Did you know that Google processes 99,000 searches every second? This shouldn’t be a surprise, considering that 68% of all online interactions start with a search engine.
Today, digital marketing is a must if you want your business to survive. But with so many acronyms floating around, it’s tough to wrap your head around which ones are best for you.
For example, there’s SEO and PPC, which may just look like jumbles of letters.
So what’s the difference between SEO and PPC? Read on to find out.
Table of Contents
What’s SEO?
“SEO” stands for “search engine optimization.” It’s a type of marketing that gets you organic results, meaning you don’t pay to push your website up on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Instead, you use strategic keywords and sprinkle them throughout your content to make search engine algorithms happy (or unhappy, if you don’t do it right). The types of SEO include:
- On-page
- Off-page
- Technical
These are basically things that happen on your website and behind the scenes that improve your search engine ranking.
What’s PPC?
“PPC” stands for “pay per click,” which tells you that you need to shell out some money for this type of digital marketing. However, you won’t have to pay the publisher running your ads unless someone clicks on them.
These listings also appear on top of SERPs; they look like organic results but have “Ad” preceding them.
The Difference Between SEO and PPC
Both SEO and PPC are types of search engine marketing (SEM). However, that’s pretty much where the similarities end.
SEO is pretty cheap, but because you’re working with organic traffic, it can take a while to build traffic to your website.
On the other hand, PPC isn’t cheap, but you’ll see results in just a few hours. You can also pinpoint specific audiences and run A/B tests to tweak your strategy.
Also, you have to earn a top spot on SERPs with SEO. But you’ll automatically get it with PPC.
SEO vs PPC: Which One Should You Use?
Each type of marketing has its own pros and cons. Usually, it’s recommended that you start with SEO since it’s more cost-effective.
However, if you can afford to, you should use both SEO and PPC to maximize on reaching your target audiences.
It can be challenging to do DIY SEO or PPC, much less both simultaneously. So using something like a Houston marketing agency can help immensely! You’ll enjoy the benefits of SEO and PPC without doing the hard work.
Use Both in Your Marketing Strategy
Now you know the difference between SEO and PPC. They have their own strengths and weaknesses that complement one another, so if you can, use both.
Also, having the help of an experienced marketing agency is beneficial. They’ll know all the latest in the industry and can tailor your strategies so your site remains at the top of SERPs.
For more informative posts on advertising and marketing, take a look at our blog page now.
