What’s The Difference Between SEO and PPC?

© Shutterstock

In an increasingly digital world, Singaporean businesses need an online presence to maintain a competitive edge. However, it is not enough to create a website and a few social media accounts. Businesses need to invest in digital marketing to reach their target customers. Two of the most commonly used strategies are called SEO and PPC.

SEO stands for search engine optimization. This strategy focuses on improving a website’s ranking so that it shows up earlier on a search engine result page or SERP. Websites with good SEO may appear towards the top of the SERP, which increases the site traffic.

On the other hand, PPC is shorthand for pay-per-click advertisements. If you input a search term into Google, chances are the first results you will see on the SERP are PPC Singapore businesses have paid for. However, because this is a sponsored placement, the search result may be replaced by a different one once the ad contract expires.

If you want to know which one to use for promoting your business, it is important to understand how each strategy works. Knowing the benefits and disadvantages can help you decide on the best option to invest in.

Should You Use SEO?

There are many websites on the internet, and more are being added every minute. Many websites share the same niche or sell the same type of product, but Google has a way of determining which sites to show first. It ranks websites based on ranking factors which may best serve a query in terms of the quality and trustworthiness of a site’s content, among other things.

There are many ways to improve a website’s search rankings, and SEO can require a bit of an investment. However, the clear advantage of using SEO is its ability to improve organic traffic. Enhancing the content quality and technical aspects of a website helps it to rank better with Google’s search algorithms, which has a long-term positive effect. Additionally, SEO is considered to be cost-efficient since the ranking is earned rather than paid for with a sponsored ad placement.

What Are the Disadvantages of Using SEO?

Even if you implement good SEO techniques on your site, it can take time before you start seeing an increase in traffic numbers and search rankings. Doing SEO is also an ongoing process, not a one-time investment. Search algorithms improve to deliver better and more relevant results to users, so ranking factors can change over time.

Should You Use PPC?

Pay-per-click advertisements are ads that show up right next to the search results on the SERP. The advertiser only pays for the placement whenever a user clicks on the ad, which is highly likely given the ad’s prominence on the search results.

What makes PPC so appealing is that the results are practically instantaneous: you can expect to start seeing more traffic coming into your site as soon as the ad campaign starts. This is a good way for new businesses to start getting attention immediately. You also don’t have to consider how your website ranks on the search engine algorithm since top placement is guaranteed upon payment.

What Are the Disadvantages of Using PPC?

Doing keyword research is necessary before doing PPC advertising. After all, you first need to identify what search terms you would want your ads to be displayed with. Keyword research also entails costs if you buy the keywords or hire a PPC specialist. Unless you are a specialist yourself, it is better to work with an expert.

PPC is great for achieving fast growth, but as with all advertising, it can be a costly strategy that is only sustainable for the short term. It can be set to run on a fixed budget, but once that runs out, the ad will be removed from top listings and cause web traffic to take a sharp drop.

There is also a concern about click fraud, or when the ad gains false clicks from a malicious script or program. By imitating user clicks, the malware racks up clicks on the ad without it actually reaching the same number of users. As a result, the advertiser pays for these clicks without actually gaining more awareness for its brand.

SEO versus PPC: Which Is Best for Your Business?

Doing SEO is similar to doing home renovations and improvements; it requires time, effort, and capital, but you can enjoy the results for years to come. Meanwhile, PPC is like hiring a big tent and catering services for a backyard party. It may be temporary, but it is immediate and essential to the success of your event.

SEO and PPC are very different from each other and perform a unique function in your digital marketing campaign. Ideally, it is good to make use of both options and have them work synergistically. If the budget is limited, however, consider your timeline. You might do a PPC campaign if you want fast results or develop your SEO if you are planning for the long term.