If you want to sell a product or service online, you need to work on your marketing skills. In the age of digitalization, search engine marketing is your best bet for reaching your target audience. Generally, there are two types of marketing for search engines: pay-per-click (PPC) and Search engine optimization (SEO).
To decide which one is the better option as both are popular and widely used worldwide, let’s see the pros and cons to evaluate them better.
Pay Per Click Marketing
PPC is a form of paid search engine marketing. The search engine brings your webpage to the top search results, and if someone clicks on the ad, you’ll have to pay the search engine for every click you get. Here are some of the pros and cons of PPC marketing.
Pros of PPC
Here are all the advantages of PPC marketing:
- Online Visibility
With PPC marketing, you can easily improve your online visibility because the search engine will ensure that your website is on the first search engine results page (SERP). That way, when your target audience is searching for a similar business, they can reach you easily.
- Measurable ROI
Business is all about measuring profits and losses. When you opt for PPC, you can measure the return on investment generated through the PPC. You’ll know how many clicks you got; you can easily see which clicks converted and resulted in a profit.
- More Sales
When PPC is used, there is a high chance of generating sales quickly. With SEO, it takes time, but SEO combined with PPC can give you the most sales you’ll ever get.
Cons of PPC
PPC marketing comes with the following cons:
- High Cost
PPC marketing is quite expensive. While you do get more clicks and are easily accessible to your target audience, that only adds up the cost. More clicks mean paying more money to the search engines.
- Unguaranteed Sales
Just because you got more clicks doesn’t mean you’ll get more sales. If someone clicked on your website and decided not to buy from you, you’ll still have to pay for the click. So, there is no 100% guarantee for sales.
- Complexity
PPC is not as easy as it sounds. You have to plan it strategically, and because of its complexity, it is important to hire a professional to do the job.
Search Engine Optimization Marketing
Search engine optimization or SEO marketing works by incorporating keywords and creating content on your web page, boosting your search engine ranking organically rather than paying for it. Here are some of the pros and cons of SEO marketing:
Pros of SEO
- Improved Brand Awareness
Slowly but surely, you can improve awareness for your brand. By posting content regularly with proper keyword incorporation, you can reach more people.
- Trust Building
You can gain users’ trust if you’re organically at the top of search engines. People trust websites that are among the top searches more than others. Through SEO, you can improve the credibility of your business.
- Budget-Friendly
When you compare SEO with PPC, it is the more affordable choice. Organic traffic means no paid ads, and even if a click doesn’t convert, you don’t have to worry about losing money.
Cons of SEO
- High Competition
While SEO is certainly effective, it is also very competitive. Every business is improving its SEO to stay at the top of search engines. It’s very easy to get lost in the crowd.
- Time Consuming
SEO takes a lot of time to show results. You can’t pop up on the first page of a search engine overnight. Patience and consistency are both important for getting desired results in SEO.
- Changing Rules
The search engine algorithm is always evolving to ensure the best user experience. But with changing algorithms, SEO also changes. It’s hard to keep track of all the changed rules, and hiring an expert is a better option than managing SEO alone.
The Final Verdict
Both search engine optimization and pay-per-click marketing have benefits that can help your business grow in the long run. But they also come with their fair share of disadvantages. You can choose the one that would suit your business more or use them both in combination.
Regardless of which service you use, TechKnow offers both. Get in touch today by calling (970) 528-5551 or visit our office at 2314 Notting Hill Pl. Loveland, CO 80538 for more details.