Many small and independently owned businesses are currently making moves to modernize their website’s infrastructure and reach. A common question we get asked is, “what’s the difference between SEO and paid ads?” Most individuals want to know which one is better – that is, which one will get them the most bang for their buck? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t black and white. The key is to know when to rely on which marketing strategy as they can both bring in business for your company.
What are Paid Ads?
With Google, Facebook, or Instagram paid ads, you’ll be paying a certain amount each month for these platforms to advertise your business. In Google, that means you’ll come up next to the search results. With Facebook and Instagram, they’ll circulate your ads as people swipe through their feeds. Often, most people do use cookies and these platforms try to advertise your business to individuals who have searched for products that you’ve listed or visited similar sites.
With a targeted ad audience, you’ll spend money to get potential clients to click on your site. However, once they are on your site, you’ll have to take it from there.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, has been a popular marketing term for over a decade. The idea of search engine optimization is to create content that engages an audience, based on keywords that people type into the search bar. Most marketing companies or professionals invest in services that help them determine the exact amount of people that search for a certain phrase, and based on that information, create content that’ll draw people in. The more of an audience you can build up, or relevant information you provide, the higher you can rank on search engines. So if you do everything right, you will likely end up on the front page of Google for certain searches.
This technique has changed over time and continues to. When SEO first became popular, search engines weren’t sophisticated enough to differentiate between reliable sites and those that stuffed their content full of search phrases. Now, Google and all the other search engines consider various factors to decide where you’ll be in their search results. Besides your keywords, Google can tell how much time someone spends on your page, which says a lot about the relevance and quality of your content.
SEO vs. Paid Ads
These two marketing tactics couldn’t be more different, so you can use them in tandem. Once you’ve gotten your business to the point where you’re ready for professional marketing services, you’ll have to have a professional work on your website’s content. You want to draw in organic traffic, meaning actual human beings who are interested in your company. They’ll be drawn in by things like detailed explanations of your services, price lists, blog posts with unique content, and more. Once they see that your website provides them with information, they’re a lot more likely to call you up and engage with your company.
Google also takes into account the quality of images you use, the number of times someone links back to your page, loading times, and nearly a hundred other factors.
Paid ads are a good strategy to tack on once you’ve got your website in order. After all, once someone clicks an ad for your business, you want to draw them in enough actually to email or call. When you have a sale, offer, or specific event, then paid ads are a great idea to consider. Paid ads also work better for a younger audience, so before continuing with a marketing strategy, you should analyze who your customer base is. The most successful campaign is one that reaches the right target audience! By putting paid ads together with a well-optimized website, you can find yourself swimming in appointments.
Professional SEO and Marketing Services
If you’re not sure which strategy to use or when to use them, call Advanté-BCS at 804-788-0048 and tell us about your business. We’ve worked with independently-owned businesses for over 20 years, creating customized marketing plans that work based on your company’s mission, target audience, and location. Our friendly staff is ready to work with you on a variety of services, including SEO, all types of digital marketing, logo design, website design, and advertisements.
