In the realm of online marketing, a question faced by businesses is ‘what is the best way to optimise search engines?’ A vital space, with the majority of people finding their desired website through Google, it is important to understand which option is the best.
Pay-per-click (PPC) options have been popular among businesses with a strong web presence for years. It involves paying for ad space at the top of search engine result pages, therefore putting your business name in front of others in your industry, and physically in front of the everyday user looking for a service. This process is completed by paying for particular keywords and phrases associated with your business and service.
SEO (search engine optimisation) takes a more strategic approach involving the curating of content that utilises knowledge of keywords and search trends, therefore naturally placing the business higher in the search results. We believe that SEO is not only the best option at present, but the best going forward, and a more sustainable and efficient approach to online marketing. These are the reasons why:
After years of being exposed to AdWord-designed listings at the start of search results, users have become accustomed to scrolling past them straight to the organic results. Google AdWords places a small box at the base of the sponsored link identifying it as purchased advert rather than an organic result. The vast majority of internet users can identify this quickly, thus allowing the everyday user to differentiate from the paid content, and allow them to select a trusted website. The organic results that are high on the research pages can attribute their position to credibility and effective content, rather than just paying for a higher position.
Furthermore, by using SEO people searching for an answer or a service are finding the particular business based on the effective content, rather than paying for the position. This means that the quality of clicks is better, based on the inherent trust the consumer places in your business name purely based off of positioning. More users click on organic results when searching industry-specific keywords, an act which places trust in your businesses service, based on the ability to provide the information the user is searching for when they Google.
If someone is looking for a service, information, or an answer to a question, using a SEO-based marketing strategy will have users remembering your website as a reliable source of information, and therefore continue to return time and time again. Compared to PPC marketing, the leads coming out of SEO strategy are often diligent in their searching and looking for content that answers their question and provides them with all the information they need to proceed.
The trust mentioned above plays into the success of SEO. Being visible without the ‘ad tag’ already marks your business as trusted based on merit and content. The blind trust placed in Google by its users is justified in the way that the higher organic results will continue to be the credible leaders in that industry for information and services.
Google’s algorithm rewards rich content, and using SEO to implement certain phrases and keywords can put you high on the list of results. This means that the user will trust your content by your positioning on the results pages.
By no means free, SEO doesn’t involve the consistent cost encountered by purchasing AdWords. The pay-per-click method (as the name suggests) can vary based on the selected keywords and industry, however, the more traffic the site gets as a result, the larger ongoing cost you will incur. SEO’s expenses can be stress free in the way that a strategy is implemented. If an agency is hired to organise the content for your business, the initial cost may be your largest expense, however, SEO can be managed in-house based on good research and collaboration with an agency, meaning less time and money is spent building the web presence and maintaining content.
It comes with the territory, but greater trust and credibility = more clicks. Simply put, people are far more likely to click on a search result that has appeared naturally as a result of their specific requirements. Also, like any results from a search engine, the higher you rank on the list, the more clicks your receive. Once again this comes full circle, as people are less likely to click on the PPC results subconsciously. This plays into the benefit of having your website listing appear organically, where the user considers the positioning a result of merit.
By implementing a strategy using a reputable company, the SEO plan can be easily maintained. This maintenance can be done by using the company's extensive knowledge to stay up to date with algorithm changes and trends. Similarly, once the system is implemented and organised, the only ongoing cost incurred will be maintenance and changes to content.
By curating content regularly (within the business, or through an agency), it can be assured that any changes to algorithms or results will be catered for conveniently. Pay-per-click methods will need continued attention, as well as a budget to maintain the financial demands.
It goes without saying - SEO is a better option for online marketing due to its cost, ability to position a website as a natural listing, and overall effectiveness.
SEO Marketer | SEO Adelaide
