By Amanda Bala
It was said in recent years by John W. Ellis that, “If paid search isn’t working, then you are doing something wrong”. Looking at that statement today, with all the changes in the industry, does it still hold true? The answer is an overwhelming, yes! “The fact is, pay-per-click marketing should be working for you,” Ellis states.
What Ellis says is true. There is a long-standing debate over which is more effective: Pay Per Click or Organic Search Engine Optimization. As a marketing company with extensive experience using both formats, we support both models. However, we support them under specific circumstances.
It has been proven that when using search engines, most Internet users click on the organic rankings first. However, that does not mean that Pay Per Click is not beneficial. It takes a lot of time, effort and expertise to rank organically under different keywords and key phrases other than the name of your business or URL. It does not happen overnight. Pay Per Click, on the other hand, does.
We recommend that it is best to build a new website with organic SEO tactics in place for long-term results. However, until you are consistently ranked at the top of your desired search term pages, it is beneficial to utilize a Pay Per Click model as well to rank in the short term. That way your business at least has some exposure rather than no exposure. Once your organic kicks in and you are ranked at no charge, then you can instantaneously turn your PPC off.
The other main misconception of PPC is that it is expensive. How can this be true when you choose your own price and are in control at all times of what you spend? That is not to say that some keywords are not more expensive than others. However, if those do not work into your budget, then you do not have to choose them. Or you choose to use them on a limited basis. In the end, you are paying for clicks, not page views… which, if done correctly, can become actual leads. Since you determine your own price tag and only pay for the clicks you receive, it is up to you to determine how much you want to spend on a lead.
Although organic SEO is the way to go in the long run, do not count PPC out for the short-term. It gives your business exposure in an important place that you would otherwise not be seen… a place where people are searching for what you do.