The main objective of any digital marketing strategy is to get the maximum traffic. Traffic can translate into prospective buyers and as footfall increases, so do sales that ultimately lead to the success of the website and business. When looking for the best digital marketing strategy, you’re likely to come across two main modalities, SEO and PPC. But, which is more effective in getting you the traffic you’re looking for? How do they work? Read ahead and find out.
SEO Explained
Using the SEO strategy involves the creation of a website. You’ll publish interesting content on it infusing the magic keywords that search engines are likely to pick up. High-grade content that is informative attracts Google, Safari, Bing, Yahoo, and any others. They’ll pick up your website and rank it according to various factors. For instance, the length of time users spend on your site and if they come back to explore it further. Each backlink that links to your website contributes to its value in the eyes of Google bots and establishes it as an authority in its particular arena. If you’re consistent in your efforts, you’ll soon find your website appearing in the top slots of search results pages.
PPC Explained
PPC or Pay-Per-Click is a shortcut that you can use to place your website where users can find it easily. You create a great site, add the necessary keywords and key phrases, and work out a payment system with the search engine that will place your website in the top slots. They’ll also place a small yellow box with the word, “Ad” beside it. This box is intended to indicate to users that this website has paid to appear on the page. In other words, PPC is a paid digital advertising campaign and you’ll pay a charge each time a user visits your website.
Choosing the Better Strategy, SEO or PPC
Both digital marketing strategies have their positives and negatives that you must weigh carefully when choosing the best one. Here are the factors you might want to keep in mind.
- SEO is ideal for companies that have been in business for a while and if your customers have been using your products. However, if you’ve just established a new company with entirely new concepts, choosing PPC might be the way to go.
- Should you choose to opt for PPC, you’ll pay the advertising charges. However, SEO is by no means cheap either. You’ll have to hire the services of an expert digital marketer to create and consistently publish great content on your website. Even if you choose to manage your site yourself, you’ll spend time and money to keep it going.
- You should be aware that PPC may enable only a first visit from users. If they don’t find adequate value on your website, they’re unlikely to come back. In addition to advertising costs, you’ll need to invest time and money into adding interesting content on your website. In other words, you need SEO anyway.
- SEO is a marketing strategy that may not show you favorable results right away. As you continue to fill your website with interesting blogs and other content, search engines may pick it up and place it in higher slots on search result pages. By opting for PPC, you get an instant high rank on search engines.
- With SEO, you’re likely to get visitors on your website who are really interested in purchasing products and are comparing their options. Accordingly, they’ll check out the top slots because they trust search engines like Google to offer them high-grade products and show them the best results available. Serious users may disregard websites with the yellow box since they’re fully aware that these websites have paid to appear in the top position.
- In addition to buying top slots for your website by way of PPC, you can also buy ad space on websites that are organically ranking high in search engines and have earned credibility among users. With higher visibility, you may get more traffic to your site.
- The kind of product you deal in can also dictate your choice between SEO and PPC. If you’re introducing a new line that has few competitors, you could opt for SEO. On the other hand, if you’re releasing a product similar to ones available in the market, you’ll need to use PPC so users are instantly made aware of a new option now available. The visibility of your website might entice them to check out the new product features and explore its price viability.
The Optimum Digital Marketing Strategy? Combine the Positives of SEO and PPC
After reading about the positives of both digital marketing strategies, it is understandable that you might find the choice difficult. Well, it is possible to get the best of both worlds. Here’s how:
Step 1. Begin by understanding just how Google Adwords and Google Analytics work. You can get this information by signing up for the training and certifications that Google provides free of cost. Alternatively, find a professional PPC expert to help you.
Step 2. Work with Google or any other search engine to place your website in the top slots. At the same time, work on developing your website with great content and keywords so it can sustain rankings even after you stop paying for the campaign.
Step 3. Use the top slot advantage to attract and maintain a dedicated customer base that will buy your products and trust in your brand name even if your website no longer appears in the top spots of search results.
Step 4. Having achieved valuable indexing and proved yourself an authority in your specific field, you can stop paying for the ad campaign. But, to maintain that authoritative persona, you must continue to publish great content complete with keywords, interesting SEO titles and meta descriptions, and valuable information. Competition is tough out there and you must continue to work hard to keep your position.
As a smart business owner, you should be able to combine the positives of both forms of digital marketing, SEO and PPC and make them work well for your company. For further information on an SEO Company Birmingham – click here.
