Where Should I Start PPC Or SEO?
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 01:19PM By Kevin Thomas
Once you realize that effective online marketing requires some communication and a good ranking with the top search engines, you have to become familiar with two very different varieties of search engine marketing: search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click advertising (PPC). The expense and time commitment required to operate a marketing campaign using each of these methods varies, so you have to learn about them both to determine what best fits your online home based business and advertising goals.
Optimizing for the Search Engines
There are two aspects of SEO: off-page and on-page. Off-page search engine optimization requires building links pointing to your site from other high valued sites as well as various other strategies that are done off of your actual website in order to boost your own search engine ranking. On-page optimization includes producing keyword rich content and correctly naming each page of the site.
When SEO is done right, you receive an increase of "organic" traffic, which simply means people find your website through the natural means of finding you in a search engine results listing. You do not pay anyone for your ranking and placement with the search engines, so it is considered a natural and organic product of your own optimization work.
What many people do not realize at first is that it takes some time to effectively use SEO marketing strategies. Just building a new keyword-rich site is not enough to get a very high ranking with the search engines. Most sites will work consistently with a site for a year or much longer to establish themselves on the top search engines results pages. That's because SEO takes some time to correctly develop and employ so that the search engines pick up on the value and relevancy of the site.
The Pay Per Click Option
While SEO campaigns are organic, PPC requires a financial investment to secure. Instead of appearing naturally on the search results pages as recommended site, pay per click makes you a paid advertiser at the very top of the search engine results pages for particular keywords. This means your links are separated out at the top of the page or along the side of the page, while organic (free) links show up down the center of the page.
If you are thinking it's like advertising in the local paper, you're wrong. It is a bit more complicated because you are not paying just to be placed on specific keyword results pages. What you are charged for instead are the individual clicks that your links receive. So, if no one clicks your link you won't be out much but if you become extremely popular with searchers it could get quite expensive. The highest bidders are the highest ranked.
Not every business can afford to do PPC right away since it is a financial investment, but once you do get to the point you can do so, the results are noticeable right away. That is why so many people enjoy running a PPC campaign: you don't have to wait months or years to see the results!
Another big difference between SEO and PPC is that you just lose your time when an optimization mistake is made, but you lose money and time with PPC mistakes. This is why you have to set up your landing page to the best of your capability so many of those paid for visitors will become paying customers or loyal future visitors. You also need to be very selective with your chosen keywords so you pull in the right visitors.
You can see now why this is a big choice to make. Do you stick with long term free results with search engine optimization, or spring for the expense of a pay per click campaign and short term results?
Use A Combination Of SEO & PPC
Or, why not take option three and go with a blended plan? You can optimize your site for search engine optimization and also bid on keywords. This allows you to keep within your advertising budget for the pay per click aspect while still getting the long term benefits of the site optimization. Which ones you use and when you use them will likely change with time. For instance, a completely new site might require a pay per click campaign just to make the statement it exists.
You may also choose to be heavier handed with PPC if your goal is to bring in immediate sales. SEO can still be used to slowly attract and convert paying customers over time.
You will see results whether you use PPC or SEO marketing strategies, but why not mix them together and have it all? The long term reputation that optimization gives you is a perfect companion to the instant results delivered by pay per click marketing.
Kevin Thomas is a traditional business entrepreneur who has owned and operated a building maintenance franchise for over 20 years. After finishing college and a 3 year tour in the United States Army Kevin decided that corporate America was not for him. It was at this point that his entrepreneurial journey began. With nothing more than a dream and stubbornness to succeeded he took it upon himself to figure out how to run a traditional bricks and mortar business, and after many tough years of trail and error his dream soon become a reality.Kevin is now teaching people how to develop businesses online at his blog Network Marketing Industries with the new model of attraction marketing.
Areas of Strength & Interest
- Relationship building and social skills
- Business and financial knowledge
- Internet web building strategies
- Inspiration and motivational tips
- Internet network marketing and MLM
