Is PPC The Second Most Cost Effective Form Of Web Marketing After SEO?
PPC is considered the second most cost effective method of advertising; SEO web marketing is first. Seventy percent of the clicks out to websites that result from search engine queries can be attributed to the results of affordable SEO measures rather than expensive PPC campaigns. Beyond the cost factor in PPC programs, potential advertisers need to also consider the limited amount of screen space available for sale, between 30-40% of the overall screen "real estate." This is understandable from the viewpoint of the search engine company since users won't consider a search engine to be a valid tool if it appears to generate nothing but paid ads. But for advertisers, the limited space hampers the potential effectiveness of their PPC investment. Consequently, SEO measures still generate more "bang for the buck."

Differences Between SEO And PPC Advertising

The first difference between PPC and SEO is the speed with which results become apparent. While a PPC ad can be quickly placed and will generate traffic almost immediately, SEO measures won't. It take at least six months for a site to begin moving up the ranks of a search engine after changes have been made to enhance its visibility.

The second difference in the two methods lies in the degree of ROI (return on investment.) SEO has a greater ROI than PPC ads because SEO does not require the kind of continuous payments generated by a PPC campaign. SEO can often be a "one-time" charge.

Additionally, PPC can be afflicted by click fraud schemes that generate costly false interest. As a result the site owner pays for clicks that don't generate income. Such activity is understandably hard on a company's advertising budget. SEO, on the other hand, doesn't generate those kinds of additional costs.

SEO programs require little or no maintenance. You only need to make occasional changes to your webpage. On the other hand, PPC programs require constant monitoring for effectiveness and fraud prevention. Finally, the ads obtained by PPC are always changing since they depend on the highest bidder.

How To Go About It?

The best strategy in online advertising is to work out a blended approach with elements of both PPC and SEO strategies. Since the results of SEO web advertising takes some time to become evident, start with a PPC campaign. That way you will generate quick traffic to your website while you're waiting for the SEO changes to work. Once you find your search engine ranking has improved to your satisfaction you can stop or minimize your PPC ads.