Everyone uses Google when they need something — so do you 😉 But think about it, what do you do when you want to find a new restaurant, need a service or want to look at when a store closes? You Google it. When customers are Googling your services, there are two ways to make sure they find you: SEO and PPC. But which one is better, more cost effective and will make you more money in the long run? Let’s dive in!

So first off, what is SEO and PPC? Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click.

Search Engine Optimization is the process of combining on page and off page SEO to rank a website on Google for keywords that potential customers search. This is organic and you DO NOT pay Google anything during this process.

Pay-Per-Click is when you use Google Adwords to PAY GOOGLE to place ads of your business at the top of the page of keyword searches that customers make.

Here’s the biggest differences:

  • SEO is constant; no matter if it’s 2 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon, customers can find you!
  • Your PPC ads are only shown for the length of your budget. So if your budget is reached at 10 am or 4 pm, your ads stop and customers no longer can find you.
  • SEO takes time, it’s a long term play, but it’s more cost effective.
  • PPC is quick and can generate leads instantly, but can get very expensive very fast.

We ran a split test for one of our real estate clients in Nashville to compare SEO vs PPC. Back in June of 2018 — the peak of the real estate season — from a Sunday to Thursday, they got 248 views/clicks from SEO. The average Cost-Per-Click (CPC) during that time was $71.48, so they would’ve spent $17,727.04 in 5 days…. Yeah, $17,727.04 in FIVE DAYS; THAT’S CRAZY!!!!!!!!

Would you rather pay a flat fee of $2,000/month, as an example, or $20,000/month? Uh… my guess is you’ll say the cheaper option? SEO is cheaper in the long run, but PPC generates leads quicker.

So here’s my best advice: if you are planning on being in business for years & years, SEO is the way to go. If you want a quick fix or hit of leads, PPC is the way to go.

Wonder how much money SEO could be making your business? You could be losing thousands of dollars a month!! Check it out here.

If you’d like to discuss your options about what might be best for your business, you can click here to Schedule A Consultation! Steel Marketing is here to help you generate the best ROI your business has ever seen, so we’ll help pick the option that’s right for your business!