{"id":40075,"date":"2021-09-21T09:29:20","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T09:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.dev\/corp\/?p=40075"},"modified":"2025-03-30T14:04:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-30T14:04:13","slug":"ppc-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/blog\/marketing\/seo\/ppc-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"SEO vs. PPC: Where to Spend Your Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

Selecting effective keywords is the key to online success. Here\u2019s how to solve the search engine optimization (SEO<\/a>) and pay-per-click (PPC<\/a>) puzzle to craft a winning website traffic tactic. While there is plenty of overlap, the most powerful strategies take advantage of these differences to maximize spend, get more out of their campaigns, and deliver the increased traffic<\/a> they crave.<\/p>\n

The difference between SEO and PPC<\/h2>\n

\"llustration<\/p>\n

Before we dive in, it\u2019s important to clarify what we\u2019re dealing with, as there\u2019s an often-overlooked difference between SEO and PPC strategies. Firstly, SEO focuses on boosting both the quality and quantity of free, organic website traffic<\/a> from search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. However, with Google holding an astonishing 88% of today\u2019s global search market<\/a>, most marketers primarily focus their efforts there. Better performance on search engine results pages (SERPs) means a higher page ranking and more potential customers who will see, and likely click on your links.<\/p>\n

\"statistic<\/p>\n

On the other hand, PPC is strictly advertising-based, with bids for ads placed on chosen keywords in a search engine’s sponsored links on platforms like Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn. The ads that get displayed are customized based on real peoples\u2019 searches. Rates vary significantly depending on how competitive your predefined search terms are, with cost-per-click (CPC<\/a>) averages hitting a high of $18.57 for the insurance industry vs. just 83 cents for the electronics sector<\/a>. Combined with click-through rate<\/a> (CTR), that gives you what you need to establish your expected return on investment (ROI). The goal is to optimize your ads for a higher conversion rate<\/a>, driving traffic to a targeted landing page at the top of your conversion funnel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Both strategies center around search engines and both target searches for their predefined keywords. However, for SEO the goal is to understand the full scope of keywords related to a topic, as well as search intent to learn about it in a broader context. In PPC campaigns, the goal is to find keywords worth bidding on based on their relative ROI. That means focusing on keywords that suggest strong purchase intent, rather than looking at the landscape as a whole.<\/p>\n

The pros and cons of SEO vs. PPC strategies<\/h2>\n

1. Long-lasting traffic vs. a short-term fix<\/h3>\n

Organic traffic from an effective SEO strategy<\/a> has staying power. While your pages rank highly, visitor traffic continues to flow to their site with little intervention needed from you. That\u2019s not to say it will stay that way forever, but organic traffic generally remains fairly consistent.<\/p>\n

PPC campaigns are like the gas in your car: when you have money to burn, you\u2019ll see an instant boost to your website traffic, but once the cash runs out it will quickly roll to a halt. You\u2019ve got to keep investing to get the returns you want, so a PPC strategy requires closer observation and detailed reporting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Google Ads\u2019 strict rules on how your copy and content is displayed can work against your PPC campaigns, as they could lead to ads quickly becoming stale, with limited options for you to freshen things up. That might mean you end up paying for a campaign that simply doesn\u2019t convert as effectively as it once did.<\/p>\n

By extension, SEO takes at least 6-12 months<\/a> to see a real change. PPC on the other hand can work fast, with visible impact in just days.<\/p>\n

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2. Keyword margin of error<\/h3>\n

SEO strategies have a substantial margin of error, as you can regularly tweak your targeting based on results. You might even find that you\u2019re ranking for keywords that you didn\u2019t initially target, which can subsequently be added to your keyword list. Either way, regularly conducting real-time keyword research is essential to avoid five of the most common SEO mistakes.<\/a><\/p>\n

In SEO, keyword testing costs nothing, so you can target more ambitious keywords risk-free. You might even find doing so helps you increase your ranking for less competitive, long-tail keywords<\/a> along the way.<\/p>\n

In contrast, PPC has a small margin of error, largely due to the cost of bidding for each keyword. No budget is limitless, so your strategy needs to stay firmly targeted on the highest-performing keywords in real-time to stay ahead of the competition. Using Similarweb\u2019s keyword research tool<\/a> allows you to keep your data fresh with insights from the last seven days<\/a>. Then you can make sure each keyword\u2019s CPC and quality score<\/a> remain exactly where you want them. The score takes into account your CTR, the relevance of your keywords, the quality and relevance of your landing page, your ad copy, and your account\u2019s performance history. The higher the quality score, the better ranking your ad delivers for the least cost.<\/p>\n

\"formula<\/p>\n

When planning your campaign, consider the time and resources you can commit, and whether SEO or PPC is likely to be the best approach for you. Once you\u2019ve planned your strategy, focus on creating ad copy<\/a> that is clear, concise, and speaks directly to your target audience\u2019s concerns.<\/p>\n

3. The relative importance of search volume and search intent<\/h3>\n

Time and again, marketers focus on search volume<\/a> when getting into their PPC and SEO keyword research<\/a>. It\u2019s undoubtedly important for finding the most relevant keywords in any vertical, but for both strategies, search intent is even more essential. That means doing regular research is key.<\/p>\n

Search intent<\/a> helps you understand what users look for, so for an SEO strategy, it\u2019s especially important. If you know why people search, you can create content that precisely answers those queries\u00a0and ranks highly for organic traffic. If you don\u2019t, you\u2019ll simply be shooting in the dark.<\/p>\n

Broadly speaking, there are four main search intents:<\/p>\n

\"Four<\/p>\n