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SEO vs. PPC 🥊: Pros and Cons. When to Use SEO, vs PPC, When to Use both.

Toby Danylchuk, Co-Founder

by Toby

July 28, 2024

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SEO vs PPC - Pros and Cons Which is Better

Are you struggling to decide between SEO and PPC for your business? Don't worry, you're not alone! 

In this post, I break down the key differences between SEO and PPC, explore the pros and cons of each strategy, and help you determine which one (or both!) is the best fit for your business goals. (I use the term PPC to also mean Google Ads and pay-per-click).

Table Of Contents

Key Differences: SEO vs. PPC

Let's start by understanding the fundamental differences between these two powerful marketing strategies:

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Costs: Investing in Long-Term Assets vs. Renting Short-Term Traffic

  • SEO: While often considered "free," SEO has hidden costs. Think of it as investing in a house. You'll need to allocate resources for high-quality content creation, strategic link building, technical website optimization, and potentially even agency fees.
  • PPC: PPC operates on a pay-to-play model. You set a budget, bid on keywords or audiences, and pay each time someone clicks on your ad. It's like renting an apartment – you get immediate access, but the costs continue as long as you want to stay there.

Speed of Results: The Marathon vs. The Sprint

  • SEO: SEO is a long-term game. It takes time for your efforts to bear fruit. Think of it as planting a seed and nurturing it over months or even years before it blossoms into a steady stream of organic traffic. (see our related post, SEO Content Marketing Case Study.)
  • PPC: PPC delivers instant results. Your ads can go live as soon as they're approved, sending targeted traffic to your website right away. In competitive niches, PPC can take some time to refine the campaign and the cost per conversion to optimal levels, but in general, PPC is quicker to deliver conversions than SEO. 

Conversions: Trust vs. Targeted Landing Pages

  • SEO: Organic traffic from SEO tends to convert better because users perceive it as more trustworthy and relevant. Searchers are actively searching for information, and your website appearing organically signals to them that it's a credible source.
  • PPC can also achieve high conversion rates with well-crafted, targeted landing pages. And with PPC, you have complete control over your ad copy and creative, which you don’t really have with SEO in terms of what users see in the search results since Google often re-writes title tags and meta descriptions. (see my related post on maximizing conversions through aligning landing pages to Google Ads). 

Targeting: Broad Strokes vs. Laser Focus

  • SEO: SEO targeting is somewhat limited. You can optimize for specific geographic locations and broad keywords, but it's harder to drill down into specific demographics or interests.
  • PPC: offers laser-focused targeting options, allowing you to reach very specific audiences based on keywords, demographics, interests, behaviors, in-market audiences (people actively searching for specific products and services), and even past interactions with your website.

Other Differences to Consider:

  • Visibility: SEO offers greater long-term visibility in search results, while PPC ads disappear when your budget runs out.
  • Predictability: PPC provides more predictable results due to its real-time tracking and adjustment capabilities.
  • Investment: SEO is a cumulative investment that builds over time, while PPC requires ongoing spending.
  • Competition: Both SEO and PPC can be competitive, but the factors determining success differ for each strategy.

Pros and Cons of SEO

Pros

  • Long-Term Cost-Effectiveness: Once you achieve top rankings, organic traffic flows in without additional cost per click.
  • Sustainable Traffic Growth: SEO efforts compound over time, leading to increasing organic traffic.
  • Higher Trust and Credibility: Organic results are often viewed as more trustworthy than ads.
  • Improved Brand Awareness: Ranking well in search results increases your brand's visibility and reputation.
  • Repurposing Content: SEO content can be repurposed for social media, email marketing, and more.

Cons

  • Time to See Results: SEO takes months or even years to deliver significant results.
  • Ongoing Effort and Expertise: SEO requires continuous optimization and staying up-to-date with algorithm changes.
  • Algorithm Changes: Google's algorithm updates can impact your rankings.
  • Competition: It can be challenging to outrank established competitors for popular keywords.

So, is SEO right for you? 

If you're willing to invest time and effort for long-term, sustainable results, and you're not afraid of a little competition, then SEO is a powerful tool for your business. But if you need immediate results or don't have the resources for ongoing optimization, PPC might be a better fit.

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Pros and Cons of PPC (Google Ads)

Pros

  • Immediate Results: Drive traffic to your website as soon as your campaigns are live.
  • Highly Targeted Traffic: Reach the exact audience you want with precision targeting.
  • Measurable Results and ROI: Track clicks, conversions, and ROI in real-time to optimize your campaigns.
  • Flexibility: Adjust your campaigns quickly based on performance data.

Cons

  • Cost: PPC can be expensive, especially for competitive keywords.
  • Ongoing Budget: Your traffic stops when you stop paying.
  • Management: Requires continuous monitoring and optimization.

So, should you invest in PPC?

If you have the budget and want to see immediate results with highly targeted traffic, PPC can be a valuable tool. However, be prepared for the ongoing costs and management required to maintain your campaigns.

When to Use SEO vs. PPC (and When to Use Both)

  • SEO: Ideal for long-term growth, brand building, and targeting less competitive keywords.

Below is an example of a cooking site where we created over 200 pages of human-generated blog content over the course of several months. The site ranks for over 500 keywords in positions 1 - 3 in Google, and over 1,600 keywords on the first page (I have a related blog post on that particular website as an SEO content case study if you’d like to learn more about content and SEO in the video description).

SEO + content marketing case study

SEO + content marketing case study

  • PPC: Ideal for immediate results, highly targeted campaigns, testing new products or markets, and supplementing your SEO efforts.

But here's the secret sauce...

  • Combining SEO and PPC: This integrated approach can be incredibly powerful, leveraging the strengths of both strategies to maximize your reach and results.

SEO and PPC are not mutually exclusive.

In fact, they work best when used together in a holistic marketing strategy.

SEO can attract users at the top and middle of the funnel with informative content, while PPC can capture those ready to buy at the bottom of the funnel with targeted ads.

You can use PPC data to inform your SEO keyword strategy, and vice versa.

Let’s use a garage door repair company as an example. A business like this can use SEO to rank for broader terms like "garage door repair," while using PPC for more immediate needs like "emergency garage door repair near me."

This integrated approach would give them maximum visibility in search results, both now and in the long run.

And overlapping organic and PPC is a strategy to consider as well. The way you should think about a Google Search Results Page is like the shelf space at a grocery store - the more space you occupy, the more likely you are to win the click and the customer. 

So, by combining SEO and PPC, you get the best of both worlds:

the long-term, sustainable growth of SEO, and the immediate, targeted impact of PPC. The key is to understand your goals, budget, and target audience, and tailor your strategy accordingly.

Actionable Tips for Choosing Your Strategy

  1. 1
    Consider Your Budget: Be realistic about how much you can invest in each strategy
  2. 2
    Define Your Goals: Determine whether you need immediate results or long-term growth.
  3. 3
    Set a Timeline: How quickly do you need to see results?
  4. 4
    Understand Your Target Audience: Who are you trying to reach, and what are their search behaviors?
  5. 5
    Conduct Keyword Research: Identify the most relevant and valuable keywords for your business.
  6. 6
    Experiment: Test both SEO and PPC to see what works best for your specific business.
  7. 7
    Track Your Results: Monitor your performance and adjust your strategy as needed.

I hope this guide has shed light on the SEO vs. PPC debate and given you the information you need to make an informed decision for your business. If you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Need Expert Help?

If you're still feeling overwhelmed or want expert guidance on developing a winning SEO or PPC strategy, my team and I are here to help. Contact us at 951-444-0174.

Remember, the best digital marketing strategy often involves a combination of SEO and PPC. By leveraging both, you can achieve sustainable growth, maximize visibility, and drive more qualified leads to your business.

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Toby Danylchuk, Co-Founder

About the author 

Toby

Toby is the co-founder of 39 Celsius. He has over 20 years of digital marketing experience and has started several companies throughout his career. He's an expert in SEO, Social Media Ads, Google Ads, Marketing Automation, and more. He has a BA in Chemistry/Biochemistry from UC San Diego and an MBA from SDSU.

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