Are Paid Ads Worth It? How To Solve The PPC vs SEO Debate

Companies are always looking to generate greater brand awareness. One way to do this is by having a prominent position in Google search results. 

Getting maximum visibility online is a key factor to getting more traffic to your website, generating more leads, and ultimately, increasing sales. Think of this as a figurative domino effect, as one increases (or one domino falls) the others follow. Search engine optimization (SEO) is an effective strategy to reach these objectives.

There are generally two main approaches to SEO:

1. Pay Per Click advertising (PPC)
2. Organic SEO

There is a time and place for both strategies. They can be used separately, or they can be used in conjunction, depending on your marketing strategy. Here we will look at the difference between paid ads and organic SEO, how paid ads work, and compare the pros and cons of each strategy. 

Paid Ads vs. Organic SEO – What’s the Difference?

Paid ads vs. organic – they are two different strategies, but they have the same end game – to get more people to your website. 

The main difference between the two is your investment. With paid ads, you invest money. With organic SEO, you invest your time and creativity. 

Here is a simple comparison of how the two stack up against each other:

How Paid Ads Work 

Paid ads work exactly as they sound. You pay each time someone clicks on your ad. You could pay per click, impression, or view. You create ads on Google or other platforms. You set a budget for your ads. Once your budget runs out, your ads will no longer be displayed. You can top up your ad budget at any time to restart the ads. Pick your keywords and match types. Set your landing pages.

You can run multiple campaigns at the same time. This means you could have a campaign for each keyword you want to target or for every product/service offered. 

You can set up your ads to appear for a certain demographic, device, keyword, location, or time. There are many other filters you can use to ensure your targeted audience sees your ads alongside search results. 

Where Do Paid Ads Appear?

PPC ads can appear on a variety of platforms, in addition to Google search results. Here are some places you could see your ads appear:

• Local search results pages (Google Maps)
• Google’s Display Network (banners, and media across millions of websites online)
• Bing Ads through the Microsoft Advertising platform
• Facebook and Instagram 
• LinkedIn
• Other social media sites

Where you invest in paid ads comes down to where your target audience is online. 

When Should I Use PPC?

There are a number of situations where it is advantageous to use paid ads:

1. To build up your SEO efforts – use it along with organic SEO

2. To establish an ongoing presence on Google SERPs

3. To build awareness for your brand, a product, or service

Why Use Paid Ads? The Benefits:

Here are some reasons to use PPC ads:

• Immediate results – once you pay, you’ll have a presence
• Diverse targeting capabilities – you have control over who sees your ads  
• Access to invaluable insights based on the performance of your ads
• You can use them along with other marketing tactics
• Generate targeted leads – According to WordStream, 64% of people click on Google ads when they are looking to buy an item online
• You can refine your ads for optimal performance
• Great ROI – Google Ads say the average business makes an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 of Google Ads spend

Should I Use PPC or Organic SEO?

You don’t have to use one or the other. You can use both or just one. Sometimes websites use PPC first and then they focus on SEO. It really depends on your marketing budget and goals. 

PPC advertising is an effective way to get eyeballs on your website, even if you don’t have a good web presence. Many companies start with PPC while they are working on building up their organic SEO presence. Then they use both strategies in unison to maximize their digital presence. Give each a try and see what works best for your brand.

The Marketing Garage is an award-winning Toronto digital marketing agency that has extensive experience in developing effective PPC marketing campaigns. We help businesses fix their digital marketing strategies like paid search ads. We are a results-driven marketing company working across many different sectors in North America.

The Marketing Garage is an award-winning Toronto digital marketing company that has extensive experience in cultivating effective digital marketing strategies. We help businesses in many different sectors across North America fix their online marketing and branding. Our data-driven mix of SEO and digital marketing process is like no other.