SEO vs. PPC: Key Differences, Pros & Cons, Integration & Use Cases

possible that there’s no search demand for that particular topic. It could also be due to the lack of backlinks or the pages not matching the target audience’s search intent. 

SEO can improve your website’s visibility and give your business a competitive advantage. There’s also PPC, another strategy that helps you reach your target audience directly and boost brand visibility. 

When it comes to effective digital marketing strategies, which is ultimately better: SEO or PPC? Let’s discuss.

 

What Is SEO?

SEO is a set of practices designed to improve the visibility and ranking of websites, including their web pages and content, in organic (non-paid) search engine results. Its goal is to attract visitors to your website organically. 

To understand how SEO works, you must first understand how search engines work. They have three primary functions:

1. Crawling. Their bots discover new content every second. 
2. Indexing. The process of analyzing and storing your content. 
3. Ranking. Happens when the search engine provides content that best matches a user’s query. 

When you use a search engine like Google, it identifies all relevant pages from its index. An algorithm then ranks these pages, with the most relevant results taking the top spot in the search engine results page (SERP). 

Why does search engine optimization matter so much? Primarily because it helps your website appear in search results. It helps establish your authority, indicating that your content is relevant and high-quality. 

Plus, SEO allows you to deliver better experiences to users. For example, faster website load times can increase conversion rates between 3x and 5x. According to Backlinko, you can improve your page load speeds by:

• Moving to a faster host;
• Removing unnecessary third-party scripts;
• Reducing your page’s total size.

Because SEO involves several processes, organic search strategies can be a costly undertaking. In particular, it can go north of $10,000 per month. But is it worth it?

Let’s put it this way: search engine optimization brings in organic search traffic, which accounts for 53% of all trackable website visits. Meanwhile, only 27% of all trackable web traffic comes from paid search. And while changes have been made to the layout of SERPs, which put paid results in a more prominent position, users are still more likely to trust organic results. 

While organic search can get expensive, the good news is you can find a full-service digital marketing agency that offers affordable SEO services without cutting corners. Also, consider working with an agency offering international SEO services to reach a global audience. 

If you get the #1 result on a Google organic search result, you’re 10x more likely to get clicks and receive an average click-through rate (CTR) of 27.6%.

If you happen to land on the second page of results, you’re less likely to receive clicks. That’s because only 0.63% of users click on results from the second page.

Main Components of SEO

Knowing the different SEO components can help shape your overall digital marketing strategy. Its main components include:

On-Page SEO

On-Page SEO is the process of optimizing your website, including various page elements like the content, and internal links. This is done so that search engines can crawl and index each page. On-Page optimization improves the relevance of your pages. This, in turn, can enhance your site’s ranking, helping drive organic traffic.

Off-Page SEO

Off-Page SEO is harder to optimize because it involves factors and activities outside your website. These include high-quality backlinks, social engagement (reviews and brand mentions), and citations. The goal of Off-Page strategies is to drive your site’s authority and trustworthiness. 

Technical SEO

Technical SEO helps ensure that your site and its content are found, crawled, and indexed by search engines. It lets search engines know that your site exists and meets their technical requirements. This means your site must be secure, optimized for mobile, and properly structured.

When dealing with technical SEO, you also need to consider components like XML sitemaps, site architecture, and structured data. 

It is best to work with a technical SEO agency offering services like:

• Website audit
• Site structure analysis and development
• Sitemap and robot file implementation

Content SEO

With this component, you’re creating quality content designed to help improve your ranking in search results. Under this component, you need to consider elements that can influence your ranking, like keyword strategy and copywriting. 

Local SEO

It plays a vital role in helping businesses become more visible in local search results. Around 66% of consumers see Google as a trusted source of local business information. This is followed by Google Maps with 45%. What’s more, customers are 2.7x more likely to consider your business reputable if you have a complete Google Business profile that appears on either Google searches or Google Maps. 

To get your business to rank higher in local searches, consider the following:

• Your Google Business Profile. Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile.
• Google’s Local Map Pack. These are map-based search results that help users easily find local establishments.

An example of what the Local Map Pack looks like while searching for “best restaurants near me”

• Local organic results. You can find these below Local Map Pack results. While they don’t display business details or photos, they still offer relevant information.

Working with a local SEO company lets you leverage their expertise and deep understanding of your local market. Through their comprehensive local SEO services, they can help your business rank higher in search results.

Pros of SEO

When done properly, organic search can give your brand a strategic advantage. Below are some of the biggest benefits of SEO.

• Ongoing organic traffic. Around 94% of users tend to ignore paid search results, preferring organic results. SEO drives long-term organic website traffic. Furthermore, organic results tend to have higher CTRs compared to paid ads. For example, if you manage to move up in rankings even by one position, your CTR can potentially increase by 32.3%. 
• Sustainability. By implementing organic search best practices, such as publishing value-added content and improving your website’s user experience, your site will continue to attract customers.  

• Cost-effectiveness. While SEO strategies require an initial investment, they aren’t as expensive in the long run. Unlike PPC, where you pay for the ad every time someone clicks on it, organic search strategies don’t entail ongoing payments for ads. 

• Builds trust and credibility. Providing your audience with quality content is one way to build trust. Google previously used E-A-T, or Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness,  to determine if the content is valuable to readers. In 2022, Google rolled out an update on its quality rater guidelines. It added an extra “E” (Experience). This means sharing your personal experience helps you create standout, insightful content. Through E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), Google can provide users with more reliable and trustworthy content in response to their queries. For brands/creators, this helps establish expertise and authority. Like E-A-T, E-E-A-T applies to content creators or authors, their websites, and their content. 

Cons of SEO

• It requires expertise. Search engine optimization has a lot of moving parts. It’s easy to focus on tasks that won’t do much to boost your SERP rank. You need to have a solid understanding of all technical considerations involved in organic search. 

• Algorithms change. Search engines constantly update their search algorithms and systems. Google, for example, releases significant and broad changes (core updates) several times a year. For organic search strategies to be effective, it requires ongoing maintenance and a long-term strategy.

• Results will take time. Organic search takes longer to work because search engines like Google consider factors like a site’s relevance, usability, and quality. You also have to account for your resources, goals, organic search strategies, and the competition. In a recent survey, 82% of experts say it takes 6 months to see an increase in traffic. Meanwhile, it takes 12–24 months before you can see full results. 

An SEO campaign timeline may look like this:

• Month 1. Your team will focus on research, audits (site health, content, and onsite optimization), and analysis.
• Month 2. You start implementing changes to components like on-page and technical SEO.
• Month 3. You may start preparing new content or updating existing ones. 
• Month 4. This is when you start optimizing content, using strategies like keyword optimization or adding meta descriptions. 
• Month 5. You may start seeing results during this phase. However, your team should continue building backlinks and developing optimized content. 
• Month 6. Here, you may start seeing more significant results in your search rankings and organic traffic. 

This timeline isn’t set in stone and results may vary. You’ll still need to work on your organic search strategies to maintain momentum.

What Is PPC?

If you’re using online advertising and someone clicks your ad, you pay a fee to the ad’s publishers like Google or Facebook. That’s PPC marketing in a nutshell. With PPC advertising, you’re paying for targeted traffic to your site. 

Popular PPC platforms include:

• Google Ads
• YouTube Ads
• Amazon Ads
• Meta Ads (ads across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp)

Chances are, you’re seeing PPC ads every time you go online. For example, when you’re doing an online search, you may see paid search ads on Google. If you’re browsing sites like Amazon, Etsy, or even Instagram, you’ve likely come across PPC ads. 

A quick Google search results for the “best hot sauce” shows a list of relevant pages. Beside them, under the Sponsored tab, are several featured products that match your query.

An example of what paid ads could look like

How paid advertising works will vary depending on the platform. Generally, it follows this process:

1. Pick a campaign type, which will depend on your objectives. 
2. Toggle platform settings and set your targeting parameters like your target audience and locations.
3. Set your budget and outline your bidding strategy.
4. Add your landing page’s URL.

Once you’ve covered these steps, you can start building your PPC ad. The time and place your ad appears (and its cost per click) will be influenced by your campaign settings, bid, and budget, among other factors. 

To build a PPC campaign, you must first set your parameters to ensure your PPC ads are targeted and, therefore, effective. Decide on your campaign goals and metrics. You’ll then need to:

• Choose the type of paid ad campaign you want to run like search, display, or social ads.
• Find the relevant keywords you want to target.
• Use Google Analytics (GA) to track campaign performance. 

Main Components of PPC

Effective PPC advertising consists of several components, including:

• Keyword Research. Paid ad campaigns heavily rely on keywords, and refining your keyword list is crucial for a successful campaign. Your keywords should be relevant and expansive. 

• Ad Creation. This is where you determine how your ad looks, what message it conveys, and where it directs users. 

• Bid Management. Determine how much you’re willing to pay a PPC platform like Google for the clicks you receive. If you’re outbid by competitors, your ad’s visibility will be limited, which gives you fewer clicks. 

• Performance Tracking. This entails monitoring campaign results. Doing so allows you to fine-tune your paid ad strategy. 

Pros of PPC

There are several benefits of PPC. With it, users can immediately see your ads, as these typically appear above the fold. Because PPC ads are, well, advertisements, you have more control over how and where your marketing messages are delivered. 

You can also opt to use visual ads instead of just text-based ones. Using tools like GA, you can identify which of your keywords convert, as well as the percentage and cost.

Lastly, there’s a potential for significant returns. A well-optimized paid ad campaign can help you achieve a 200% ROI—that’s a return of $2 for every dollar spent on PPC ads. 

• Immediate results. Because you get immediate results, you have the opportunity to become more agile. You can quickly roll out a new marketing message or launch a new product and get quick feedback. 

• Precise targeting. Paid ads help put your brand in front of your target audience. Plus, there are several ways to target ads, such as through search keywords, audience demographics, devices used, and time. PPC also allows retargeting, where you target users who have already interacted with your brand/website. 
• Accurate performance tracking. You can split test and track different components of your paid ad, from landing pages to CTA buttons. You can also see data like the number of people who saw your ads, clicks, and conversions.

Cons of PPC

• Can be very expensive. You need to continue spending on ads to get results. Because it requires ongoing investments, PPC can be expensive. You also have to bid on keywords, and if you’re targeting popular ones, this can get costly. 

• Risk of ad fatigue. People see thousands of ads daily, and they get tired of seeing the same ads again and again. For some, this can feel intrusive, while others become desensitized to your PPC marketing efforts.  

• Complexity of effectively managing PPC campaigns. You need to have a thorough understanding of how different PPC advertising components work. You must also learn to use advertising platforms like Google Ads. 

Working with a PPC marketing agency ensures you get expert help. However, remember that this will add to your PPC marketing costs.

SEO vs. PPC: Key Differences

So, which is better for digital marketing: SEO or PPC? There’s no clear winner in the age-old SEO versus PPC debate. Each of them have their pros, cons, and applications. 

The biggest difference between SEO and PPC is where each one gets traffic from. The former gets traffic from organic searches, while the latter is from paid searches and other forms of PPC advertising. 

Let’s look at their key differences to help you determine the best option for your digital marketing needs.

 

	SEO	PPC
Cost	Potentially higher upfront costs, but you won’t need to pay for every click your site gets	You’re paying for each click your PPC ad receives. Costs can vary based on your ad platform and targeted keywords.
Time to Results	Long-term SEO strategy, with results taking anywhere between 6 and 24 months	Immediate. As soon as your ad goes live, you can start getting results.
Longevity	Sustainable results obtained through ongoing efforts	Short-term and stops when your campaign ends or when your ad budget is exhausted
Click-Through Rate	Higher CTR due to increased user trust	Lower CTR compared to organic results
Keyword Targeting	Achieved through content optimization and backlinks	More precise targeting using specific keywords and factors like audience demographics and behavior
Scalability	Scalable but requires consistent efforts	More scalable; you can increase or decrease ad spend
Testing and Optimization	Changes and optimizations will take time to reflect in SERP rankings	Easier to test and optimize through methods like split testing/performance monitoring

 

In the PPC vs. SEO debate, which one you use will depend on the situation and your marketing goals.

When to Use SEO?

• Building long-term online presence. By constantly showing up on search results, you can build your online presence and authority in your niche. For example, if your site consistently has a high rank for relevant searches, visitors are more likely to view your site and your brand as more credible. 

• Budget constraints. Organic search is a cost-effective model and, unlike PPC, you won’t have to pay for every click. Instead, you can steadily grow your audience through ongoing efforts and quality content. 
• Content-driven business. If you’re making great content but aren’t getting any traffic, it’s best to resort to organic search strategies. This lets you create a better experience for users while providing them with relevant resources.

When to Use PPC?

• Immediate traffic needs. As soon as your ad goes live, you can see quick results. When someone searches for instant coffee, for example, they’ll start seeing your ad even if they don’t know your brand. 

• Highly competitive keywords. PPC lets you bid for long-tail keywords, which are less competitive but allow you to target more specific audiences. 
• Controlled budget and targeting. With PPC, you get full control over your ads and your budget. For instance, if you see promising results, you can scale up your PPC efforts. Otherwise, you can limit or stop your ad spend.

How to Combine SEO and PPC

If you have the means to run both organic search and paid ads campaigns, then you can potentially make significant gains. The former is best for your long-term goals, while the latter is ideal for short-term goals and targeting keywords with steep competition. 

To help settle the PPC vs. SEO debate, they work best together. Combining the two acquisition strategies unlocks benefits, such as:

• Better visibility in SERPs
• Giving your target audience a more consistent brand experience
• Gaining access to more data, particularly user behavior
• Recovering missed clicks. 
• Having a more cost-effective investment that lets you maximize your budget 

These tips can help you start integrating these two acquisition models:

• Use data from your PPC campaigns (e.g., keyword search volumes and high-converting CTAs) to optimize your search engine optimization strategies. 
• Focus on retargeting strategies using organic search and paid ads. 
• Develop a coordinated keyword strategy to align your organic search and paid ads efforts and ensure you’re targeting the right keywords to drive conversions. For example, you can split test your PPC ads to determine the performance of certain keywords. Use the results to develop an optimized organic search keyword strategy. 

Bringing these two channels together can be challenging. Working with a reliable digital marketing agency that specializes in SEO and PPC strategies like NetShopping can help you combine both seamlessly. Our experts will help maximize your reach and visibility through effective PPC and SEO integration.

Examples of Successful Campaigns That Successfully Combine SEO and PPC

Integrating PPC and SEO lets you target relevant keywords and provide users with high-quality content. In the example below, you can see how we were able to successfully combine PPC and SEO for one of our campaigns. 

Our client Damex wanted to achieve the following:

• Build an engaged project community
• Boost brand awareness and mentions among their target audience
• Attract potential investors and provide them with robust support

We developed a comprehensive marketing strategy, covering different marketing tactics to:

• Boost brand visibility
• Drive engagement
• Attract new investors

With SEO, we were able to create an optimized article that appeared within the top 10 results for different keywords. We also leveraged paid ads on Facebook. The campaign attracted around 550 new subscribers, indicating a successful community engagement. You can read the case study for more details.

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing between SEO and PPC, one isn’t always better than the other. You need to weigh their pros/cons and look at how each model can help you achieve your digital marketing goals. Running both strategies could potentially unlock more significant results. 

Ready to gain a strategic advantage over the competition with effective PPC and organic search strategies? Click the button below to schedule a call with us.