Ever wondered what is search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click (PPC)? Before you draw any conclusions, we would like to start by clearing the fog — SEO no longer means free traffic!

A decade ago, ranking wasn’t a big deal because search engine algorithms were basic and there were many fewer websites on the internet. Now, the internet landscape is much denser, with millions of websites competing for visibility.

Therefore, ranking on Google or any other search engine is no longer as easy as it used to be. Although the technological shift from typed searches to voice searches brings along certain opportunities, ranking your website takes much more time and effort than it used to.

So, if you still believe that “SEO means Free Traffic and PPC means Paid Traffic” then you are highly mistaken and need to be better informed. As a matter of fact, PPC can at times be more cost-efficient than SEO. If that’s piqued your interest, then read on and by the end of this article, you’ll figure out how.

What is SEO?

In 2020, SEO refers to the collective efforts aimed at propelling a website’s ranking in the search results. This is achieved by studying the ranking factors of a particular search engine and then incorporating changes in the content and technical aspects of a website.

As the majority of all searches come from Google, SEO is now synonymous with ranking on Google, but there are several other search engines like Bing that can drive a decent amount of traffic. These are best explored by smaller businesses that do not have the resources to rank on Google.

Back in the day when Google was competing with Yahoo to be the No.1 Search engine, SEO meant keyword stuffing, which is now frowned upon. Keyword stuffing refers to the practice of adding a particular keyword numerous times in the webpage regardless of whether it makes sense.

Google now has a more mature algorithm and so keyword stuffing can actually get your website blacklisted. So, you need high-quality content that is optimized with keywords that flow naturally and do not exceed 2% of the content.

We make use of several other on-page SEO techniques such as including keywords in places where Google actually looks for it. This makes it easier for search engines to crawl to your website.

Also, we work on the technical flaws that could be preventing your website from ranking. A few to mention are bulky images, 404 errors, and duplicate content that you might have unknowingly published.

At Asset Digital Communications, we make use of SEO tactics that work so that you get the most out of your digital marketing budget.

As you may have figured out, these SEO tactics can be expensive because content creation and guest posting can cost quite a bit of money. In addition to that, technical SEO requires quite a bit of time and effort. However, this is what it takes to rank your website on Google.

What is PPC?

Pay Per Click (PPC) is an advertising model that charges a fee based for each clicks coming to your website from an internet ad you have placed. The ads can be placed on a range of platforms such as a search engine such as Google or Bing, social media platform such as Facebook, or a content broadcasting platform like YouTube or TikTok.

PPC involves keyword-specific bidding and the bid price varies depending on the demand for a particular PPC keyword. Based on the keywords you choose, the platform shows your ads to a user and when the user clicks on it, the advertiser is charged for every click.

When PPC was a new concept, the bids were low but now they can be as high as $50 and more for competitive search terms. Particularly, the ones connected to real estate, remote software solutions, and cannabis.

PPC and SEO — Which One is Better?

Now that we have discussed what SEO and PPC are, you might be wondering which way to go. We’d like to make that easier for you and so, here’s a quick overview of the strengths and weakness of these two lead generation techniques.

• PPC can bring immediate results while SEO takes time but drives traffic until someone outranks you.
• When it comes to ranking for competitive search terms, SEO is more cost-effective than PPC.
• PPC is a short-term lead generation strategy, while SEO is a long-term investment.
• PPC connects you to a highly targeted traffic based on demographics, which SEO does not.

Now that you know what is SEO and PPC, and have absolute clarity about the positives and negatives of each of these two lead generation techniques, it’s time to make a decision. So, note down your business goals and pick a technique that aligns with your business goals.

Let us help you set up a profitable SEO or PPC campaign right away, get in touch with Asset Digital Communications.