Pat Per Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are two different marketing strategies. Both work well to bring potential customers/users to your website.

PPC:

• Involves paying for digital ads.
• Can drive immediate traffic and sales.
• Requires ongoing payment to maintain ad visibility.

SEO:

• Involves creating informative content that people are actively searching for.
• Takes time to show results, often months.
• Can continue to drive traffic and sales long-term with occasional updates.

Key Differences

Think of it this way: PPC ads actively seek out customers, while customers actively seek out SEO content. This distinction is crucial—people often grow tired of ads, but they continuously search for information that solves their problems.

Another key difference is the timeline for results. SEO may take months to show its impact, whereas PPC can generate sales within hours. However, PPC requires ongoing payments to maintain visibility, while well-optimized SEO content can attract customers for years with occasional updates.

The Benefits of SEO

Utilizing SEO allows you to provide top-tier information, establishing your reputation as a trusted expert. As a result, people remember your brand and are more likely to purchase your products.

Which Works Better, PPC or SEO?

The answer depends on your situation and who you are asking. A PPC expert will say PPC and back up their claim with data. So will an SEO person.

The truth is that both can work very well when done correctly. Even better, it’s wise to use both PPC and SEO together.

Combining PPC and SEO

Since SEO takes time, you can use PPC to get money rolling in while building an SEO strategy. After your SEO strategy is working, you may discover that your PPC ads start working better because SEO builds your brand recognition and trust. People know what to expect when they click on your ad, so they’re more trusting.

Expert marketers even keep on using PPC and SEO together when their blog article hits position one on Google search for a keyword. They’ll run a PPC ad using the same keyword above the blog article that has reached the top of page one so that they own the first screen of search results and lock out the competition.

Conclusion

Rather than viewing PPC and SEO as competing strategies, it’s more beneficial to consider how they can work together to drive growth and success for your business.