Introduction

After creating a well-optimised website for your small business, the next thing you have to deal with is choosing between SEO and PPC. SEO and PPC are strong points in digital marketing and they help small businesses get more online visibility.

The truth is that there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to SEO or PPC. You should simply choose what works for you; taking your business realities into consideration. In this article, we will share 5 key differences between SEO and PPC for small businesses in Nigeria.

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving your web pages so that they get higher rankings on search engine result pages (SERPs). In other words, it is everything you do to your online content that makes it easy for it to be discovered by your target audience.

There are hundreds of factors that search engines like Google consider in order to rank pages. These ranking factors are what SEO experts refer to as the algorithms. Knowing how these work or getting an expert on your team allows you optimise content for visibility.

5 Facts About SEO in 2020

1. The top 5 results on Google get 75% of the clicks.
2. SEO drives 1000%+ more traffic than organic social media.
3. 53.3% of all website traffic comes from organic search.
4. 92% of traffic goes to the results on the first page of Google. 
5. Position #1 in google enjoys a 34.36% CTR

Source: https://ahrefs.com/blog/seo-statistics/

What is PPC?

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) is a digital marketing model that requires advertisers to pay a fee to the search engine anytime a user clicks on their ads. PPC offers you an opportunity to reach your audience at a time when they are looking for a business like yours.

Google ads is the most popular PPC system in the world. Getting a Google ad slot for your page allows Google to display your web page whenever a user searches for something relevant to your page. Just like SEO, Google depends on different metrics to choose the sponsored pages to appear on the SERP ad space.

Facts About PPC in 2020

1. PPC Ads enhance brand awareness by up to 80%.
2. 75% of users click on ads to find authentic and relevant information.
3. PPC leads get 50% higher conversion rates.
4. 96% of Google’s revenue comes from advertising.
5. Paid ads get 65% of clicks for high commercial intent searches.

Source: https://www.curvearro.com/blog/top-10-ppc-statistics-to-know-in-2020/

Now, let’s discuss 5 key differences between SEO and PPC and what they mean for your business.

5 Differences Between SEO and PPC

1. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a long-term process while PPC is a short-term process that produces immediate results.
2. SEO provides unlimited organic traffic potential while PPC is often limited by your ad budget.
3. Unlike SEO, PPC does not improve organic rankings for your web pages.
4. Generally, PPC is more expensive than SEO.
5. Unlike PPC, SEO is time-consuming and leaves you vulnerable to algorithm updates.

When to Use PPC

If you’re launching a new product in the market, then the PPC model may be the best bet for you. This works especially for innovative products that have no equivalent in the target market.

You should also use PPC if you’re trying to drive sales for your product during a discount or a one-time offer period. If you’re running a limited promo for your small business, PPC can help you connect with persons who are interested in your product.

When to Use SEO

SEO is a long-term strategy that helps you connect with your target audience and build trust. If you’re looking to drive high-volume traffic to your webs pages for an extended period of time, SEO is a good choice.

Another reason to prioritise SEO over PPC is when you want to build an authority site in your industry. To be seen as an authority website in your niche, you need to generate sustainable traffic to your web pages.

Conclusion

The truth is that choosing between SEO and PPC really depends on what you want for your business. This is why you must understand your business needs and the bigger picture you want to achieve. This would help you invest in the right choice for increased return on investment (ROI).