Organic Search Engine Optimization Versus Pay Per Click Advertising
2009 is just around the corner and many businesses are fine tuning their internet marketing plans. No matter what size company I consult with, the subject of organic search engine optimization versus pay per click advertising is on the agenda. Companies often ask how to reduce pay per click advertising costs, especially during economic uncertainty. Companies that are not currently using pay per click advertising wonder if it might be the answer to their dreams.
There are a number of things to consider when deciding how much, if any, money to budget for pay per click advertising. As an Internet Marketing Consultant, I am passionate about organic search engine optimization. In my experience, I find that people trust organic results over paid results. Organic SEO can be time consuming but it is usually less expensive than pay per click advertising. When you stop paying for pay per click advertising there is no residual effect. You drop in the SERPs immediately. With organic search engine ranking, if you stop working on seo and/or adding optimized content, at least there is a slow decline.
The very first thing I consider is whether or not the website is optimized or is search engine friendly. A website that uses frames (there are still some out there believe it or not), was developed with Flash or has navigation that is not easy crawled is not going to rank high with the search engines. Pay per click advertising is a necessity in these cases. Either pay for placement or redesign the website with seo in mind.
Next I discuss how quickly they need to see results. There is no doubt that ranking high organically can take time. If the company is not blogging to add optimized content regularly or using social media to build buzz, it may take several months. If their timeframe is very short and they are relying solely on their website, I usually suggest a temporary paid advertising campaign while the site is being optimized and climbing in rank.
When planning your budget this year, will you spend a little less money and a bit more time working on orgainic optimization? Please comment on this article and tell me what your plans are.