Organic Search Engine Vs Paid Search Engine

Organic Search Engine Vs Paid Search Engine

Organic Search Engine Vs Paid Search Engine marketing? Using one or both will determine how consumers find your site because where your business is listed on a search engine results page is important as well. According to a study by Chitika, sites listed on the first page of Google results generated 92% of all traffic while the second page only generated 4.8% of all traffic from an average search. Both methods have specific benefits and drawbacks. Learning about both paid and organic will help you get the best return for your search marketing dollars.

Pay Per Click (PPC)

Paid search marketing, otherwise known as pay-per-click marketing, are paid ads. A business pays to have its ads displayed when users do a search containing specific keywords. These are the search results that you see above and to the right of organic search results. The way these ads are displayed are based upon the bids process and quality score. With paid search, you have more control over the ranking of your ad than organic search.

When to Use Paid Search:

• If you are looking for first-page exposure, paid results will be placed at the top of the rankings as soon as you pay for the ad placement.
• If you are already on the first page of organic listings, you will have double the visibility.
• If you want to test a specific campaign, you have the ability to target and test your ad.
• Paid search allows your budget to go further with segmenting. You can segment by location, income, age, educational level, marital status, industry, etc.
• If you are a B2B and have a bigger budget, consider investing in PPC. Keep in mind that the more competitive the keyword, the more the bid price is for each click on the displayed ad.
• Paid search should be used especially when you want to promote a time-sensitive offer.

See Also: Search engine Optimization Vs. Search Engine Marketing: Which is Better?

Organic Search Engine (SEO)

Organic search results are the listings of Web pages returned by the search algorithms that closely match the search string of keywords. To gain high search engine rankings, marketers use SEO and content assets. Higher search rankings give a site the perception of credibility and authority. The goal is to slowly move onto the first page of search results. However, a high ranking is cultivated over a long period of time.

When to Use Organic Search:

Your site will not gain the top ranking after one month of SEO. It takes time. However, there are long-term benefits to organic search that PPC cannot compete with. According to Search Engine Watch, organic search drives 51% of traffic to websites in the business services, hospitality, media and retail sectors. Often, the advantages and drawbacks of organic search are the opposite of paid ads.

• If your primary goal is to increase the value of your site and build authority, organic search is the way to go.
• If you are a small business and need to increase site traffic, consider organic search before investing in PPC.
• Your business has a longer buying cycle. When consumers are at the awareness stage, they are searching “top of the funnel” search terms. The click-through rates for these terms are better for organic search results.
• Once you get high rankings, it may be easier to keep those rankings. But remember, with organic search, you must stay consistent, and you must invest the time and money. Unlike paid search, organic search rankings can take months or years.
• If the content that ranks high is evergreen, then the rankings will also have a more evergreen presence. The specific listing may rank high long after the content was created.

Together is Better – Organic Search Engine Vs Paid Search Engine?

According to a Google study, paid search ads with an accompanying organic search result only occur 19% of the time, on average. If you want speed and immediate results, choose paid. If you are patient and have the time to build your ranking, choose organic.

The best approach is a mix of both organic and paid search. With the right amount, you will have the advantage of business credibility and immediate top-of-the-page listings when consumers are ready to purchase.

Trying to choose between an Organic Search Engine Vs Paid Search Engine? Here’s a nifty little infographic we put together to help make the best choice