- July 16, 2024
- by Bhavik Sarkhedi
- SEO
SEO- a Handy Tool
SEO, expanded as Search Engine Optimization is one of the most effective parts of digital marketing. It adopts effective means for boosting a website’s visibility and reach through the gain of natural and legitimate traffic via search engines. Search engines work like a librarian reading every book and recommending them to people according to their requirements. Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing use bots to thoroughly study the web pages. These engines study the pages on the web thoroughly by moving from one site to another, collecting information, and placing them in an index. This index works like an encyclopedia which helps to find precisely what you are looking for. SEO content writing makes a website friendlier and credible for the users as well as search engines. SEO strategies mostly revolve around Google because it holds 92.24% of the search engine market share. On contrary to paid search advertisements, one cannot pay to achieve higher organic search rankings on these search engines while using SEO.
Pros of SEO-
- Pocket-friendly- Although SEO requires money for paying the agency freelancers, and for using SEO tools, yet it is found to be cheaper than paid advertisements in the long run. Do not unnecessarily spend money to make your content writing climb the ladders of rankings if your content is attracting the right traffic and is climbing up the ranks naturally.
- Adds in more stability- A website or a webpage will receive free traffic once it has been ranked on Google. But it requires regular and consistent optimization. SEO adds in more stability as the website will keep on appearing on search results, unlike paid advertisements.
- Builds Brand Authority—When a website or webpage continues to appear on search results for keywords related to specific products or services, it automatically builds trust and brand authority among the target audience.
- Funnel Stages differentiation- Let’s say customer A is at the top of the sales funnel, where he is new to your brand, whereas customer B is at the bottom of the funnel, where he is ready to buy a specified product or service. Both the customers are evidently at different levels of the funnel and need different types of content to grab their attention. This is where SEO plays its role in creating a wide range of copywriting. SEO helps in creating various types of content, such as blogs, case studies, and guides, that meet every requirement of the target audience, no matter where they lie in the sales funnel.
- Helps with Public Relations—Although SEO and PR are entirely different marketing ideas, they can be used together to maximize results. Link building can help build the connection between these two marketing strategies. This method is much more effective in spreading content among potential clients and customers than other conventional marketing methods.
Cons of SEO
- The constant change in Algorithms—Search engines change their algorithms every year. This makes it necessary to pay attention to marketing strategy and plan for organic results.
- Time-consuming—It takes time for relatively new websites or domains to climb up the Google ranks, as multiple factors affect this process.
- Regular optimization is needed—This task is not as easy as it appears to be. Regular content optimization helps content and web pages continue to rank. This can include revitalizing older content and removing old and expired links.
PPC- Pay to Pave Way
Have you ever noticed the tag “Ad” marker on the top results? PPC, expanded as Pay-Per-Click is one of the means of Search Engine Marketing (SEM). An advertiser pays the publisher whenever a user clicks on the advertisement. In this case, Google, Facebook, and other social media and search engines are the publisher. Revenue is generated whenever a customer interacts with the ads. Advertisers propose offers on search keywords that are related to their target markets. The cost of PPC advertisements depends on the relevant industry and the targeted search volume of the keyboard. This mode of advertising can assist a business to remain competitive in today’s highly skilled market and stay in the game if one does not have the domain authority to get site rankings on search engines organically.
Pros of PPC-
- Receive quick results- It takes few hours to appear in top search results using PPC whereas it takes months to receive the same results with SEO.
- Appear above organic rankings– Any website which uses PPC appears at the very top of the search results page, even before organic rankings.
- Choose your target audience– One gets to choose their target audience with the help of paid ads.
Cons of PPC-
- Expensive- Paying for every audience click will end up drying the budget and eventually, traffic. The rate per click keeps on increasing with more competitive industries such as insurance and legal. It is impossible to run a PPC campaign without a good amount of money in your pocket because is it entirely possible for everyone to pay for every click a site receives?
- Becomes dry after some time- According to the rules set by Ad platforms like Google, limited control is given to the websites using PPC. A competitor with similar keywords can easily pass over your content by attracting more traffic.
- Profit margins are lower- Despite bringing short-term wins home, the profit margins stay low. Customer acquisition costs (CAC) continue to increase without any noticeable increase in the prices of products and services.
Combat Between SEO and PPC-
Choosing the better option between the two is a difficult decision to make as they both are proven to be helpful in various situations. Search Engine Optimization effectively grows the online presence of a website or webpage for a longer time among local searches. On the other hand, PPC is a purchasing strategy that presents content in front of the audience for a limited period among specific keywords search. SEO is used when the marketing budget is low and the owner wants to build a brand authority whereas PPC is used when the owner wants quick results and the product is novel.
This can be regarded as a classic comparison between SEO and SEM. Search Engine Marketing, commonly known as SEM is an umbrella term including both SEO and PPC. Although SEO is a form of SEM, it is not the only tactic involved in SEM. SEM refers to anything done in order to gain placement in the results pages of search engines.
SEO is a more viable option for you if you want to set up your business and have a low budget. SEO will increase the chances of securing good rankings and visibility among the local and organic search results for your website.
If you are an e-commerce website, then your competitors are e-commerce giants such as Amazon, Flipkart, and many more. Using PPC is a better option in this case as it will kick start your brand’s awareness.
If we look from the perspective of durability, then SEO has proven to be more fruitful than PPC.
FAQs
What is organic SEO?
Organic SEO refers to optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results naturally—without paying for ads. It focuses on quality content, keywords, backlinks, and user experience.
Why is organic SEO better than paid ads?
Organic SEO builds long-term visibility and trust. Unlike paid ads, which stop working once you stop paying, organic rankings can continue to drive traffic for years.
Is organic SEO really free?
Not exactly. While you don’t pay for clicks, there’s an investment of time and resources in creating quality content, optimizing your site, and managing SEO strategies.
Do I need both organic SEO and paid ads?
It depends on your goals. Paid ads are great for quick results, but organic SEO is a must for sustainable growth and building credibility over time.
How long does organic SEO take to work?
SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. It can take a few months to see noticeable results, but the long-term benefits make it worth the wait.
