It is a battle that has been fought for what seems an eternity: which is better, SEO or PPC?

You know Google’s search engine is the number 1 traffic generator for most websites but choosing the plan of attack can be tricky to begin with.

For small businesses, the jump into either can be a little bit scary.

However, this article should give you reasons to consider either. Look at your own business and decide which is most appropriate for your goals.

The Case for PPC

#1 Easier Keyword Targeting

Google Adwords is set up so you can easily track which keywords are performing. You can judge them primarily against click-through-rates and conversions and if you aren’t getting the desired results, guess what? Pause or delete them and start afresh! Simple, right?

SEO on the other hand, requires you to optimise your pages. Even then, it’s difficult to completely re-target different keyword terms. With the [No Search] encryption reducing the availability of keyword terms searched for, keyword analysis is only going to get more difficult for SEO.

#2 Quicker Return on Investment

PPC allows you to target the keywords you know will generate sales right off the bat. Is there commercial intent there? Remember, it’s primarily a numbers game – make sure you’re converting more than the clicks are costing, and you know it’s worth it.

Writing content, reaching influencers…do small businesses really have the time for all this seo stuff? I’m sure many will say they should make the time, but it’s difficult to justify this huge time expense, especially with content quality so important these days – can we expect small business owners to really be superb writers or video makers in addition to running a business?

#3 Stop Singing to Google’s Tune

Google is moving the goalposts so regularly, it’s pretty difficult for those not in the field to keep up.

Google has to prioritise the user when it comes to improving search engines. It only gives businesses and websites a fair shot at getting a top spot.

Google Adwords will always want to help those that pay for ads, because that’s how it makes its money. If many customers found that the platform generated relatively few sales and lost money, people would stop using it.

Therefore, Google will be on your side for this one and Adwords will always prioritise paid ads over its organic competitors. Do you really want to be a sheep to Google’s algorithm?

The Case for SEO

#4 1 It Doesn’t Burn the Budget

SEO is practically free to begin with. Once you’ve set up a blog or video content, it’s a matter of getting your content out there and your brand known.

Of course, you can argue time = money, but anyone can rank well on Google without a huge budget provided they can produce quality content.

Adwords is notorious for pushing you to increase your budget and getting any sort of traffic, which is likely to be low-quality and merely just pay for nothing. Especially if you don’t keep track of your analytics and return-on-investment, you can find Google’s taken a big chunk of your money before you can say ‘bankrupt’!

#5 Better Chance of Retaining Customers

SEO is heavily based around providing content that your target audience will search for and value. He or she may stick around for a while reading other parts of your blog, maybe engage with your social media or review other products before making a purchase.

Moz highlighted that a user will have searched Moz an average 7 times before they make a purchase on their software. Because they have interacted and formed a connection with the brand, the chance of repeat customer is much more likely.

The initial sale is the most important focus for PPC, though this can detract from the customer experience by pushing them through the sales funnel quickly. Unless the product can deliver such high-quality that the person will come back, successive sales are less likely.

#6 High Traffic Volumes for Less

SEO allows you to fish for a huge range of keywords. Content can cover a range of queries related to your niche. Even if they aren’t targeted yet, they can be pushed slowly through the sales funnel and leads warmed up until they’re ready to make a sale.

PPC must always be hyper-focused in order to minimise costs and make sure quality traffic enters the website, thus not giving you the chance to extend your customer reach beyond a few keywords.

Are They Really Age-Old Enemies?

Even though both have their positives, many businesses are using them together, even on the same keywords.

PPC data is becoming essential to keyword research in SEO as search terms on Google become encrypted and websites have less data to work with.

From personal experience, an integration of both should be key. The amount of time and money spent on either should vary according to the points mentioned above though.

Can you really produce quality content? Do you have the time for seo? Or the budget for PPC? These should all factor into your choice.

How much input do you put into either? What are your personal experiences from both as well? Let’s chat in the comments below!