Organic
"Natural" Search Engine Optimization versus Pay-Per-Click Search
Engine Advertising
Organic Natural Search Engine
Optimization
versus
Pay Per Click Search Engine Advertising
By Matt Hockin
Interactive Marketing, Inc.
http://www.interactivemarketinginc.com
When you purchase visitors or clicks from a search engine, this is
called pay-per-click (PPC) search engine advertising (or PPCSE).
Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Advertising allows you to quickly get
top search engine placement by bidding (paying) for keywords
related to your product or service.
Organic or Natural search engine optimization (SEO) is accomplished
by optimizing your web pages and by increasing your link popularity
by acquiring or paying for links that point to your web site. This
gives you high rankings at the Search Engines for your chosen
search terms.
In this article, we will explore the strengths and weaknesses of
both methods of search engine marketing.
Natural Search Engine Optimization
Today, there is a big myth that natural search engine optimization
is inexpensive and easy. For example, if you wanted your web site
to rank high for the keyword phrase life insurance or debt
consolidation youre going to need to budget a minimum of
$50,000-100,000 a year!
Yet still, natural search engine optimization usually gives you a
much higher return on investment than pay per click. This is true
for two main reasons:
1. More searchers click the natural search engine results versus
the pay per click ads, so youll get much more traffic for less.
2. One of the biggest factors to improving your rankings with
natural search engine optimization is by boosting your Link
Popularity by acquiring or paying for links that point to your web
site. These links give you lasting results by giving you top
rankings and traffic from the search engines. Plus, the links
themselves will provide a significant boost in long term
traffic.
With that said, the biggest weakness of natural search engine
optimization is the time required to generate links and tweak your
web pages and keywords to get those prized high rankings you so
desire. It can literally take 3 months or more to finally enjoy the
benefits of your search engine optimization campaign.
Pay Per Click Search Engine
Advertising
The biggest benefit of pay per click is the fact that it will
provide you with an immediate boost of qualified visitors, lead and
sales giving you fast results within just hours or days. In fact, a
pay per click advertising program is your best option if you seek
fast results and a good return on investment while you are waiting
for your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) program to "ramp up."
Depending on your traffic goals, you can budget $100 or $100,000.
PPCSEs also give you the added benefits of being able to quickly
test your web site and track your conversion rates (leads, opt-ins,
and sales) and turning keywords (visitors) on and off easily.
So, as a short term strategy pay per click gives you the clear
advantage over SEO. But, the disadvantage is the cost involved.
Depending on the market demand for your keywords and clicks, your
PPCSE campaign can generate tons of traffic and can cost hundreds,
even thousands per day. With various optimization strategies you
can lower your costs, but over the long term natural search engine
optimization will give you a higher return on your marketing
dollar.
In Conclusion
The golden rule in marketing is that you should constantly strive
for maximum results and ROI for your budget. In other words, if
your marketing is making you a profit - even if its a thin profit -
its worth it. By this model, pay per click is worth doing, but
overall pay per click will leave you with thinner margins.
The reason for conducting a natural search engine optimization
campaign is to significantly increase your margins over the long
term.
About the Author
Matt Hockin is President of
Interactive Marketing, Inc., a small business marketing consulting
company and the editor of the Interactive Marketing newsletter, one
of the Internets leading free small business marketing newsletters.
Subscribe now at http://www.interactivemarketinginc.com
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