The search landscape is ever-evolving but the two most powerful marketing strategies remain unchanged – search engine optimisation (SEO) and paid advertising. While both play a crucial role in a successful marketing plan, it’s important to understand where it’s best to place your budget.
If you are struggling to make that decision or are juggling your budget between the two strategies and find yourself coming up short, you’re not alone. Many businesses struggle to choose between the fast-acting returns of paid advertising and the longevity of SEO.
In an ideal world, we’d have bottomless pockets and expendable budgets to allocate to both strategies. However, in the real world, most businesses have to prioritise budgets and focus on ROI in order to scale up.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the key differences between the strategies and help you decide the best approach for your business.
In this blog we will cover:
- What is SEO?
- What is paid search?
- SEO vs paid search: The key differences
- Benefits of SEO
- Benefits of paid search
- How to make SEO and paid search work together
- Final thoughts
What is SEO?
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of optimising your website following best practices to appear higher up in the organic search results. Visibility in the organic search results can take many forms, including the People Also Ask (PAAs), image results, maps, and, more recently, the AI overviews.
The goal is to ensure Google considers your website an authority in your space, so it ranks you higher for keywords related to your business.
Common SEO strategies include:
- Keyword research and optimisation for core pages.
- Creating helpful and high-quality content that presents answers to users’ queries.
- Utilising author profiles to present your business as an authority in your space.
- Enhancing user experience to ensure people stick around to explore your website.
- Using a combination of local SEO and digital PR tactics to transfer authority from third-party websites and build trust.
When done right, SEO helps your business appear on the first page of Google, where 90% of all clicks happen.
For example, imagine you’re a company selling windows and doors based in Huddersfield. If you optimise your website, you can appear for terms like “bifold doors in Huddersfield” “Huddersfield doors company” or “bifold doors near me.” You’ll also have the ability to appear in the map results and Google My Business (GMB), where you can list trust factors like reviews, images and contact details.
What is paid search?
Paid search (PPC), on the other hand, is a form of advertising where you pay a fee every time someone clicks on your listing. These listings sit at the top of the search results, giving them better visibility than the organic listings.
The most common paid search platform is Google Ads, where you bid on the keywords you would like to appear for. It works in the same way as an auction house, where the highest bidder secures the prize – in the case of Google ads, the prize is a top spot in the search results. However, be warned; money is not everything. If your website content does not match the search intent of your keywords, then Google may choose to show a more suitable listing.
As always, user experience is the biggest influence when it comes to paid search and SEO – you can’t trick the system.
Paid search is known for delivering instant visibility and returns, making it an attractive strategy for businesses looking to drive sales quickly.
For example, let’s say you run an e-commerce business selling baby products and have launched a new car seat. You would like to experience quick visibility and sales of your product. You would bid on terms like “baby car seat” or perhaps “swivel carseat” to match those further along the buyer’s journey.
Top tip: Use PMax campaigns to automate the delivery of your ads across all of Google’s platforms, including search, YouTube, Gmail and Maps, to find more high-converting customers. Google uses machine learning to optimise these ads on your behalf, removing the guesswork and analysis.
SEO vs paid search: the key differences
While both SEO and paid search aim to increase brand visibility and attract new customers, they differ in how they achieve these results. Let’s break down the key differences:
Cost Structure:
• SEO:
You don’t pay for clicks or impressions. The only cost of SEO is time and upskilling. There are many outdated and conflicting SEO practices online, which can leave businesses confused and in a worse place than they started.
It’s always best to leave optimisation to those in the know. Our professional team loves to talk “all things SEO” and would be happy to provide you with a free audit to get you started. Contact us today to gather some quick wins.
Check out this recent feedback we received from our long-standing client, Thomson Environmental Consultants:
“I was in a meeting with the CEO of a competitor business yesterday. They had been looking at our business on the web, seeing how we were performing on key search terms and phrases.
They said, “You guys don’t pay for any clicks, and you are appearing on the first page, generally near the top for key search terms – seriously impressive.” Dan Reynolds , Thomson Environmental Consultants.
• Paid search: You pay every time someone clicks on your ad. The cost depends on the keyword you’re bidding on. The more competitive the keyword, the higher the cost of the click.
For example, for transactional terms like “SEO services Huddersfield” you can expect to pay £4+ per click. However, for informational terms like “Guide to SEO” the cost per click (CPC) will be much lower at around £1-£2 per click. This is because the potential for a return on investment is much lower, and therefore, fewer people are willing to bid on those keywords.
Time for results:
• SEO: This is a long-term strategy. It typically takes between three to six months to see results. This time frame depends on the current performance of your website and the competitors in your market.
• Paid search: The results can be instant (providing you have enough budget to attribute to your campaigns). Your campaigns can start driving traffic and sales just hours after they launch.
Longevity of results:
• SEO: This is where SEO really steals the show. Once you start to rank well in the search results, you can continue to drive that traffic for years (providing you don’t neglect SEO entirely once you start to see rankings improve).
• Paid search: The moment your budget dries up, so does your visibility.
Top tip: We would always advise that you attribute some of your marketing budget to SEO to futureproof your business. It is best to reserve paid advertising spend for product launches or instances where you need sales fast. If you want a strong online presence, then SEO is a must!
Find out how we combine SEO and digital PR to maximise sales and brand awareness here.
Click-through rate (CTR):
• SEO: Organic listings, generally speaking, get more clicks as they are considered more trusted than paid ads. Many users will skip the ads altogether, favouring the AI overviews or organic results below.
Paid search: Although paid ads may get fewer clicks than organic listings, due to their nature, the clicks they do receive are targeted and conversion-focused.
The introduction of AI overviews has impacted the click-through rate (CTR) of both paid ads and organic listings. A recent study showed that when the AI overviews are present, the first Google listing experiences a 34.5% drop in click-through rate (CTR).
Users are finding the information they require in the AI overviews, which appear at the top of the search results, without needing to click through to websites. This impacts those using both paid advertising and SEO strategies.
However, those practising SEO hold the power to influence their appearance in the AI overviews. In order to maximise your visibility through appearing in both the organic search results and the AI overviews, simply follow SEO best practice.
Benefits of SEO
If you are looking for long-term brand awareness and to generate sales in the process, then SEO is essential. Here are some key benefits of an SEO strategy:
It boosts your credibility
A website that ranks well in the search results is considered high-quality and trusted by search engines, which in turn boosts the credibility of your business. Higher rankings equate to more traffic, signalling to Google that your website is popular, which w
ill help it continue to position you in those top spots. Essentially, SEO is the gift that keeps on giving.
It supports other marketing channels
Onsite content works hand-in-hand with social media, email marketing and digital PR. Creating regular helpful content in the form of text, images, graphics, and videos not only allows you to appear in search results but also supports other marketing efforts.
For example, we frequently publish helpful and optimised content on our clients’ websites to ensure they not only rank well but also support their PR campaigns.
We know trending topics in our client’s niche, such as ‘Japanese Knotweed’ are covered in the press every year. We created a useful guide on “Identifying and managing Japanese Knotweed” for their blog, which not only ranks well for several useful keywords but serves as a great resource to link to from any expert comment we secure on their behalf. We have secured 180 backlinks from authoritative and relevant publications, such as The Guardian, Country Times, Cotswold Journal, and MSN.
Another example of supporting content is the use of case studies that can be linked to from newsletters and social media posts. Newsletters and social media posts are naturally short to hold the readers’ attention. If the reader is interested in the intricacies of a project, then linking to a dedicated case study on your website that dives deeper into the topic is a great way to showcase your expertise and encourage enquiries.
It provides free visibility
Aside from the time required to manage an effective strategy, SEO is free – unlike paid advertising. If you’re working with an agency or employing someone to handle your SEO, this should be considered an investment.
Search engines crawl your site 24/7, so providing useful content regularly will help new users find you organically. As a result, Google will trust your website, return, re-index, and continue to promote your business.
It helps you rank better in your area
Local SEO uses specific optimisation techniques to help you appear in the organic search results every time someone in your area searches for a business like yours. This is not limited to the organic listings, but also includes Google My Business and maps, which feature star ratings, reviews and general company information.
And since nearly 80% of all local searches on mobile lead to an enquiry, it’s a strategy that all bricks-and-mortar businesses should be using.
Benefits of paid search
If you are looking for immediate visibility and highly targeted traffic, then consider launching a paid ads campaign. Here are some of the benefits of paid search:
Instant visibility
Once you have set up your campaigns, they can appear in the search results almost immediately, providing exposure to your target audience. This visibility can result in sales and clicks through to your website. It can indirectly boost your SEO performance, as people who don’t purchase on the first visit may return later through an organic search for your business.
Advanced targeting & ad formats
Paid advertising allows you to target specific audiences based on their search history, demographics, interests and location. This ensures the traffic you’re receiving is likely to convert, as they have an intent to purchase and are already shopping for what you have to offer.
If all of that sounds like hard work to set up and manage, let Google do the heavy lifting with the help of PMax campaigns. These campaigns transfer control to Google, which uses machine learning to ensure your budget works smarter and your ads are found by the right people in the right places across an array of channels.
What’s more, PMax offers a variety of ad formats allowing you to tailor your campaigns to meet your specific goals. You can reach audiences at different points in their buying journey, whether that’s brand awareness, lead generation or sales. For example, display ads are best used for building awareness, video ads for telling your brand story, and shopping ads for sales.
Competitive edge
Paid ads give you a window into your competitors’ marketing strategy. You can see exactly which keywords they are bidding on, where they are sending them, and adjust your approach accordingly. If you’re smart about it, you can gain a competitive edge and capture the market share by identifying keyword gaps and weaknesses in your competitors’ ads.
Top tip: Watch out for sneaky competitors bidding on your brand name – yes, this actually happens.
How to make SEO and paid search work together
If you have the available budget (without spreading it too thin), then align both SEO and paid search strategies to maximise visibility and gain invaluable insights.
Here are some of the ways SEO and paid search work together:
• Increase your share of voice. With the search results being so crowded, showing up in paid ads as well as the organic listings gives you more opportunities to secure clicks.
• Set up remarketing campaigns to bring organic visitors back to the site.
• Test ads to see which convert into sales. Use these insights to inform your onsite content strategy.
• Bid on competitive keywords that you struggle to rank for organically. Alternatively, if the cost per click (CPC) is too high, use SEO to optimise for those keywords with a content strategy and internal linking.
Final thoughts
In the SEO vs paid search debate, there is no one clear winner. Both are essential pillars of a successful marketing strategy – and when used strategically, they can complement one another.
• SEO is your foundation and the building blocks to your online success. It builds trust, authority, and delivers results over time.
• Paid search is your fast-track to success. It drives results quickly and puts you in front of your audience and potential customers.
If you still have questions about which is the right marketing strategy for your business, or simply want help getting started, then please drop us a call on 0330 043 4464.
Our friendly team always welcomes the opportunity to support businesses and talk about our favourite topic – digital marketing!