When it comes to search, determining whether to invest in organic search (SEO) or paid search (PPC) is not straightforward. The correct choice depends on a variety of criteria, including audience behavior, budget availability, and your company’s marketing goals. Frequently, the solution to the pay vs. search issue isn’t either/or. It all comes down to finding the right balance.
What is organic search traffic?
Organic Traffic is free to reach with no strings attached. You don’t need to spend money to get website visitors with SEO. This means keywords driving organic traffic are typically more long-tail than those for paid traffic, which gives organic surfers greater buying intent. While this may mean less volume, it also means higher conversions once you do convert website visitors with SEO compared to those who come through PPC ads. Organic website traffic is also more likely to be of a higher quality.
What is paid search traffic?
Paid Traffic is a reach that costs money, i.e., website visits you must pay for via PPC ads at the top of SERPs or on advertisers’ websites. You can get website visitors with PPC keywords quickly—in fact, some are turning to paid search as their primary website traffic source because they get website visitors so quickly compared to organic search. This means Paid website traffic tends toward shorter tail keywords since marketers are paying for website visits immediacy. It’s not necessarily less valuable than organic website traffic just because it costs money; however, one thing marketers have control over when using PPC is your message creative and ad copy, which cannot be changed for organic website placements. There are other services like Babylon Traffic or SERP Empire which can give you targeted traffic that you may need for your business.
Difference between organic vs paid search Traffic:
First, let’s define the two. Organic or natural traffic comes from website visits that occur organically and unintentionally because of unpaid search engine results and organic website placements. Paid traffic comes from website visits that happen intentionally after a marketer has paid for them via PPC ads at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs).
You have less control over website traffic with SEO. This means you cannot control who comes to your website with organic website placements, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how it impacts website performance. Organic website visitors are less likely to take immediate action compared to website visitors from PPC ads, but they are more likely to convert at a later date. Note that this doesn’t mean organic traffic is always better than paid—it just depends on the marketing goals of your business.
Is organic or paid search better for your business?
Ultimately, it’s up to you to explore which path works best for your website and business goals. The ultimate goal is to grow your business online. The most important thing in determining paid vs. organic success is your company’s marketing strategy. For example, if you’re a local service or ecommerce business targeting specific geographical locations that use PPC ads, then Paid Traffic might be the way to go compared to an international website targeting new customers who need SEO services rather than PPC ad placement.
In this case, organic traffic from natural website visits would not only be expensive but also less effective given the website’s potential website visitors aren’t within a select geographical location.
However, if you’re a business targeting new customers who don’t know your brand but are searching for keywords related to what you sell, organic website placements might be more effective compared to paid website traffic from PPC ads since website visitors need more education about your products or services before making a purchase.
This is why it’s important to explore both Paid and Organic website traffic options—and balance each one appropriately with the goals of your company’s marketing strategy. This way you can reach potential website visitors in a cost-effective manner while also producing website traffic that gives your business the best chance at converting those website visitors into paying customers.
