The dispute between PPC (pay-per-click) and SEO (search engine optimisation) is a recurring theme in digital marketing. Both approaches aim to place your brand at the top of search results, but each has its own unique approach.
SEO focuses on long-term organic strategies, while PPC generates immediate results, albeit with a constant budget.
So, which is the best option for your business? The answer depends on a thorough understanding of how each strategy works, its advantages and disadvantages, and how it fits into your company’s goals and resources.
What is SEO, and how does it work?
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SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is the set of techniques that seek to improve a website’s ranking in search engines without resorting to paid advertising. To achieve an effective SEO strategy, many companies rely on the services of a specialised SEO agency.
Organic results on Google attract the majority of web traffic. However, competition has increased, and search algorithms are constantly changing. This makes achieving top rankings in the SERP increasingly difficult.
Key SEO factors
To understand how SEO works, it’s necessary to understand the factors search engines consider when indexing and ranking websites. Google, for example, uses more than 200 factors to determine a site’s ranking, many of which are unknown to the public. Among the most relevant are:
- Keywords: The relevance of keywords in your content.
- Backlinks: The quality and quantity of external links pointing to your site.
- User Experience (UX): Factors such as loading speed, ease of navigation, and accessibility.
- Quality content: The originality, depth, and frequency of content updates. SEO writing plays a crucial role here. Content aligned with the right keywords is essential to improve rankings.
- Technical structure: Correct structuring of the website, code optimization, and compatibility with mobile devices.
SEO can be divided into three main areas:
- On-page SEO: Refers to everything you can control within your website, such as content, images, loading speed, and site structure.
- Off-page SEO: Includes all actions that are performed outside of your page, such as obtaining quality backlinks or mentions on other relevant sites.
- Technical SEO: Focuses on deeper aspects of the site, such as web architecture, mobile optimisation, and security (use of HTTPS).
Advantages of SEO
The benefits of SEO are numerous, especially in the long term:
- Low long-term costs: Once you rank, organic traffic is free, meaning you don’t need to keep investing constantly to maintain traffic.
- Credibility and trust: Users tend to trust organic results more than paid ads, as these are seen as more authentic.
- Consistent traffic: Unlike PPC ads, traffic from SEO isn’t dependent on a constant budget. While algorithms change, good rankings can be maintained for years.
- Profitability: SEO can generate a significant return on investment, especially when used well and a good content strategy is maintained.
Disadvantages of SEO
However, there are also challenges:
- Time and patience: Unlike PPC, SEO doesn’t deliver immediate results. It can take months (or even longer) to achieve a good ranking in search results.
- Fierce competition: In highly competitive sectors, it can be extremely difficult to overtake the big brands that already dominate the top spots.
- It requires technical knowledge: Effective SEO isn’t something just anyone can do without proper training. It requires the help of experts in the field, such as those offered by a specialised SEO agency.
- Constant changes in algorithms: Google and other search engines frequently update their algorithms, which can negatively affect your site’s rankings if you don’t stay on top of new trends.
What is PPC, and how does it work?
PPC, or pay-per-click, is a form of advertising in which brands pay each time a user clicks on one of their ads. The most common platforms for PPC include Google Ads, Bing Ads, and social media ads like Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Unlike SEO, PPC results are instant. You can appear at the top of the SERPS from the moment you launch your campaign, as long as you pay for it.
In an international SEO context, PPC can be a valuable tool for businesses looking to increase their visibility across multiple regions. It’s more complex, requiring optimisation for different languages and search engines. PPC, on the other hand, offers faster results in specific international markets.
Key factors of PPC
PPC is based on an auction system, where advertisers bid on the keywords they want associated with their ads. Some important factors to consider in a PPC campaign include:
- Keywords: Choosing the right keywords is essential. These should be relevant to the business and have a high search volume.
- Bid and Budget: How much are you willing to pay for each click on your ad? Higher-priced ads tend to have a higher chance of appearing in the top positions.
- Ads: The ad copy must be attractive and relevant to the user.
- Landing Page: The quality and relevance of the landing page also play a crucial role in ad quality and cost per click (CPC).
- Segmentation: Unlike SEO, PPC allows you to segment your target audience more specifically, such as by location, device, time of day, interests, etc.
Advantages of PPC
PPC has several notable advantages, especially in the short term:
- Immediate results: Ads can appear almost instantly, allowing you to get traffic quickly.
- Complete control over the budget: Advertisers can set a daily budget and a spending limit, allowing them to control their costs.
- Advanced Targeting: PPC allows you to target ads to very specific audiences, improving relevance and conversion rates.
- Flexibility: You can test different versions of your ads, adjust targeting, and make changes on the fly.
- Visibility and Coverage: Ensure your brand is visible across multiple devices (mobile, tablet, desktop) and platforms (search, YouTube, display, etc.).
Disadvantages of PPC
However, PPC also has its disadvantages:
- Ongoing cost: Unlike SEO, PPC requires ongoing spending. If you’re not paying, your ads stop showing, which means your traffic disappears as well.
- High competition: Popular keywords can be very expensive, especially in competitive industries.
- Budget Dependence: Without an adequate budget, your PPC campaign won’t be effective. As competition increases, so will the cost per click.
- Limited scalability: Although you can scale traffic through increased investment, it is not always profitable or sustainable.
Recent Trends in SEO
SEO is constantly changing. To stay competitive, it’s essential to conduct a regular web SEO audit. This will help you identify areas for improvement and adjust your strategy. Leveraging current trends is key to improving your company’s visibility and optimizing the user experience.
Below, we share the main current trends that you should keep in mind to optimize your SEO for companies :
- Voice Search and Conversational SEO: Voice queries are gaining ground, making it necessary to optimize for more natural phrases and complete questions. Long-tail keywords should be used and optimized for Featured Snippets.
- Mobile-First Indexing: Google now uses the mobile version of a site to rank pages. Responsive design and optimized loading speed on mobile devices are essential.
- Core Web Vitals: User experience metrics like LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), FID (First Input Delay), and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) are key ranking factors.
- EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) : Google values sites with expert, authoritative, and trustworthy content, especially in sectors like healthcare and finance (YMYL). It’s crucial to have content that’s well-supported by reliable sources.
- Visual Search: Optimizing for visual searches (e.g., Google Lens) requires optimized images with alt-text and structured data to facilitate indexing.
Recent Trends in PPC
In the world of PPC, innovation and automation play a key role in maximising the results of your advertising campaigns. Advertising platforms are evolving, providing new opportunities for targeting and personalising ads. An SEO consultancy could be an excellent option to complement your PPC efforts. By leveraging the following trends, you can get the most out of your digital advertising investment:
- Automation and Smart Bidding: Google Ads uses machine learning to automatically adjust bids. Strategies like Target CPA and Target ROAS optimise conversions without manual intervention.
- Predictive Search and AI: Artificial intelligence makes it possible to predict users’ purchasing intent, which improves ad personalisation.
- Video Advertising and YouTube Ads: Video ads (especially on YouTube) are very effective, especially in formats like TrueView, where users can skip the ad after a few seconds.
- Native Ads and Contextual Advertising: Native ads on social platforms (like Facebook and Instagram) are on the rise, as they integrate more naturally into content.
- Shopping Ads and E-commerce: Platforms like Google Shopping and Facebook Marketplace are key for e-commerce brands. Product feed optimisation and remarketing are essential.
- Multi-Channel and Cross-Device Advertising: A cross-device strategy is essential, as users interact across multiple devices. Campaigns must be consistent and synchronised across different platforms.
What is the best strategy for your business?
The answer depends on several factors: the type of business, the objectives, the budget, and the competition.
For example, if your goal is to reach a broader audience nationwide, national SEO is a priority. This strategy will help you position your website at the top of national search results, which can significantly increase your visibility and attract more traffic.
However, if your business is focused on a specific geographic area, local SEO will be much more effective. This method optimizes your presence in search results for a specific location, helping you attract nearby customers from your community.
On the other hand, if you need quick results or are launching a new product or service, PPC (pay-per-click) can be an excellent option. PPC allows you to appear immediately in search results through ads, which can increase your sales almost instantly.
Should You Use SEO and PPC Together?
An integrated SEO and PPC strategy can offer the best of both worlds. SEO provides a solid and sustainable foundation, while PPC can quickly drive traffic and generate immediate sales.
Here are some ways in which both strategies can complement each other:
- Retargeting: PPC ads can target users who have already visited your website through organic traffic, increasing the chances of conversion.
- Using PPC Data to Improve SEO: Data from PPC campaigns can provide valuable insight into which keywords are performing best, which can optimise your SEO strategy.
- Audience Segmentation: Precise segmentation in PPC can help you better define your target audience for SEO strategies.
Next Article: 25 On-Page SEO Factors
