SEO Experts: PPC and SEO not comparable!

February 6, 2012

A vast number of SEO practitioners have declared that PPC (pay-per-click) advertising is nothing but a waste of money.

Many SEO experts argued that since SEO is about earning clicks while PPC is clicks from the search engine, the latter is just throwing money, making another problem instead of working for a solution.

Though as it may seem to everyone that SEO have better ROI which is long-term compared to that of PPC, the fact is that the two should not be compared. Why? For simple reason as this – SEO is marketing while PPC is basically advertising. A comparison between the two is no more than fitting than comparing an iPhone 3g to lump of stone.

Let us get a closer look to this issue. Let us first acknowledge that marketing is a process. If one is a search engine optimization then most probably he is a marketer due to his approach which is systematic. Aside from site structure optimization, most important tasks include:

  1.  Generate great content through working with your client.
  2. Pulling and pushing that content to build links.

By “pulling and pushing”, I intend to say using every means – from to press to social media, from old school email link requests to directory submissions just to have you word out regarding the site of your client so you can assemble links. As an important component in link-building process, most likely, you’ll use advertising to promote the site’s content.
In the process of marketing, advertising is a tool. It is like baking, marketing baking while advertising is just your flour.

ppc and seo

By this, when anyone ask you to compare PPC and SEO, it will always be mistake when you directly answer that question. When you start bubbling about how fast PPC is and how SEO offers better long-term results, you have started justifying strategic spending and In any moment, you would now have made the discussion fuzzy.

So, instead of talking about that, you talk about PPC being an advertising tool. As similar to all types of advertising, PPC can be effective given the right circumstances. But advertising should be not think of as a be-all end-all approach for growing a business. To genuinely become huge, all businesses need a strategic marketing plan – and that is SEO. It’s the best if not the greatest way to market.

By pushing the PPC versus SEO discussion to a 180 degrees turn, strategic thinking is being promoted and it does set more realistic probabilities about the SEO process. Everyone in the business that strategies like SEO requires time and unfailing effort, but the rewards are almost always sweet, worthy of all the trouble.

SEO, PPC Debate: No Good at All

Practitioners of both PPC and SEO communities have in one way find themselves being hurled to debate with each other’s efficacy, but engaging in such a debate will not be good for anyone involved. When a trade owner becomes fully dependent on advertising to have revenues, they are exposing themselves to immense danger when there’s a budge in the marketplace which usually happens.

Equally, if a business runner chose to ignore the said tool to generate good revenues, they themselves are stopping the growth of their trade and will likely missed-out the many long-hanged fruits.

All SEO and PPC consultants disregard the larger point in arguing over the merits of SEO and PPC which is: both PPC and SEO can work in harmony to aid a business achieve its goals – and this is how the two should discussed.

To What Should PPC Be Pitted With?

PPC again, is advertising and its cost and the return of a PPC campaign should have comparison to other ad mediums like radio, television and print advertising. By that manner, PPC can provide tremendous value. In contrast with the traditional, PPC ads are more targeted. Its ROI is considerably easier to handle and of course, the cost is way lower.
In most cases, advertising through clicks can also be compared with a sales staff. Pay-per-click may be able to generate sale, depending on the type of business. An example is when you find that $50 of PPC ad investment consistently results in a sale, wherein that sale earns more than the said amount in profit, then PPC has then essentially become a profitable employee rather than just an item in a marketing statement.

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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

Arun

This is Great post..Yes these are not comparable ..Thanks

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Tim

Thanks ..This is informative article ..Nice Amit

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Amit

Thanks for the comment..you are welcome!

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