Do you own a website? If so, have you ever run it through Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to see if it’s fast or not?
If you have, odds are you didn’t get a perfect score. And if you want to improve your website’s SEO, you need to make sure that it’s fast, as it’s impossible to rank high on search engines with a slow website.
But what about PPC? Is that the same as SEO? And what is the difference between SEO and PPC?
In this article, we’ll give you a detailed breakdown of both SEO and PPC. That way you can see the differences, as well as have an idea of what both concepts can do for your website.
What is SEO?
Before you can understand the differences between SEO and PPC, you first need to have a clear idea of what SEO is. And while the concept can be confusing, especially at first, you may be surprised to learn just how simple SEO is at its core.
So, what is SEO? In simple terms, SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of optimizing your content so that search engines find it appealing. That way you can rank higher on search results for certain keywords, generating more traffic in the process.
The Benefits of SEO
Now that you know what SEO is, you may be wondering what the various benefits of SEO are. While there are numerous benefits to SEO, there are 5 in particular that are very much worth mentioning.
Below we’ve broken down those 5 benefits in great detail. That way you can understand what SEO can do for your business, and thus, can decide if it’s worth investing in or not.
1. Create a Better User Experience
If you decide to invest in SEO, you’ll be happy to know that you’ll be creating a better user experience (UX) on your website as a result. After all, all search engines want to do is to transfer users to websites that answer their questions while offering a positive UX at the same time.
So, if your website has a strong UX, you’re not only making your users happy, but you’re making search engines happy, too. That means that you can not only start ranking higher on search engines like Google, but you can also impress your users with the quality of your site.
In simpler terms, investing in SEO is a win-win for both you and your users.
2. Generate More Web Traffic
Of course, if your SEO strategy is solid, you’ll be able to rank at the top of most search results. Those top rankings will make it easier to generate more web traffic, which is the overall goal of any website owner.
We’ll be honest. This is often easier said than done, especially for websites that are operating in uber-competitive niches. But if you want to generate tons of web traffic, or make money off your website, SEO is an absolute must-have for you and your business.
3. Increase Revenue
The main reason that any business would want to generate more traffic has to do with increasing revenue numbers. With SEO, all of that extra traffic can make it that much easier to make more money.
That means that you can even pay for your SEO strategy relatively easily, making the decision to invest in one a no-brainer.
The good news? Investing in SEO is relatively inexpensive, even with the help of an SEO specialist. So, you can not only use it to increase revenue, but you can do so while working on a tight budget, which is a huge plus.
4. Establish Credibility
Have you ever noticed how much more serious you take websites that rank within the top 3 websites of a search result? Like every other internet user, you trust your favorite search engine to direct you to credible websites with credible information.
So, by getting your website to rank in the top 3 of a search result, you start to establish credibility for your brand with users, too. That can make it much easier to sell products or services, which again, is why you’re sending them to your website in the first place.
5. Improve Brand Awareness
On top of establishing brand credibility, SEO makes it that much easier to increase your brand awareness, too. After all, the more that users see your website at the top of search results, the more often they’ll recognize the name of your brand or business when they read it.
It goes without saying, but the more brand awareness that you have, the easier it is to market yourself online. That’s why SEO is so important for all businesses, even local businesses, as it helps you take your advertising strategies to the next level.
SEO Tips and Tricks
Knowing what SEO is, and what it can do for your business, is one thing. Knowing how to improve your SEO strategy, so you can enjoy those benefits we mentioned, is an entirely different issue.
While SEO isn’t something that you can master in a day, there are a few basic tips and tricks that you can implement right now to get positive results. Below we’ve broken down 3 of those tips and tricks, so you can improve your SEO strategy right away.
1. Focus on Mobile Users First
Did you know that 50% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices? If you want your website to rank high on search engines, you need to make sure that it’s mobile-friendly first to get good results.
Not sure if your website is mobile-friendly or not? No problem! Google has a free-to-use mobile-friendliness checker that will give you an answer right now.
If you get a no, don’t worry. All you need to do is contact your hosting provider and they should be able to help you make your site mobile-friendly today.
2. Increase Your Website Speeds
Remember how we mentioned earlier that website speeds are super important to your website’s SEO? Well, if you get a bad grade from Google on your website speed test, you need to work on improving your website speeds right away.
The good news? Doing this is as easy as reducing the use of media files on your site and listening to the feedback that Google gave you. Again, you should be able to speed your site up rather fast as long as you implement the changes that Google suggests.
3. Use Legible Fonts and Formatting
It goes without saying, but if users can’t read your content, they’re not going to stick around for very long. And if too many users start bouncing from your site too fast, it’ll affect your site’s bounce rate, which will hurt your SEO.
The best way to keep users around for more than a few minutes? Use legible fonts and formatting. That, combined with a fast-loading site, will make your bounce rate decrease greatly.
What is PPC?
Now that you know what SEO is, it’s time to compare that concept to PPC. But to do that, you first need to know what PPC is, as it’s not quite the same thing as SEO.
So, what is PPC? In basic terms, PPC, or pay-per-click, is a type of online advertising that brands or businesses often use. It’s super customizable, and quite affordable, too, since you only pay for the service when someone clicks on your ad.
The Benefits of PPC
Got a good idea of what PPC is now? See how it differs from SEO? Good, now we can move on to the various benefits of PPC advertising.
Like SEO, there are tons of notable benefits of PPC advertising. To keep things simple, we’ve chosen 5 of those benefits that stand out above the rest.
Below we’ve broken down those 5 benefits, so you can get an idea of what PPC advertising can do for your brand or business.
1. Targeted Advertising
No matter what advertising strategy you choose to use, odds are some of the impressions that you get will be on people who aren’t members of your targeted audience. While this issue is impossible to avoid completely, with PPC advertising, you can reduce it greatly.
Again, PPC advertising is super customizable. You can use features like geo-targeting to only advertise to online users in your area.
That makes it the ideal advertising strategy for local businesses looking for creative ways to market their brand on the web.
2. Accurate Analytics
Another notable benefit of PPC advertising is the ability to track your results closely. Thanks to detailed analytics, you’ll get in-depth breakdowns of your ads in real-time.
Using this information, you can see what works, and what doesn’t work, and make changes in the future. And if you really don’t like what your numbers say, you can scratch the concept completely and move onto something else.
3. Budget-Friendly Advertising
We touched on this earlier, but with PPC, you only pay each time someone clicks on your ad. That means that you won’t waste money on impressions that don’t lead to clicks, which is ideal for most small business owners.
Of course, all clicks don’t lead to conversions. You still have to sell a user after they’ve made the click. But if you’ve got a good product or service, and you simply need to get eyeballs on it, this is the best way to do so fast.
4. Reach Your Biggest Goals
To piggyback off of that last point, it’s important to note that, with PPC advertising, you can help your brand or business reach its biggest goals. That means that, if you want to sell a hundred t-shirts this week, you’ve got a better chance of doing so if you use PPC advertising.
Not sure where to go to get PPC advertising? Stick with Google, as their advertising options are both affordable and effective.
5. Improve Brand Awareness
Again, one of the biggest benefits of content marketing, and SEO, is the ability to improve brand awareness. But with PPC advertising, you get that exact same benefit, which is worth mentioning, especially if you’re on the fence about investing in PPC ads.
Keep in mind, even when users don’t click your ads, they still see them. That means that you’ll be getting your name and logo in front of thousands of real people using PPC ads, which again, is more than worth the money.
PPC Tips and Tricks
Ready to invest in PPC advertising? Want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
Below are 3 tips and tricks that you can use to make your PPC ads stand out to users online. That way you can get tons of clicks, and thus, increase your revenue.
1. Keep it Simple
If you’re making your first PPC ad, it can be tempting to go all out design-wise in an attempt to grab a user’s attention. While this may work, it can also be a turnoff, and hurt your branding efforts, which isn’t what you want.
Our advice? Keep things simple, and let your message do the heavy lifting, so you can get the clicks you’re looking for without causing any damage to your brand.
2. Perform Keyword Research
When you set up PPC ads, you’ll be assigning them to certain keywords. Performing extensive keyword research is quite important, as it’ll be what makes or breaks your ads.
Worried about this part of the process? Don’t be. If you go through Google Ads, they’ll help you out via keyword planner tools, making it much easier for you to pick keywords that will work.
3. Create Legible Ads
We touched on this in tip number 1, but it’s important to let your message do all of the work for you. That, combined with using legible fonts and simple color patterns, will get you the results that you need to grow your business.
A pro tip? Browse some basic PPC ads online to get an idea of what to do design-wise. That way you can make sure you don’t make any mistakes with the look of your ads.
The Difference Between SEO and PPC: A Breakdown
Using this detailed breakdown of the difference between SEO and PPC, you can now decide if either idea is worth investing in for your business.
That way you can grow your brand or business online without breaking the bank, should you decide to try out SEO or PPC.
Looking for more advertising tips and tricks? Check back with our blog often!
