The Benefits of Professional SEO Services: Why They Outweigh Pay-Per-Click Marketing
1. Long-Term Results:
Good SEO practices (Search Engine Optimization) provide long-term results, whilst pay-per-click (PPC) marketing provides more of a Russian roulette result – you pay for the click but most of them will fail to produce benefits. When paying for quality professional SEO services, the aim is to make your website rank higher in search engine results, and so provide constant and never-ending improvement, a steadily increasing stream of traffic to your website from the outset, and establishing your web presence for short, mid, and long term. In contrast, PPC marketing provides traffic only for as long as you are willing to pay for them.
2. Cost-Effective:
While PPC ads may seem like a cost-effective solution at first, the cost of running these campaigns can add up dramatically, especially when the competition is strong. If lots of firms are competing for the same potential clients, they are in the main chasing the same keywords, and that in turn boosts the price. You are paying for that instant click, and once it has gone, it’s gone, along with your marketing dollars. On the other hand, professional SEO services are a more cost-effective approach in the long run as every dollar spent has a long-lasting effect, as you are laying down firm foundations, and building your website to become an established authority for your niche.
3. Brand Awareness:
Good SEO strategies can help you build brand awareness and recognition over time. This happens as your website ranks higher in search engine results, which increases visibility and credibility in the eyes and minds of potential customers.
4. Trust and Credibility:
When a website appears at the top of search engine results, users assume that the website is trustworthy and credible. Good SEO practices ensure that your website is optimized to meet search engine algorithm requirements, making it more authoritative and therefore more trustworthy.
5. Higher Click-Through Rates:
Users are more likely to click on organic search results than paid ads. Therefore, good SEO practices can increase your website’s click-through rate, resulting in more website traffic. Well-designed professional SEO services ensure that visitors are getting to see exactly what they were searching for, which means they will stay on your website longer which makes your website shine in Google’s eyes.
6. Better User Experience:
Good SEO practices can improve your website’s user experience, including website speed, mobile responsiveness, user interface, and accessibility. These factors can significantly impact your website’s ranking, making it more user-friendly.
7. More Relevant Traffic:
SEO targets relevant keywords and phrases, which means that your website will attract more relevant traffic. In contrast, PPC advertising may attract irrelevant traffic that may not convert into customers. There is a skill in creating the best ads in PPC and the expert creator needs to balance the attraction with the relevance. You can always run an ad offering $20 bills for $5. You will very quickly burn through your ad budget, but how many of those who click will be real potential clients? You can safely hazard a guess at ZERO, yet you will have used up your entire budget and you might also need to give away a lot of $20 bills for five bucks!
8. Long-Term ROI:
SEO provides long-term ROI, meaning that the benefits of good SEO practices can be realized for years to come. In contrast, PPC provides only short-term returns, and the benefits of PPC ads stop as soon as you stop paying for them. Maybe this will explain it best: SEO is like maintaining your home, painting the exterior and decorating inside, mowing the lawn, pruning the shrubs, insulating the roof space, and cleaning the windows, producing and protecting a wonderfully attractive long-term investment. PPC on the other hand is like a firework display; depending on your budget it might be big with a lot of flashes and bangs, but when it’s finished… well it’s finished!
9. Competitive Advantage:
Good professional SEO services practices can help you gain a competitive advantage in your industry by improving your website’s visibility and ranking. This can lead to more customers and more revenue.
10. Sustainable Strategy:
SEO is a sustainable strategy that can provide long-term growth for your business. In contrast, PPC marketing is a short-term strategy that may provide instant results, but it is not a long-term solution for business growth.
The marketing wheel consists of many spokes, and to be successful you should try to incorporate as many as possible. The advantages of SEO are providing long-term health and building your online reputation and strength, whilst PPC marketing is a form of online advertising where advertisers pay a fee each time someone clicks their ad. PPC advertising provides a very quick “just for the moment” fix with no long-term benefit. When you combine them and other worthwhile strategies using a correct professional balance, the overall impact is very rewarding. Take advice from professionals, and make sure that those professionals are not just one trick ponies. There is a place for all marketing strategies and anyone telling you differently means it is time for you to talk to someone different. Even when you are working with an extremely limited budget, there is always a way to combine them to create a successful marketing campaign.