SEO vs PPC Adwords Comparison

Should you be spending money on SEO or PPC?  Maybe both?  The answer isn’t simple. It’s probably both, but I like to be on the PPC side of the equation.  I’m the kind of person who wants to be able to test everything.  PPC allows me to do that, SEO takes months to fully understand the results of changes.  I also like to be able to tell exactly how much I’ve made on my campaigns in a given month.  I have found that to be much easier with PPC.

So here is a short, most certainly not all-inclusive, side-by-side breakdown of SEO vs PPC/ Adwords.

SEO vs PPC/Adwords Comparison 

1. SEO ( Organic Search )

How SEO works: 

Google "crawls" sites to determine which sites it should show when people search using Google

Results: 

Generally 3-6 months. No guarantee you will get on the first page. Results can change with an algorithm change. With Google's change to 4 ads at the top of the page, many time all organic results are "below the fold".

Measurable ROI: 

Somewhat difficult

Best for: 

Long-term growth and ROI

Cost: 

Lower, generally $500-$2000/month

What happens when you stop paying? 

The  SEO work that was done will continue to work for you. It is possible you could see diminished returns over time due to competition and algorithm change.

2. PPC ( Google Adwords,  Bing Ads)

How PPC Works: 

Google displays ads when advertisers bid o auction-style listings for keywords entered by Google users

Results: 

Immediate results. Can guarantee top of first page results with the right bid. No changes when Google changes algorithms. Most searches result in an organic click but paid clicks to convert better.

Measurable ROI: 

Easy if it is set up and managed correctly

Best for:

Short-term & long-term results.

Cost: 

Higher, generally $2000+ per month

What happens when you stop paying? 

when you stop spending on PPC ads, nobody sees the ads anymore. This is strictly a "pay to play strategy"