SEO vs PPC

[1977]

If you were to pick 1 for 2016 which would it be?

 

[Annoying Donkey]

Neither...

Well, OK, I still prefer SEO...

 

[Shopclicks]

Both. Same as 2015 with a big push on SM

 

[1977]

Both. Same as 2015 with a big push on SM

Not in the rules SC, got to pick 1

 

[fisicx]

I can pick whetever I like. And the answer is still both.

If you don't undertand why then a whole chunk of marketing 101 has passed you by.

 

[1977]

I get why and it certainly hasn't passed me by!

 

[fisicx]

So why are you asking the question? Marketing is a mix, it's not a case of SEO V PPC, it's a case of on this day, for this product, for that target audience what is the most suitable marketing method. It might be SEO, it might be PPC it might be shouting on a street corner.

 

[boring-friday]

If you can ROI on ppc than I'd pick that, most can't and end up wasting money though

 

[1977]

So why are you asking the question? Marketing is a mix, it's not a case of SEO V PPC, it's a case of on this day, for this product, for that target audience what is the most suitable marketing method. It might be SEO, it might be PPC it might be shouting on a street corner.

Just curious as to "if" you were to pick 1, which would it be. Well aware that it's different strokes for different folks and I personally have invested in both.

If I were to pick, it would be SEO.

 

[Alby10]

It should be both, but if choosing one, probably PPC, only because its not dependent upon what google decides it should punish next in its next algo. Running a business that relies on its search engine positions as its main way of generating income is a false economy, as the main element, eg Google, has a mind of its own.

 

[directmarketingadvice]

If you were to pick 1 for 2016 which would it be?

PPC. No question. It overtook SEO - by a long way - in terms of traffic volume a few years ago. (See chapter 3 of my recent (free) book if you need to see the stats.)

And that's not even taking into consideration the much shorter learning curve, the far higher odds of success, and the fact most SEO techniques are on borrowed time.

Steve

 

[APOS Recruitment]

Just as an aside to this and talking regarding a PPC perspective. How much per month do you think/estimate you would need to spend. - From a selfish point of view, let's say a recuritment agency -
Keywords for me would be:
Recruitment agencies in Kent
Recruitment agencies in London
Recruitment agencies in Essex
Recruitment agencies in Surrey
Recruitment agencies in Sussex

Alternatively I could break down the above in to towns within the counties i.e. Maidstone, Chelmsford, Croydon, Brighton.

Added on again I could add a prefix Accountancy, Payroll, Admin, Secretarial, Finance, Receptionists etc.
Then I could also add/use Permanent, Contract, Temporary, Part Time, Full Time.
Oh, I also offer a CV writing service as well.

I know I'm in a very very competitive market. However, I'm guessing without knowing how much it would cost I'd be better off on focusing on one or two of the above? If I were to focus on just one or two how much would I expect to pay to start getting some enquiries?

As always any thoughts welcomed.

All the best,
Rob

 

[UKSBD]

How much per month do you think/estimate you would need to spend

That's the wrong sort of mentality for PPC.

It's not question of how much but what return

For example

If it costs £1000 but the return is £2000

Would you not put it up to £2000 because that costs too much?

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

If you were to pick 1 for 2016 which would it be?

It depends on the calculated ROI.

 

[APOS Recruitment]

That's the wrong sort of mentality for PPC.

It's not question of how much but what return

For example

If it costs £1000 but the return is £2000

Would you not put it up to £2000 because that costs too much?

I wouldn't spend 50% of my revenue on it no. There are many other things to pay for. Thanks for your reply though

 

[Deleted member 233498]

If you were to pick 1 for 2016 which would it be?

Easy - PPC, hands down and everytime in my book. I'll tell you why:

PPC is instant, measurable and can be tweaked within seconds if you need to split test something or make changes. You also get a much more accurate ROI (exact spend vs revenue) ... and you are much more resistant to shocks from Google algo or industry regulation changes. With SEO, your business is just much more vulnerable as it takes a very long time to kick in.

Also, you kind of NEED to do PPC in the early stages of a campaign anyway to find your winning keywords. Only then (if you choose to do so) can you engage in all the fancy SEO stuff and start ranking your sites. But without knowing your good keywords first, it will be like putting the cart in front of the horse.

Besides, all the super affiliates I know don't touch SEO - just too much work with too much risk. But SEO does work in more traditional industries, especially if you have a mom & pop store. Then I would most definitely recommend doing a bit of SEO.

Hope that helps
Nick

 

[Steve Alphabet]

Can I have another 3-letter option? CRO. If I have a 5% conversion rate on 1,000 visitors, and I want to double it, it's going to be easier and quicker to double my conversion rate rather than double my traffic.

 

[mtools]

One thing I've wondered, does an impressive PPC campaign in time create better organic listings / SEO results? i.e. if you're getting loads of ad clicks for something like "golf clubs Nottingham", would your company more likely rank higher organically for that term? I'm not in Nottingham and I don't sell golf clubs lol, not sure why that's the search term I came up with!!

 

[Shopclicks]

One thing I've wondered, does an impressive PPC campaign in time create better organic listings / SEO results? i.e. if you're getting loads of ad clicks for something like "golf clubs Nottingham", would your company more likely rank higher organically for that term? I'm not in Nottingham and I don't sell golf clubs lol, not sure why that's the search term I came up with!!

Put it this way. A poorly seo'd website won't gain ranking from the extra traffic sent to the site by PPC campaigns and a properly seo'd website will already be at the top of the results.

 

[Graham Tyers]

PPC
You can't build a business on a marketing platform you can't rely on. SEO is great when it's working but you have zero control over the Search Engine's latest rules and changes; and if you have fixed overheads you're going to be in serious trouble if your sales are wiped out by the latest algorithm change.

 

[exciteseo]

I'd pick SEO if I am kind of short on budget, and if I can spend a lot, I'd do PPC. Both are profitable in the long run.

 

[directmarketingadvice]

I'd pick SEO if I am kind of short on budget

If I was short on budget, I'd do PPC.

If you have limited cash, how can it be a good idea to put that cash into something that, at best, will take time to pay off?

Surely you need something that'll give an immediate return?

Steve

 

[exciteseo]

If I was short on budget, I'd do PPC.

If you have limited cash, how can it be a good idea to put that cash into something that, at best, will take time to pay off?

Surely you need something that'll give an immediate return?

Steve

I mean seo costs less only if you know something about it. And yeah it's obvious that PPC has immediate return. It also depends on what kind of topic are you working on.

 

[searchsouth]

As mentioned above, I'd do both. But if I was very short on budget and had to pick one, then I'd say PPC. The results are going to be more immediate and measurable. Profits from the PPC campaign could then be invested in expanding the campaign(s), or even boosting SEO efforts at a later stage.

 

[directmarketingadvice]

Profits from the PPC campaign could then be invested in expanding the campaign(s), or even boosting SEO efforts at a later stage.

Exactly.

And SEO - at least initially - reduces the amount of money you can use for other client generating activities.

Steve

 

[Whitefish Marketing]

SEO is definitely not dead, despite what many might say. I suppose the term "content marketing" seems to have replaced it, but SEO still relies on off-page links, and technical web changes to enhance your visibility.

SEO is still the better practice for the long term. Whilst I would use PPC for time-sensitive campaigns, and tactical offer campaigns.

Hope this helps

 

[Mike Marquardt]

SEO... If done right, you will always get a better ROI