Those involved in digital marketing are often asked, ‘which will bring me better results, SEO or PPC?’. Truth be told, this question is a little simplistic. SEO and PPC actually serve quite different purposes and which strategy your company should invest in relies on a number of different factors, including your objectives, industry, and budget.

Here at Newpath Web, we offer comprehensive PPC and SEO services. Our industry leading results come from the skill of our expert team as well as their ability to discern which strategy is best for you and your business.

SEO explained

SEO stands for search engine optimisation, the process of improving your entire website to increase both the quantity and quality of leads. What does this mean? Well, the aim of an SEO strategy is to direct more traffic to your site and for that traffic to be made up of legitimate customers.

This is achieved through a variety of tactics that are designed to help you better articulate to Google what your website is about. With a deeper understanding, Google will be able to direct more relevant customers your way.

These tactics can fall under one of three categories: on-page, technical, or off-page. Technical involves everything at the back-end of your website. Your ability to effectively implement technical SEO strategies often comes down to your initial choice of CMS platform. On-page is more about the content that your customers (and Google’s search engine bots) will be engaging with. Off-page tactics involve sharing that content as widely as possible, signalling to Google that your site is reputable and trustworthy.

SEO is what is known as an organic marketing strategy. This means that rather than paying for ads, you are using natural tactics to gradually build customer numbers. An effective SEO strategy creates a snowball-like effect — getting your website to the top spot on Google requires increased leads but once you’re there, new customers are also more likely to discover your business.

The basics of PPC

PPC stands for ‘pay-per-click’ marketing. It’s a strategy in which website owners pay to have their website featured as a top Google result for particular, targeted keywords.

You’ve probably noticed when searching online that the first few suggestions have a small ‘Ad’ disclaimer in the headline. This is a PPC advertisement. Google charges website owners each time their ad is clicked. Providing you set your ads up well and your website provides a positive, engaging user experience, PPC advertising can be extremely effective.

Google Ads can be a little complex to get your head around, which is why it’s well worth outsourcing this type of advertising to a digital marketing team — like Newpath Web! Essentially, businesses make a list of keywords they are wanting to target and create ads around these keywords. When someone searches for a targeted keyword online, an ‘auction’ of sorts takes place, in which all websites interested in these keywords put forth an (automatic) bid based on how much they are willing to pay for a top spot. The likelihood of your website winning this auction is also dependent on the quality of your ads.

The cost of Google ads is therefore varied and dependent on a number of factors, including the competitiveness of your keywords, your location, and the quality of your ads and website.

Finding PPC success also requires a functional and engaging website. The last thing you want to do is pay top-dollar for an advertising spot, only to have visitors unsure how to navigate your site when they get there. User experience is often discussed in relation to SEO, but it is equally as important when it comes to PPC strategies.

SEO vs. PPC: which is for me?

So, the question remains, which is the better strategy for your business?

This type of question cannot be answered without a full audit of your company and website. A number of factors dictate the relative success of any type of digital marketing strategy, including your budget, the industry you’re in, what tactics your competitors use, and your aims.

Newpath Web works closely with our clients to design digital marketing campaigns that are tailored and produce real results. We offer comprehensive PPC and SEO services, and our consistent, positive results have seen us continually deemed one of the top providers of search engine optimisation in Melbourne.

To learn more about our digital marketing services, including which strategy — SEO, PPC, or a combination of both — we recommend for your business, contact our friendly team today.