Starting an online business today is not a walk in the park. There are lots of things like paperwork, taxes, registration, shipping, sites, and online presence that you need to do. After all, most small business owners realize that there are others out there that are selling similar products with lower price points, so how do they get customers?
Fortunately, marketers can use various tools like pay-per-click on Google Ads and SEO that will help them become more visible on the internet. However, these two have their differences, and if you’re unsure which strategy to use, below are the breakdowns of their pros and cons. In the meantime, get more info about SEO on this page here.
What is SEO All About?
After you’ve created a website, you need to do optimizations on it so it becomes visible to the search engines. Your potential customers are now spending more time browsing the internet looking for information about specific products and services.
Whenever an individual asks a question on Google, the search engine will show them relevant pages that are related to their query, and this is where you would want to be visible. To get seen and rank on page one, you need internal linking, carefully-researched keywords, and other techniques that will generate traffic to your website. The goal is for the organic traffic to be aware that your site exists and in turn, can increase your leads and sales.
If you’re focused on Google, it would generally rank you based on the following categories:
Keywords
Organic searches and clicking on your link would mean more traffic, and the most coveted spot is the first on any search engine platform. This is going to boost your brand and make it look more trustworthy. However, you need to be strategic at keyword placement and study a term’s competitiveness and popularity.
When a keyword has a lot of search volume, you can expect low traffic so use the ones that are relevant and related to the topics of what you’re offering. See the post about keyword definition at this link: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6323?hl=en.
Evergreen Posts
Search engines love high-quality, informative, and valuable content. It’s when the users are going to get what they need, and when you have the time to create long-form, lengthy and specific guides, you’ll be able to keep your visitors on the site longer.
You can always boost your engagement rates by replying to the comments, answering questions, and creating opportunities for your potential customers to contact you. These actions send positive signals to Bing or Google that you care about your visitors.
Secured Site
SSL certificates should always be in place because if you lack these features, this is a sign that your website is not secure. With growing concerns about hacking and privacy, you need to always do encryption on the information that’s being sent to your site. Secured websites and pages will rank better compared to unsecured ones.
PPC and Google Ads
Pay-per-click advertising works well for business owners who have just started their business. Paid advertising enables start-ups to compete with others who are already established in the industry.
By using the power of search ads, the texts are going to appear above the organic listings. You’ll find them getting tagged as “ads” on the screen. Other carousel formats will show you different products, shops, images, and prices so you can compare and shop better.
Service-based companies such as electricians, plumbers, and lawn care providers might attract more local traffic to their business. Similarly, the information may be shown on Google as another carousel, but this time, it will show phone numbers, rating, and opening hours of a specific business.
With this type of advertisement, you only pay when a visitor clicks your advertisement. This is going to save you more than the traditional methods of placing your ads on newspaper, television, or radio. This is a bidding system where the one with the most amount will be shown on the search engine when an individual enters a keyword. The frequency of you getting engagement will depend on the budget you’ve set for the campaign for an entire mind.
Which One is Better?
Marketers may use both or only one of the campaigns mentioned above. With the help of digital marketing agencies from Birmingham, you can get the best of both worlds without worrying about how to start from scratch. Comparing the two strategies as an entrepreneur can help determine which is better.
In some factors like traffic, know that SEO will generate this continuously without you needing to pay each time. For Google Ads, this is only going to give you the visitors that you need as long as the advertisement is up and running. Keep in mind to seek for services that are niche relevant with what you are searching for, for example Travel SEO services can specifically optimize your online presence to ensure your travel business attracts a steady stream of potential customers organically.
For placement, you’ll only get on top of the search results if you do things right, and the clicks won’t cost you anything. All in all, SEO is a long-term goal where you need to be a master of both short and long-tail keywords. However, know that the results are going to take time, and you’ll get more brand awareness with the ads.
If you’re going to focus more on sales and leads, then PPC might work best for you. This is a strategy where you can get real-time reports and immediate results. Launching campaigns will mean that you’ll know whether your efforts are paying off or not, almost immediately.
A steady flow of traffic and revenue is the goal of SEO, and this is going to help individuals find out more about your business and learn more about what you’re offering. With the help of the right experts in the digital landscape, you can get help with the leads and result-driven actions that can propel you to the top without the hassle.