When you purchase visitors or "clicks" from a search engine, this is called "pay-per-click" (PPC) search engine advertising (or PPCSE). Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Advertising allows you to quickly get top search engine placement by "bidding" (paying) for keywords related to your product or service.
"Organic" or "Natural" search engine optimization (SEO) is accomplished by optimizing your web pages and by increasing your "link popularity" by acquiring or paying for links that point to your web site. This gives you high rankings at the Search Engines for your chosen search terms.
In this article, we will explore the strengths and weaknesses of both methods of search engine marketing.
"Natural" Search Engine Optimization
Today, there is a big myth that natural search engine optimization is inexpensive and easy. For example, if you wanted your web site to rank high for the keyword phrase "life insurance" or "debt consolidation" you're going to need to budget a minimum of $50,000-100,000 a year!
Yet still, natural search engine optimization usually gives you a much higher return on investment than pay per click. This is true for two main reasons:
1. More searchers click the natural search engine results versus the pay per click ads, so you'll get much more traffic for less.
2. One of the biggest factors to improving your rankings with natural search engine optimization is by boosting your "Link Popularity" by acquiring or paying for links that point to your web site. These links give you lasting results by giving you top rankings and traffic from the search engines. Plus, the links themselves will provide a significant boost in long term traffic.
With that said, the biggest weakness of natural search engine optimization is the time required to generate links and "tweak" your web pages and keywords to get those prized high rankings you so desire. It can literally take 3 months or more to finally enjoy the benefits of your search engine optimization campaign.
Pay Per Click Search Engine Advertising
The biggest benefit of pay per click is the fact that it will provide you with an immediate boost of qualified visitors, lead and sales giving you fast results within just hours or days. In fact, a pay per click advertising program is your best option if you seek fast results and a good return on investment while you are waiting for your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) program to "ramp up."
Depending on your traffic goals, you can budget $100 or $100,000. PPCSEs also give you the added benefits of being able to quickly test your web site and track your conversion rates (leads, opt-ins, and sales) and turning keywords (visitors) on and off easily.
So, as a short term strategy pay per click gives you the clear advantage over SEO. But, the disadvantage is the cost involved. Depending on the market demand for your keywords and clicks, your PPCSE campaign can generate tons of traffic and can cost hundreds, even thousands per day. With various optimization strategies you can lower your costs, but over the long term natural search engine optimization will give you a higher return on your marketing dollar.
In Conclusion
The golden rule in marketing is that you should constantly strive for maximum results and ROI for your budget. In other words, if your marketing is making you a profit - even if it's a thin profit - it's worth it. By this model, pay per click is worth doing, but overall pay per click will leave you with thinner margins.
The reason for conducting a natural search engine optimization campaign is to significantly increase your margins over the long term.
About The Author
Matt Hockin is President of Interactive Marketing, Inc., a small business marketing consulting company and the editor of the Interactive Marketing newsletter, one of the Internet's leading free small business marketing newsletters. Subscribe now at http://www.interactivemarketinginc.com.
limousine chicago serviceYou may not realize it, but in the next few... Read More
In private consultations with some Search Engine Optimizers I am... Read More
Not getting the satisfaction you want from your AdWords account?... Read More
One of the biggest problems faced by ClickBank merchants is... Read More
You got your website, you got your AdSense account, you... Read More
There is a new advertising style from Google Adsense that... Read More
What are Website Conversion Strategies?Website conversion strategies are marketing and... Read More
So how do people find my website? This is by... Read More
A "dollar and a dream," is all you need said... Read More
Improving Adwords Campaign ManagementAdwords Campaign Management - Naming SchemesKeep your... Read More
Internet technology offers vast opportunities to promote your business with... Read More
If you are already running Adsense on your site, you... Read More
Submitting your website to the Search Engines today may seem... Read More
Lots of people would like to get their Web site... Read More
Choosing the right price for your digital products is one... Read More
Did you know that there are actually pay per click... Read More
The fairy tale existance of Google is starting to experience... Read More
Without tracking, your online advertising is just a shot in... Read More
The web has evolved into a complex "organism" which, to... Read More
Have you heard the saying, "planning is everything?" Perhaps there... Read More
Do you want to get paid for posting ads on... Read More
A lot of affiliates are selling other people's products with... Read More
Google Inc. is suing a Houston-based company for allegedly clicking... Read More
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is a good supplement to natural search... Read More
Many surfers are savvy enough to identify ClickBank affiliate links,... Read More
industrial led light led outdoor lamp Pete's produce ..Clickbank has been around for years and has earned an... Read More
Without tracking, your online advertising is just a shot in... Read More
Pay per click advertising is an on-going and growing arsenal... Read More
Why should you pay to get web site traffic, isn't... Read More
Many of us have websites and as a matter of... Read More
Lots of people would like to get their Web site... Read More
Businesses are starting to look closely at the long-term benefits... Read More
An analysis of web's most popular 20,000 keywords by TopPayingKeywords.com,... Read More
If you're an active Adsense publisher, I'm sure you have... Read More
Then most difficult aspect of marketing a new product or... Read More
On Friday, July 15th all Google advertisers got the email... Read More
If you want to make money online with a work... Read More
Search engine optimization can take a long time to show... Read More
You know about Google Adsense, now it's Google Ad Links... Read More
If you know anything at all about Internet marketing, then... Read More
One of the biggest threats to the continued growth of... Read More
"I don't need the Internet to advertise - I'm a... Read More
As my sites get more and more search engine traffic,... Read More
As the dust settles and the excitement caused by Google's... Read More
One of the absolute best online marketing processes available to... Read More
First of all, you know as well that Google is... Read More
Click fraud has become a major problem for online marketers.... Read More
Did you know that you can make money from Google... Read More
Your probably reading this article because you use Google Adwords... Read More
If you are using pay per click advertising, I don't... Read More
Pay-Per-Click Advertising Pay-Per-Click Advertising |