Kelowna SEO Marketing Vs. Google Ads
As a small business looking to grow, one of the choices you are often faced with is whether to invest in SEO or pay-per-click ads (PPC). Both of these options can help you reach your marketing goals. However, each route comes with its pros and cons. So how do you decide which option is best for your business? And, is one option really better than the other? In this blog post, we will explain the difference between Kelowna SEO marketing and PPC options like Google Ads. Discover which one to use and when in the article below!
Understanding Kelowna SEO Marketing Vs. Google Ads
SEO and PPC differ significantly. SEO is inbound marketing, relying on organic traffic to attract customers naturally, usually through content. In contrast, PPC, like Google Ads, is outbound marketing, where businesses pay to push ads to a broader audience. These ads appear at the top of search results, targeting users as they search or browse unrelated content.
Another key difference between the two is speed. Google Ads and other PPC options are known to generate almost instantaneous results. Once you start your ad campaign, your ads will begin competing in an “ad auction”. If they have a high-quality score (more relevant to potential customers) and a competitive bid, it is possible that they will generate immediate results. However, the same idea is true once you stop running the ad campaign. No more paid ads = no more new traffic to your website. With SEO, it’s a much different story. An SEO campaign often takes time before you start to see results. Although, it usually yields more serious leads and better long-term results. If you were to stop your SEO efforts for a period of time your SEO results won’t die overnight.
Likely the most important variability between SEO and PPC is cost. While both methods can easily get pricey, there’s one big difference that makes SEO less risky. With Google Ads, you get billed every time someone clicks on your ad regardless of whether it turns into a sale or not. If your business is constantly getting clicks on paid ads, but not seeing any conversions, the cost can become large. Comparatively, with SEO you don’t pay for traffic or clicks. However, you do need to fund the creation of the content, software and staffing to make all of this happen.
Which One is Better and When?
SEO and PPC often work best when used together. Despite this, many businesses only have the budget for one or the other. So, when should you focus on SEO? It’s a good idea to use an SEO marketing strategy when you’re looking for any of the following:
- For businesses seeking a long-term solution, SEO is ideal because it gradually builds authority and improves visibility over time. While it takes patience, the organic traffic generated through SEO often becomes more sustainable compared to paid advertising.
- If your goal is to generate organic traffic, SEO focuses on creating valuable content that naturally draws users in. By optimizing for search engines, you’re more likely to attract customers who are actively searching for products or services like yours.
- SEO is also great for businesses on a tight budget. Although there’s an upfront investment in content creation and optimization, you don’t need to pay for clicks like with PPC. Once your content ranks well, it can drive traffic without additional costs.
However, SEO is not ideal if you need immediate results, because it can take months to show impact. This point takes us to why you might consider PPC or Google Ads.
- As we noted above, if you need a fast spurt in traffic, Google Ads is probably the way to go—granted that you outperform competitors in the bids. It’s also great if you only need a short-term solution to reach a specific goal. For example, to conduct research on your target audience.
- Another reason to use PPC is if ranking organically with SEO is simply too challenging. When organic competition is too strong, it can sometimes be hard to see results even with the best SEO tactics. Using Google Ads can be a great option in the interim to gain new leads and sales.
Contact us About Kelowna SEO Marketing!
Hiring experts like us to help you with Kelowna SEO marketing or paid ads is a great way to build your business! To learn more about our marketing services, contact us today. Our team of experts would be happy to help you with all things related to branding and marketing. For more information about what we do, feel free to reach out to one of our team members. You can find the latest updates about us on our social media page, or check out our blog for related content. We look forward to working with you in the near future!
