Should You Use PPC if You're Ranking Organically?
You created a bunch of great content, and now your site is ranking on page 1 for all kinds of important keywords. Your site looks pretty good to visitors, too — it’s clean, easy to navigate, and loads fast.
So you should be getting plenty of organic traffic from Google, right?Well, it may be! But you need to make sure that people are finding your site in the first place. If no one is clicking on your organic listings, it doesn’t matter how great content you have.
That’s why many SEO companies in Houston are trying their hand at paid search marketing. It is the practice of paying for clicks when potential customers search Google. The logic is simple: if we pay for clicks, we’ll get more customers, and less money spent will equal increased profit for our business.
Does PPC help organic rankings?
The chances are that if you’re an online marketer, your answer to this question is yes. One of the core tenets of PPC marketing is that it can improve organic rankings for the keywords you choose. So why wouldn’t you want to use PPC to rank organically? The short answer is: sometimes you should, and sometimes you shouldn’t.
No hard and fast rule applies to all industries or business models. This is because your organic rankings depend on the competition for your keywords and how large of a share of traffic those keywords currently bring in for you right now.
Is Google a fan of websites that rank organically rather than those that use paid search?
There’s a debate raging among webmasters about it. Some people believe that using paid search can result in sites getting penalized by Google. However, there’s not a lot of evidence to prove it yet.
Some say that the more you use PPC, the less benefit your site will see from organic rankings, and vice versa — if you rank organically on page 1, you might not need to spend money on PPC.
Overall, things are definitely a bit fuzzy in the world of online marketing. But instead of getting bogged down with accusations and worries about Google’s supposed feelings when it comes to paid search. Here are tips that will help you decide whether or not to use PPC when you’re already getting good organic results.
Tips for using PPC or not for better results
Consider PPC if you’re ranking on page 1 for a competitive keyword and not getting much traffic from it. A few dollars per day could be huge in the long run if your site suddenly starts to rank higher. Consider getting SEO service from Houston, as you may even want to develop a strategy where you use paid search as a way of boosting your organic rankings and view it as a long-term investment.
You should only use paid search when you have a business reason to do so. For example, if your site gets ranking well in organic searches, and you’re just trying to sell more products, spending money on PPC will likely yield very little return and may even be counterproductive.
As with all things that are available online, be sure to test any paid search campaigns you implement. Your competitors are likely also trying PPC, and it could give them the edge they need to beat you out for a top position on page 1 of Google.
If you’re using PPC, make sure it complements your organic marketing strategy. For example, don’t limit your PPC to just wait and see results with Google Adwords. Instead, use other paid search networks as well, such as Bing and Yahoo!
Advantages of using PPC
Using PPC SEO can be a lot like using natural search. Your main goal is to get people interested in your products/services, and it works the same way. You just pay for the clicks instead of allowing them to come organically. The more money you spend, the higher your site will appear in Google’s Adword rankings and the more clicks you’ll get.
PPC can also be an excellent way to build up your email list or capture leads. Creating ads for specific products and optimizing them with the terms people are searching for will ensure that you get lots of visitors interested in what you have to offer. The more targeted traffic you have, the higher your conversion rate will be.
If you have a product/service that is used really well but has no natural search volume because it’s too specific, PPC can help you get sales even if your site is new or just getting started. Search terms targeted to the kind of product you’re offering are usually quite easy for Google to match up with keywords, so promoting your site shouldn’t be too difficult.
Is PPC more effective than SEO?
The answer is that it depends. While both SEO and PPC can drive traffic, they work in very different ways.
SEO is like climbing up the face of a mountain — you don’t move too quickly, but if you’re steady and consistent, you’ll reach the top eventually.
Paid search advertising is like cutting steps into the side of a steep cliff. It’s faster, and you can get to the top more quickly, but there’s also a greater risk of falling.
SEO is like slowly squeezing your way into traffic. You don’t move too fast or draw much attention to yourself (at least not at first). But once you’re in there, you’re golden.
With PPC, you’re more likely to get a sudden rush of traffic that could pull people away from your site if your landing pages aren’t optimized.
SEO is best used when you want long-term results that drive traffic over a period of months or even years. If your site is new, an SEO company in Houston will help you build up momentum going into Google’s index so that it has a better chance of ranking higher once the algorithm catches up with it.
PPC is best used when you have a time-sensitive promotion or want to see fast results. If you need a lot of targeted visitors quickly, PPC will help you get the most relevant clicks in the shortest amount of time.
Is PPC right for you?
Ultimately, the choice comes down to what kind of traffic makes sense for you and will best help your site meet its goals. By knowing as much as you can about both PPC and SEO, you’ll know which one will give your business a better return on investment.
However, if you are not getting the targeted traffic on either, don’t feel disheartened. After all, what really matters is that the right people see your website.
Our SEO company in Houston can help you create a website that is a search engine optimized for your particular type of business. We came up with an SEO plan to get you ranking on Google’s first page. We can also help you with PPC advertising if that is the route you want to go. Remember, SEO and PPC are not mutually exclusive, and there is no reason why you cannot benefit from both!
