Just like when asking a proud parent to choose their favourite child, we honestly do love Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and SEO equally. That’s because they’re both useful in their own right. Due to Google’s constant algorithm updates and the fierce competition found within organic search we do find ourselves mainly discussing how best to boost our clients’ organic rankings, but this doesn’t mean we forget about PPC. Oh no. In fact, in some cases, PPC advertising can be even more important than SEO, and here’s why.
PPC gives even the smallest brands a presence online
Unlike SEO, PPC advertising can get you to the top of the search results pages quickly, even if you’re the youngest pup in the pack. One of the main things Google really considers is a website’s authority and even factors like domain age can greatly affect this. This means that, particularly for start-ups with a brand new online presence, ranking highly in organic results to be seen by users can be extremely difficult. PPC, however, is far more likely to bring in any sort of ROI in the first few months, as you can be shot to the top of the results pages from day one (providing you have careful budget management and campaign optimisation!)
ROI is easily measured and can come in fast
As long as your ad text is effective, bids on keywords are successful and you’re using your budget (no matter how big or small) to the max, PPC can produce amazing, quick results. Obviously this is easier said than done, but because PPC platforms such as Google AdWords allow you to do constant analysis and tweaking, your PPC advertising can bring in a solid ROI quicker than pretty much any other form of online marketing.
It can make your SEO more effective
Even if in the long run you think you’re going to concentrate your efforts more on SEO, using PPC to start out can actually make your SEO in the future more effective. As PPC is so easily monitored you can clearly tell which keywords drive a lot of volume and which ones don’t. Therefore, implementing PPC to kick off your online marketing will highlight which of your keywords are most successful. Then as you move forward, even if you gradually reduce your PPC budget, you’ll have a better idea of which keywords you should be primarily targeting with your SEO. For instance an expensive keyword on PPC that drives a lot of traffic could be the perfect one to build in to your long term SEO strategy.
Here at Upperdog we like to think we know a thing or two about PPC, so if you’re interested in trialling PPC advertising for your company, or you’re just after some helpful tips then feel free to contact us!