Organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (Pay-Per-Click) are the two main ways to show up in searches.
Pay-Per-Click is also known as Click Ads, CPC or “Cost Per Click”, Search Engine Marketing or SEM, or (as Google calls them) AdWords. That’s a lot of names for the “sponsored links” you see usually to the top and right when you do a search!
Anyway, these two are key parts of most Internet Marketing campaigns. A smart strategy is often to use both of them in a coordinated action:
- It takes months, as much as a year to get high organic search engine rankings. You show up right away in click ads.
- You have to pay a bid amount every time someone clicks on your sponsored link, but organic rankings are free.
- Click ads can get you rapid feedback on what search terms work for you, ad wording that works, etc. that can then be used to improve your organic SEO.
You see where I’m going here? When you start out with your Internet marketing, you may not know more than a bunch of guesses. You can use click ads not only to generate immediate traffic to your site that is cost effective (because you only pay when someone clicks); but also as a research tool.
You then use what you learn from that to make your organic SEO more effective, faster.
If it works well, you may end up cutting back on or even discontinuing the click ads.
Nice, eh?
