It is already a popular fact that Organic Listings get more click-throughs than Pay-Per-Click Advertising “ Internet users dont usually prefer to utilize the Sponsored Listings for their search needs. While reports say that the click-through rate on Natural Search Results go up to as high as 70%, JupiterResearch says that a whopping 87% of commercial clicks actually happen on major Search Engines Results Pages (SERPs) Organic Listings.
Which brings us to one burning question, is SEO better than PPC or is PPC more advisable over SEO?
Search Engine Optimization
If you want to talk about a value-added discipline that can enhance your ranking on the SERPs, it is a no-brainer that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the way to go. Anyone can benefit even in a one-time engagement with service providers. SEO covers a lot of ground in inviting quality traffic to your website as it can cross over to Copy, Usability, and Social Media to name a few. Many say that it is ideal particularly for companies or site owners that look ahead to long-term profitability or monetization.
Search Engine Optimization, however, requires more effort over a considerably longer amount of time, typically accompanied by stress and results that will test your patience. You will have to involve yourself in Content Build-up, Design, and Link Building. These in themselves are already tedious commitments but ones that are also guaranteed to deliver consistent quality traffic for a long time.
Search Engine Marketing
The practice of Search Engine Optimization for the sponsored search results is technically Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Its best-known method “ unrivaled both in popularity and in effectivity “ is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising. With PPC, you do not avail of the ad space per se; you only pay every time a searcher clicks on your advertisement. Hence, PPC has established a reputation as a low-risk, high ROI optimization endeavor.
Another key benefit to doing Pay-Per-Click Advertising is the traffic it can generate from the exposure particularly for new websites. Since newbies wont immediately show up on the Organic Listings, PPC helps as the sponsored links show up on every search results page, including the first. You place higher as you bid higher. However, this is feasible only for those who have enough capital to spend “ and serious capital at that. In addition, some of the aspects about Pay-Per-Click are not too ideal because of the requirement for training along with getting people to help you (increasing your expenditures further).
Our Take
To conclude, there is no “real winner” between Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing. Neither can stand (and stay standing) on its own. You can actually make them work together, however, especially when you strike the right balance: keeping the dedication to optimization initiatives and managing a Pay-Per-Click Advertising campaign at the same time. This concept, simply put, means that you can already expect results from your PPC campaign while you strive to nurture your site to its maturity. But thats not all there is to it. All efforts should of course each provide you with high Returns on Investment (ROI). Else, they are plain useless.
