If you're trying to improve your business's visibility and to turn potential leads into customers, you've got two primary options these days: Pay-Per-Click marketing or Search Engine Optimization. There are similarities between these methods, but they vary wildly in terms of cost and immediate efficacy.
1. Is PPC or SEO Better For Your Business?
If you're trying to improve your business's visibility and to turn potential leads into customers,
you've got two primary options these days: Pay-Per-Click marketing or Search Engine
Optimization. There are similarities between these methods, but they vary wildly in terms of cost
and immediate efficacy.
PPC vs. SEO: The Facts You Need to Know:
First, let's take a quick look at the basics of PPC and SEO marketing strategies.
Pay-Per Click Marketing:
The pay-per-click model of online marketing is based around a simple concept: advertisers pay a
small fee each time a potential customer clicks on one of their ads. You probably see many of
these ads each day--they feature a small box in the right-hand corner displaying the word "ad."
This obviously sounds like an optimal model to draw visitors to your site, but it can quickly
become expensive, especially if you're not converting these leads into sales. There are also many
companies that prefer to generate their leads in a more organic fashion.
Despite Google's relatively new advertising format, which displays ads in conjunction with less
expensive (even free) organic results, people have gotten wise. They are much more likely to
click on the regular search engine results, which is where SEO comes in.
Search Engine Optimization:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the name for a group of strategies used to increase your
business's rank in Google results (as well as other search engines). Let's say you operate a pizza
2. place in New York; one of the most common SEO techniques is to research keywords to use on
your website that will place you optimally within the results for, say, "best pizzeria in Brooklyn"
or "inexpensive Brooklyn pizza".
While PPC can yield results fairly quickly, SEO is more of a long-term strategy to build (and
maintain) a web presence. It takes time and experimentation to find the right keywords to
highlight your business, as well as to build a database of high-quality content that will keep
customers browsing, leading them ultimately to a purchase.
Important Points to Remember:
Depending on your business strategy, Pay-Per-Click Marketing might be advantageous. This is
especially true if you're trying to generate leads quickly. PPC, while effective, is best used by
companies who have larger marketing budgets. It behooves any company to have a great website
that encourages maximum lead conversion--after all, you're paying to get people there!
If your budget is more modest, SEO is a better long-term strategy. As a matter of fact, SEO is a
good idea even if you're engaging in PPC marketing. Keep in mind that SEO is a slower-moving
process.
In the end, the best strategy is to find the mix of PPC (for lead generation) and SEO (to improve
your website and search results) that works for you. It's a matter of budget, time preference, and
how urgently you need to drive leads and potential customers to your site.
Yorkville Advisors, LLC is a privately owned and operated hedge fund sponsor.