When searching for a product or service, have you ever noticed the sponsored results at the top of the page? If so, you’ve seen a PPC campaign in action. Scroll a little further down and you’ll reach the organic results—that’s SEO at work. SEO and PPC offer two ways to get to the top of the search results.
Now, you may be wondering whether it’s worth investing in both. After all, isn’t PPC just a workaround for SEO? Not quite. Let’s explore the difference between PPC and SEO a little more closely. Then, we’ll look at how to integrate PPC and SEO campaigns for maximum marketing efficiency.
Understanding the Difference Between PPC and SEO
If you’re unfamiliar with digital marketing, you may wonder about the difference between PPC and SEO. They may seem like two sides of the same coin, but each has its place in your marketing toolbox.
Pay-per-Click (PPC)
PPC refers to paid traffic, whereby advertisers bid for ad placement and pay each time a user clicks their ad. PPC ads typically appear at the top or bottom of SERPs, and are marked as “sponsored” or “ad.” In addition to search engines, you can buy ad space on e-commerce websites like Amazon.
PPC delivers immediate results—you can start getting hits as soon as your ads are approved. For Charlotte residents, a Charlotte PPC agency can help you get your PPC campaign up-and-running in no time.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO involves optimizing a website to rank higher within the organic (non-paid) search results. Your SEO agency uses a number of strategies to improve your visibility, relevance, and authority so you can attract more search engine traffic. This typically includes:
- Keyword research
- Content marketing
- Web copy
- Link building
- Technical optimization
If you’re a Charlotte business, consider contacting a Charlotte SEO company to help you boost your SERP ranking. An agency can be particularly helpful for link building and technical optimization, which can be pretty involved. What’s more, many SEO agencies have an in-house Charlotte website designer so you can put your website on autopilot.
Differences between PPC and SEO
Both PPC and SEO are effective to drive traffic and conversions. Here’s a side-by-side comparison:
| Pay-per-Click (PPC) | Search Engine Optimization (SEO) |
| PPC is a paid advertising model. | SEO is an organic marketing strategy. |
| PPC ads are marked as “sponsored” or “ad.” | SEO results are listed as organic search results. |
| PPC can be costly, especially for competitive keywords. | SEO is typically more cost-effective in the long run. |
| PPC traffic stops when the campaign ends. | SEO traffic can continue to generate leads and sales over time. |
Certainly, PPC is a fast way to drive traffic. But slow and steady wins the race—consistent SEO effort delivers lasting results.
How PPC and SEO Work Together
PPC and SEO are complimentary marketing strategies, and can work in tandem to improve your performance in the search results and ultimately drive conversions. What’s more, the insights gained from one campaign can inform the other. Let’s look a little more closely at how to integrate SEO and PPC for optimum results:
- Keyword research: PPC and SEO both require research to identify relevant, high-traffic keywords for your business. PPC can tell you which keywords convert best, which can inform SEO.
- Testing: PPC is a great way to test new keywords, ad copy, and landing pages before putting SEO efforts towards them.
- Brand awareness: PPC can boost brand awareness, resulting in more searches for your brand name. This can boost organic traffic.
- Remarketing: SEO can bring users to your website, and PPC can be used to bring those users back.
- Ad copy insights: Insights from PPC ad copy can inform your website content for SEO, social media advertising, and more.
SEO and PPC each have a place at the table, and investing in one and not the other can mean wasted effort. PPC generates a wealth of valuable data that can supercharge your SEO strategy, so it may be worth running a few PPC campaigns before going all-in on SEO.
Final Thoughts
By integrating your SEO and PPC campaigns, you can maximize your search engine visibility and get the most out of your marketing budget. If you’re new to the digital marketing game and wondering where to allocate your effort, consider enlisting the help of a Charlotte digital marketing agency.
Wedgewood Marketing is a Charlotte SEO company offering a full range of digital marketing services. Contact us today for your free marketing plan!
