportunities for growth and development are endless. Therefore, it is important to harness the benefits of SEO and do what you can to ensure your business continues to do as well as possible online.
Although there are numerous advantages to Search Engine Optimisation, here are a few of the principal benefits.
Increased Traffic
The higher up the organic search engine listings you are, the more traffic you are likely to receive. Although not all traffic will convert, the chances of increasing your sales and conversions will also increase as you get a higher volume of traffic to your site. Of course, this is one of the overall goals of most SEO campaigns, so it makes sense that this will be a significant benefit arising from the process.
Brand Awareness and Visibility
Put simply, the more visible your site is, the more people are likely to remember your brand. From the name of the business to the slogan, logo and specific design traits, brand awareness is an essential way to get people thinking and talking about your organisation.
Relevancy
If prospective clients or customers are searching for a phrase that your site appears for, the chances are that your site or a certain page on your site will have been optimised for that particular phrase. This means that many people who land on that page will have been searching for the specific product or service that you offer, meaning that a targeted audience looking for what you offer is arriving on your virtual doorstep. What better way to boost sales?
What Can PPC Add to the Equation?
When successfully used together, SEO and PPC can help your digital marketing strategy reach ever greater heights.
For start-ups and smaller businesses, in particular, PPC can be a great way to introduce your business to the world of digital marketing. Providing a quick way to generate results, for many people, PPC is the perfect introduction paving the way for a more intensive SEO campaign.
However, many savvy business owners and digital marketers recommend using PPC to support your main SEO strategy. When used alongside SEO, PPC can help to keep costs in the green in the short-term while you are busy planning for the long-term with your overall SEO campaign. As both PPC and SEO have their own unique set of advantages and disadvantages, it is important to ensure that you are harnessing the best of both worlds and setting your business up for the best possible chance of online success.
When carefully applied and well thought out, an integrated digital approach, incorporating both SEO and PPC, has the potential to secure the future success of your business’ online strategy.