The Difference Between PPC and SEO: A Simple Guide

Did you know that there are 20 (if not more) acronyms that every business owner who wants to do digital marketing should know about?

Everything from SEO to CPC to PPC to CPA and the list goes on and on.

Which of these are beneficial to business owners? Do you really need to understand the difference between CPC and CPA?

One thing is for sure, if you’re running a business and you’re looking for digital results, then it’s beneficial that you understand the difference between PPC and SEO as a fundamental requirement. We’ve got you covered with this comparative guide.

The Difference Between PPC And SEO

Right at the core of this conundrum is one simple way to differentiate between the two, before you dive into technical terms and what’s and if’s:

PPC (Pay-per-click advertising) and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are different in the form of what they cost. PPC is a paid form of online advertising, whereas SEO is a free option for you to boost traffic to your website.

Both, however, are based on using search engine marketing techniques to get results for your business.

What Is PPC?

PPC uses SEM (Search Engine Marketing) techniques to help you drive advertising. You decide on your budget, and PPS takes that amount to determine where, how, and when your online advert will be shown to searchers.

What Is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a whole bunch of technical tactics (and not-so-technical tactics) that allow you to increase your visibility in search engine results.

SEO focused on your content and the way in which you display it so that it can help search engines rank your website according to how well you display it for visitors.

One Is Not More Effective Than The Other

Most business owners will say, well, which one will make me more money?

Fundamentally speaking, one is not more effective than the other. The issue, or rather the challenge, with digital marketing techniques such as PPC and SEO, is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Your friend who owns the show company might have a PPC campaign that’s increasing his sales tenfold, but if you spoke to another show retail brand, they might swear that most of their sales come from SEO.

If you look at this link, you’ll see that PPC can be like finding new clients on autopilot, while SEO means you need to have a bit more time on your hands to keep up with the adaptations.

You Don’t Have To Choose Just One!

Now that you understand, on the surface, the difference between PPC and Seo, we’d like to end off by saying, you don’t have to choose just one!

The two can actually work very well hand in hand with one another, so long as the strategy that you nofollow is one based on your brand’s guidelines and a high-level strategy.

Don’t go just yet, if you’re looking for more great marketing content, head on over to the marketing section of the blog and get everything you need.