If you’re a business with an online presence in 2022, you’ve no doubt got a digital marketing strategy. Or are looking to create one for your company.
Digital marketing can seem like a complicated concept to conquer, with its constantly shifting landscape and often confusing jargon. However, it’s not so difficult to understand. It just takes a little research.
Many businesses, for example, struggle to distinguish the difference between SEO and PPC. The concepts fall under the same umbrella but are two distinct digital marketing channels.
If you’d like to learn the difference between the two, this guide can help. Read on to learn the ins and outs of PPC and SEO, the differences they have, and the similarities they share.
What Are SEO and PPC?
In order to get to the bottom of the differences between SEO and PPC, we first need to look at what exactly each one is. Both are digital marketing strategies employed by businesses to boost their profile and win more customers. But there are some important distinctions.
What Is PPC?
PPC stands for “pay per click”. It’s a digital marketing tactic used to funnel traffic to a business’s website. So, what does it involve?
PPC is a form of advertising that involves paying a certain amount of money to have your ad featured prominently on various locations around the internet. PPC strategies include appearing at the top of search engine results pages, on banner ads, and targeting people who have already expressed interest in your product (also known as remarketing).
PPC is so-called because it works on a model whereby you pay a certain amount every time a person clicks on your ad. Typically, you will choose how much money you want to spend on a PPC campaign in advance, and once your budget has run out, your campaign will cease.
What Is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is a multi-faceted marketing tactic involving many different methods. Its aim (similar to that of PPC) is to have your website rank as high as possible on search engine result pages.
There are three different types of SEO: on-page, off-page, and technical. SEO strategies include content creation, building backlinks, and tweaking your website to make it more search engine friendly.
The Difference Between SEO and PPC
As you can see, SEO and PPC share some similarities. Both are digital marketing strategies, and both aim to get more eyes on your website. But how do they differ?
One of the big differences between the two is the way in which they’re paid for. PPC is a pay per click model, while SEO is usually part of a wider campaign. While it does require knowledge and expertise, a business could technically do its own SEO, without any payment at all.
PPC is what is known as a paid form of digital marketing, while SEO is known as organic marketing. PPC can have more immediate results, and SEO generally takes a little longer. But one of the benefits of SEO is that it’s longer-term and can yield higher quality leads.
Step Up Your Digital Marketing Game Today
If you’d like to learn more about the difference between SEO and PPC, as well as how you can step up your marketing game, we’d be happy to help. As experts in all things digital marketing, we’ve got the tools and the knowledge to create a custom strategy to boost your business to new heights. Get in touch with us today to discuss your next move.