Should I Do Google Ads or SEO?

Search engine results pages contain two types of search listings: paid ads and organic (free listings).

Therefore, to improve your visibility in the search results and get more visitors from search engines, you have two options:

• pay for ads on a pay-per-click (PPC) basis, or
• invest in search engine optimization (SEO) to improve your position among the organic search listings

One of the most common questions we’re asked is, “Which search marketing option is best for me – SEO or PPC?”

In this Search Engine Optimization Frequently Asked Questions (SEO FAQs) video blog, I address the question, Should I do Google Ads or SEO? 

(The article below is a summary of the video, but you’ll get more details and examples if you watch the video.)

Google Ads vs. SEO – Which One’s Right for You?

Let’s dive into this topic by discussing the pros and cons of both options.

Google Ads:

With Google Ads, you have to pay for each click on your ad. The good news is that as soon as you launch your Google Ads campaign, your ads are displayed in the search results and send visitors to your website. It’s a quick way to see fast results.

However, there’s a downside. The moment you decide to stop paying Google for ads, your ads disappear, and your results dry up. So, it’s like a faucet: turn off the budget, and the traffic stops flowing.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

On the other hand, SEO is more of a long-term solution. When you begin an SEO campaign, you won’t see immediate results. It takes time for keyword research, technical SEO, and on-page optimization to work their magic.

But here’s the exciting part: as you build backlinks and create quality content to boost your website’s authority, you’ll continue to see an increase in organic traffic, where you’re not paying for each visitor.

The beauty of SEO is that it’s a long-term investment. It builds on itself and compounds over time. As a result, it tends to be more cost-effective in the long run.

A Success Story

A nonprofit with a national impact across the US reached out to us. They were spending over $2,000 a month on Google Ads. They wanted to shift to SEO, so we got them started on an SEO service at a significantly lower monthly cost.

Over the course of the first year, we optimized their website, created new, optimized content, and performed link building which resulted in improved organic search rankings.  Before the end of our first year working together, they were receiving more organic traffic from their SEO efforts than they did from their paid Google Ads, even though they were spending much less on SEO.

Consider Both

What if you want instant results and long-term success?

Well, you don’t have to choose. You can combine both paid ads and SEO in your marketing strategy. Some strategies to consider…

• Begin with both and gradually reduce your reliance on Google Ads as your SEO efforts gain momentum.
• Use SEO to target keywords less competitive terms you can rank in the top 5 for, and use Google Ads to target more competitive terms you can’t yet rank that well for.
• Use both SEO and Google Ads for all your targeted keywords so you can be in the search results twice.

Which is better? Which is more cost effective? Which is right for YOUR organization?

We’ll get to that in a moment.

The general principle  to remember when it comes to SEO or Google Ads?

Google Ads can bring visitors immediately, while SEO gives you more bang for your buck over time. 

Get an SEO and Google Ads audit

To find out whether SEO or Google Ads is the better option for YOUR organization, we offer a combined SEO/Google Ads Audit.  With this audit, we analyze your website and your market to project the cost and number of website visitors you can expect from both SEO and Google Ads.

Based on those projections, you can choose the one that will produce the best return on investment (ROI) or move forward with both if the ROI of both is positive and within your budget.

You can read more about our Google Ads management services and Christian SEO for your church, business, school or ministry.

To schedule a complimentary phone call, fill out the consultation request form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop).

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