Most content marketers have heard of pay-per-click (PPC) ads, but is online advertising necessary if you already have a content-rich website that attracts a desired target audience? Although you may need a mix of both organic and PPC traffic to generate leads, here are some reasons why organic should be your priority.
Related Blog: Inbound Marketing vs. Pay Per Click
Organic Traffic
The value of organic traffic is that it comprises actual target followers that you didn't have to pay for. If you construct an informative and elaborate website that gives users the content they are looking for and mix in essential SEO techniques, then you have a chance to build a loyal following that can generate leads. The key is to follow Google guidelines with a strong focus on crafting original, useful content.
Connecting with the right followers can then be maximized using social media, as you can then develop relationships with your followers. This process is known as permission-based marketing or inbound marketing. The more you improve and freshen your content through blogs or articles, the more you may be viewed as an authority in your niche, which helps your search rankings as well as your organic traffic to grow.
Pay Per Click Traffic
While PPC advertising is much cheaper and more efficient at reaching a target audience than traditional media marketing, it can get expensive if you do a lot of it since you will need to experiment and make adjustments to see results. PPC platforms such as Google AdWords guarantee online visibility, whereas SEO doesn't guarantee anything. At the same time, ads placed at the top of search engines don't guarantee lead generation.
Organic vs Pay Per Click
Something to consider about PPC is that a high percentage of online surfers ignore ads completely and never click them. That's because most people use the Internet for other reasons beyond shopping. The primary use of the Internet is to explore or gather information, especially when it comes to organic traffic.
On the surface, pay per click seems like a fair way to advertise because you only pay when someone clicks your ad. But just because someone clicks your ad does not necessarily mean they are interested in your business, as you may sometimes be paying for accidental clicks.
pay per click can be effective at reaching a target market beyond your existing following. But chances are, the people already looking for your product and services organically through search engines will be your warmest leads.
