hich is better, Search you need to get a number of
Engine Optimization (SEO) factors right – technical
or Pay per Click (PPC)? infrastructure; key words and
In our opinion, the best approach phrases; page titles and H tags;
is to combine SEO and PPC. During enough relevant, well written
the initial period of site copy; effective linking
promotion, PPC carries an strategies; xml sitemaps and
advantage because good listings more. SEO is not about tricking
can be achieved in 3 - 6 working the search engines but about
days. Organic listings take understanding what elements
longer to achieve, as the site search engines look for to help
needs to first be automatically determine the relevance of the
indexed by the search page to a search term by
engines.
understanding what the search
What are SEO and PPC and how engines take into
exactly do they help your consideration.
business?
PPC:
SEO:
PPC is a form of search engine
80 – 85% of surfers use a marketing that involves buying
search engine to find what they website traffic from the search
are looking for. If your site engines. You bring traffic to
ranks higher in a search engine your site by visitors clicking on
for a specific search, you have a an advert shown in the “Sponsored
better chance of bringing traffic Listings”. Every time the advert
to your site. SEO means is clicked a charge is made to
optimizing your web pages for the advertiser. Behind the ad
particular key phrases. This can there are ‘keywords’ and you bid
give you higher rankings at the on certain keywords to bring
search engines for your chosen relevant traffic to your site.
search terms. Optimization means You only pay for users that click
through your listing and arrive searchers won’t look beyond the
at your site. A very important results of the first two
point to keep in mind with pay pages.
per click is you must test, test,
72% of searchers who use a
and test some more. Don't start search engine to look for a
off with a major investment. specific product or service will
Start with the minimum and see purchase or request more
how the search engine performs in information from that company,
terms of the traffic it delivers only if they easily find what
and how well that traffic they are looking for when they
converts into paying customers. land on your website.
An essential part of your testing
Website-based leads are 62%
is having a method in place that more profitable than other forms
allows you to track your return of media. Investments in SEO
on money invested.
generate higher returns than
How can SEO and PPC help your investments in other media.
business?
Source: Search Engine
Research shows that Guide
‘consumers’ rely on search engine
Consumer behaviour
results to a greater extent than
Recent research
advertisements in other media, [http://www.checkit.nl/press-repo
during their decision making rtenglish_eyetracking_research.ht
process.
ml] from De Vos & Jansen Market
Search Engine Results 41% Research and Search Engine
Print Ads 10% Mediabureau
TV Ads 9%
Checkit has produced the
Between 68% -72% of searchers following results with regard to
believe Organic (SEO) results ‘consumer’ behaviour:
produce the most relevant
98% viewed the organic results
information. More than 93% of 95% the sponsored results at the
top suggests that the information is
31% the sponsored results on the recent.
right.
oThe presence of the keyword
This shows the well-known in the search result.
importance of getting within the
oConsumers are also looking
Organic listings or in top 1-3 for the opportunity to read user
slots of the sponsored experiences or to compare
listings.
different products.
On average 9.2 results were
oPrice information is
viewed before the first click was important: especially keywords
made.
which refer to ‘low costs’.
The average number of viewed
oThe announcement that there
organic search results is is a large variety of products
6.6.
can also be a reason to click on
2.6 of the sponsored results the search result.
at the top and 0.6 on the right
oConsumers avoid results with
were viewed.
aggressive advertising. Too many
The average viewing duration capital letters and exclamation
per result was only 1.1 seconds! marks can be positively
The average viewing duration for harmful.
an organic result is 1.3 seconds,
Advantages and disadvantages
for a sponsored result at the top of SEO and PPC
0.8 seconds and for sponsored
SEO advantages
results on the right 0.2
oThe rankings a web site
seconds.
achieves through SEO can continue
Why do searchers click?
for a long time after the work
oFamiliarity with the website has been done
or organization.
oOver the long term SEO can be
oA high position in the search more cost effective than PPC
results creates trust and
oVisitors are more likely to
trust a site they find in the oGood for seasonal activity -
rankings, they feel it has been immediate start and stoppage
'approved' by the search oYou can pick which keywords on
engine which to bid
oImprovements to your website oYou can choose the page that
made from a search engine users are sent to
perspective usually result in a oIt is possible to target
more user-friendly website
specific countries and regions
oA well optimised website can oYou can rank highly for any
appear across multiple search keyword if your budget is large
engines and search markets, at no enough
extra cost
oTesting new keywords/text
oOnce good search engine copy/bid caps easy to implement
rankings are achieved, as long as and measure
optimisation is ongoing and oPPC enables advertising
monitored then the rankings campaigns to be implemented very
acquire a "snow ball" effect, quickly
increasing over time
PPC disadvantages
oHigh search engine rankings
oPPC costs are ongoing - once
can have a positive effect on you stop spending your adverts
branding
stop showing
SEO disadvantages
oQuality score rules for landing
oThe time it takes to achieve pages are making it more
results. Results can be slow
difficult or expensive to gain a
oChanges in search engine good position on PPC
algorithms can wipe out good SEO oClick fraud, while the PPC
position
search engines constantly battle
PPC advantages
against this it does happen
oYou only pay when your advert
is clicked
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About the Author:
Richard Hill is a director of E-CRM Solutions and has spent many years in senior direct and interactive marketing roles. E-CRM helps you to grow by getting you more customers that stay with you longer. We provide practical solutions that pay for themselves. We help you to make sure that your marketing works.
Article Tags: search, results, engine
