While there are many kinds of approaches and combination of marketing strategies that businesses are deploying these days, it still boils down into two broad categories: the paid ones and the organic (PPC and SEO). A beginner in online marketing might look at the two and distinguish them with their advantages and disadvantages, then choose what he thinks will work best for his business model. But the reality is, online marketing strategies are performing best when deployed alongside each other. Since both operates under one single platform (the internet), using one can impact the other. Striving to do both, with balance, is what a business should aim to instead, in order to maximize its result.
Paid Versus Organic (Online) Search Marketing
One may argue that PPC, as a kind of paid search strategy, is seemingly losing its effectiveness. The rise of content marketing is strengthening the organic strategy even more. But according to the data from Kenshoo Search Ad Trends in 2014, this is not the case. Instead, the return of investment out of paid search marketing continue to rise as marketers are expressing their confidence to this: the use of technology to automate marketing campaigns and to meet business goals is still relevant and effective.
Another ongoing argument here is how can Google sell out its PPC when it is also encouraging websites to go for the “natural” way to boost rankings with its new algorithm release? And if, by any chance, will paid search results eat up the clicks from organic search results.
Google conducted an experiment to see the relationship of PPC and SEO, and how each other impacts the performance of one another. In its methodologies, it ran several scenarios wherein one is running without the other, and one where both are implemented alongside. Using mathematical formulas to predict the correlation between clicks for each scenario, it was found that 89% of the total traffic generated by PPC were not replaced by SEO when PPC was ditched.
Unmistakably, it can therefore be concluded that PPC is a marketing performance enhancer, and not a direct competitor of organic search marketing, or SEO.
What is PPC?
Pay per click is a method used by marketers in order to realize faster results with their online marketing efforts. Normally, a pay per click marketing campaign incorporates SEO in order to maximize the online traffic that it is driving to businesses.
Push campaigns refer mostly to offline or traditional marketing methods such as billboard ads, flyers and commercials which “push” customers to purchase or transact with your business. PPC marketing on the other hand, is a kind of “pull” (in opposed to “push”) campaign, wherein its target audiences are being “pulled” to view, engage, interact and click on the business website in order to be a more informed customer. Using the same platform (the internet), the customer can also be engaged towards sales as well. This is one of the biggest advantages of using online tools and strategies-because it can customize and provide a complete experience and journey for a customer.
PPC campaigns are still effective online traffic drivers in present day marketing. PPC marketing strategies are essential aspects of its effective implementation, which doesn’t just rely on bidding or paying a high cost for the best keyword to use. Basically, a pay per click marketing campaign is also about choosing the most appropriate keywords, and optimizing the business’ landing page in order to maximize the opportunities from the traffic it gets.
Pros and Cons of PPC
An online advertiser should bear in mind to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of its actions prior to deployment. With the right combination of pay per click and search engine optimization strategies, one can create a robust search marketing structure to support your online marketing efforts.
The pros of using pay per click campaigns are as follows:
- You can set your own budget.
In using pay per click tools or in getting a pay per click management service, a business can actually set a daily budget for the click amount that when reached, the search engine will no longer display your listing. This can let you have better control with how much you will spend on your PPC campaign on a daily basis and over your daily cash flow.
- Make targeted campaigns through keywords.
Since PPC campaigns involve bidding for keywords, a business can choose the best appropriate keywords it finds effective for his business to be seen by more people in the web, or from this target audience to discover. This way, it can focus its strategies and make more engaging content and marketing information in order to drive sales out of already interested “clickers”, or other important customer actions like newsletter sign ups.
- Faster results.
Normally, an SEO manager takes longer time to build its content, and the ROI of the SEO campaign to be realized. For a PPC manager, it takes a matter of minutes to make the listing up and running, and traffic to come.
- Better targeting option through local search.
A PPC marketing campaign can be incorporated with a localized marketing strategy in order to target a specific place or geographical region that will make the best customers for your business. On the other hand, location based marketing strategies, also enhance customer engagement by making it easier for them to find your business establishment through maps and promotionals within the local area.
The cons of PPC campaigns, are also as follows:
- Bidding for popular keywords is costly.
Dealing with PPC means that your business is vying for a top spot, which means beating all odds to set the highest bid for the most popular keyword and optimizing the wordings on your listing, and your landing page as well. Competition can drive the bidding and SEO costs higher.
- PPC is expensive.
When one is hesitant about setting up a daily budget for it, PPC marketing campaigns can be expensive, depending on the bid amount and the traffic it drives. Businesses pay cost per click, and if these clicks will not be met with more valuable actions like a purchase or a sign up, will render greater liability for the business with no ROI realized.
Fraud is one of the most prevalent concerns of businesses when dealing online. Advertisers or marketers are keen that these actions are possible with PPC too, wherein there is a tendency for competitors to make unnecessary clicks to your listing in order to drive your costs up.
Getting Your ROI
One of the primary considerations before getting pay per click marketing services is its ROI, or Return Of Investment.
In reality, one cannot actually quantify a specific amount, or even percentage of ROI to be achieved within a specific period without testing the waters. But since PPC is dealing with measurable actions like clicks and views, one can make a sound assessment through analytics tools, or making a pre launch test for different types of keywords.
With any kind of business tools or strategies, online marketing campaigns can only realize success through using the best practices and wise management. There is no limit on the potential for online marketing strategies to materialize into revenues.
Success in PPC doesn’t dwell on its effectiveness when it comes to online visibility and web traffic alone, but true success comes when all of these will also translate into sales and other purchasing related activities. This is where SEO takes its place as the best partner for PPC in order to maximize the results from utilizing the potential online.
In order to properly measure the ROI of your pay per click marketing strategies, it is important to note your specific objectives in deploying it:
- Is it to gauge if your online marketing strategies are successful?
- Is it for you to build a brand or a business image?
- Do you want an increase in inquiries or sales?
- Are you struggling with ranking on Search Engine Results Page?
Whatever your reasons are, it is best to define it first, and then align your strategies in order to achieve it. Otherwise, you are aiming endlessly in the wind.
Your landing page is also an important determinant if you are going to achieve ROI or not, because this where you can further engage interested users to push through with purchasing or other related transactions. By optimizing your landing page into what it intends to target, you can maximize the time that a customer is spending on your website.
PPC hosts a lot of benefits and advantages for both seasoned businesses and startups. It just entails the proper utilization and management from you as somebody who knows your needs, and with the help from an expert like PPC management firm. To know more about the existing PPC management agencies you can deal with, see CrowdReviews.com’s reviews of PPC management firms here.
Benefits of Getting a PPC Management Firm
At the end of the day, a business is always left with decision making that will involve different kinds of situations that needs it. As to whether it is best to do your PPC management campaign by yourself or delegate it to the top PPC management firms, is better left to your own judgement about your business nature and needs.
- Dealing with pay per click management agencies can help your business to give that focus that PPC needs in order to keep at pace with the ever changing market behavior. Keeping abreast with the latest trends, and being consistent with the new rules and regulations that search engines deploy, require a certain focus and attention, which you may not render since you still need to focus on other matters about your business that you should attend to.
- Pay per click management firms are able to give that full dedication for your campaigns as long as you wish them to be part of it. Unlike when dealing with your own best employees, you cannot keep them with you forever.
- PPC management companies may have the best resources in order to optimize your PPC campaigns better than you do. This doesn’t just involve tools, content and expert advice, but years of experience and appropriate exposures too.
Learning the ways and best practices in pay per click marketing and its management can be overwhelming at the beginning. But one shouldn’t be discouraged in exploring its advantages and benefits, especially that you can always get a partner out of a PPC management agency if you wish. To know more about how this partnership can benefit your online marketing efforts, see reviews of PPC management firms at CrowdReviews.com.
John Tovar
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