SEO vs. PPC: Which Digital Marketing Strategy is Right for Your Business?

Business owners and their sales and marketing teams have a lot of ground to cover when connecting with their target audience. They’re charged with determining the best digital marketing strategy for their business from the many options that exist. In many cases, they also have to couple that with in-person sales strategies. 

With an ever-changing digital landscape, many professionals have trouble determining which is the right strategy to help them achieve their unique goals. To help provide some clarity on which is the best digital marketing strategy for your business, we’re going to narrow it down to two of the most impactful digital strategies, SEO vs PPC, and review the questions that should be asked to determine the right path.

SEO vs PPC: Understanding SEO Digital Marketing

If there’s one thing that’s a constant in digital marketing, it’s that it’s always changing. With new algorithms, social media platforms, and even regulations, it can be tough to navigate digital marketing strategies. The two most popular strategies that have stood the test of time (albeit nuances to how each one is implemented have changed) include SEO (search engine optimization) and PPC (pay-per-click advertising). 

SEO will help optimize a website so that it appears sooner in the search results. Considering that most people don’t look beyond the first page of search results, this is an excellent way to drive traffic and sales through your website.

PPC, on the other hand, is a paid advertising strategy where the advertiser pays for each click they receive on their ad. This advertising is typically offered through Google, though other platforms offer similar types of advertising.

SEO vs PPC: Understanding PPC Digital Marketing

The first thing to understand about digital marketing strategies is that they each have different outcomes, purposes, costs, and more. When determining which strategy to implement, you need to figure out if you need something that is flexible or immediate. Consider if the business has time to execute a long-term strategy or if more immediate results are urgently needed. Overall, there are a number of differences between these two types of digital marketing. 

Major Differences: SEO vs PPC

When considering SEO vs PPC for a digital marketing strategy, it is important to evaluate the main differences between each strategy to determine which will provide the outcome that most closely aligns with the business’s goals.

1. Cost

Investing in a digital marketing strategy will take some advertising funds, but between SEO vs PPC, SEO is slightly more inexpensive, and costs can be spread out over time. Conversely, PPC will require funding up-front with more expensive, on-demand costs.

2. Target Markets

If the target market is already defined, working on SEO to attract that audience to the business website will be a great option. It can establish the business as an authority and is needed to tailor content to their needs. 

PPC, on the other hand, is a great option if a business is trying to figure out which audience resonates with the product or service more. A/B testing can be done with PPC advertising, which can be part of a business’s journey to discovering its most profitable marketing strategies. Similarly, if the target audience is known, PPC advertising can directly reach those consumers.

3. Results

When it comes to how fast a business can expect to see results from an SEO or PPC advertising strategy, PPC will provide more immediate results. However, SEO will provide long-lasting benefits that will grow over time.

Questions to Ask About Your Business

Not every business is built the same, offers the same products or services, or has the same goals. When determining a marketing strategy, it is important to know the business needs and what goals are desired when implementing a digital marketing strategy. Marketing professionals and business owners should ask the following questions to determine which digital marketing strategy is best for their company.

How quickly does your business need to see growth?

If the business has time available to invest in long-term, reliable growth, it really should implement an SEO program. However, PPC will deliver more immediate results, provided the business knows its audience. Ideally, businesses will implement a joint strategy that can cover both bases.

Are you promoting time-sensitive deals or testing audiences?

PPC is best for time-sensitive initiatives as it provides immediate visibility. This is a great option for promoting an event or a limited-time offer. PPC is also better for learning more about the target audience as it provides an easier way to conduct A/B testing.

What are your goals?

When determining which digital marketing strategy, SEO vs PPC, marketers and business owners alike should take stock of the goals. What are the goals of the advertising campaign? What are the long-term goals of the business? What are the short-term goals? Conducting an analysis of what metrics are most important and what outcomes need to be met will help make an informed decision.

What’s your digital marketing budget?

Another question that is imperative to ask is about the budget. Marketers and business owners alike need to have a realistic understanding of their budget and what they can achieve with that budget. SEO builds solid results, but it slowly builds momentum and requires a longer-term investment. The good news is that cost can be spread out over time, and it provides a longer impact. PPC provides more instant gratification, but it can be expensive, especially depending on the market.

Do You Have to Choose SEO and PPC?

Nope! If an organization has the budget, implementing both SEO and PPC strategies can synergistically complement one another. 

Get Your Customized Digital Marketing Strategy!

Not sure which is best? Implement the digital marketing plan that works best for your business with help from the team at CloudMellow. We’ll help you determine which strategy, or a combination of strategies, will best support growth for your business, depending on your budget. Click here to get in touch today.