Traffic-generating strategies must be implemented in conjunction with two different, but extremely powerful, tactics in order for a business to succeed. Pay Per Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) are often compared on how soon they provide results versus sustained, long-term ones.
The most appropriate decision for a business is dependent on its market, goals, timelines, and a host of other factors. The key to making an informed investment is understanding your options and the likely outcomes.
Having a hard time selling?
Google ads appear at the top and bottom of search results pages when users enter a keyword and pay for them. The traffic you generated can be immediately transformed into leads if you have a decent website (and all the other critical boxes are checked).
You may choose this option if you’re desperate for sales. Upon stopping the payments for your ads, however, no new leads will come in.
The importance of optimizing your website
On the other hand, SEO involves optimizing your site so that it will be viewed as a high-value option for someone searching for a specific term. It does have a drawback in that, yes, it requires a long-term investment, and it’s only feasible if you play the Google game.
SEO involves researching what people search for online, then customising your website so that it becomes the default choice for those keywords. Most websites require a variety of tweaks and additions to the technical aspects, structure, content, images, and pages, as well as generating off-site links. This all takes a lot of time and resources, and even then you may have to wait while Google decides whether to improve your ranking.
Search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising
I believe a mix of paid advertising and SEO is likely to be the best option for your business. Your sales will increase immediately, and you’ll set yourself up for success on an organic, sustainable basis.
As you analyse your traffic, you can then adjust your investment over time. As SEO brings in more sales, you can reduce your advertising budget and enjoy the benefits of a search engine optimised website without paying for PPC.
Tips for SEO
Invest your SEO efforts on the pages that are most important to your site. A service business usually has a homepage and a services page – make sure you have a separate page for each service that you provide. When you are creating an e-commerce website, think of which products and categories are most profitable for your business.
Unless you have a large budget and are unable to outsource an entire campaign, I recommend outsourcing keyword research and mapping. By doing so, you will know what you’re optimizing your pages for.
Even though you may be tempted to rely on paid ads for quick wins, SEO is your best friend. When nurtured with patience, it yields reliable, low-maintenance results.
