SEO vs. PPC for Chicago Businesses

When it comes to marketing your business, you can reach your target audience in many ways. While more traditional advertising such as radio ads, television, and radio are harder to track when it comes to reach and conversion rates, businesses can now integrate PPC (pay-per-click) advertising as well as SEO tactics in order to attract the most customers.

Nearly every online experience begins with a search engine? That means when people are searching for businesses like yours, they're likely to open a search engine to find the right company. However, suppose you're not listed within the top results of the first page? In that case, it's likely that potential customers won't even consider glancing your way, which is why SEO and PPC advertising is so important.

Choosing between the two methods can prove to be very challenging. In this blog, we're going to explain the difference between Chicago SEO and PPC campaigns for businesses so that you can choose the right option for your company.

Want to learn more about the Digital Authority Partners approach to SEO? Watch this video!

What Is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of ensuring that your site is appearing high up on search engines like Google or Bing when someone searches for keywords related to your industry. In addition, SEO helps you show up high in organic results, which means that users will be able to find your site without having to click on a paid ad. 

There are various ways to integrate SEO practices into your site to ensure that it shows up high in organic results for relevant searches. One of the most critical factors is your content. If you have helpful, informative, optimized content on your website, this will allow search engines to understand what your site is all about and place you higher up in their rankings. This, coupled with off-page SEO tactics such as being active on social media, adding yourself into business directories, or building backlinks, will allow you to appear higher in search engine results.

     Benefits of Incorporating SEO

With SEO, your company shows up higher in search engine rankings, leading to more visibility for your business. In addition, SEO helps you attract the right kind of traffic to your website because people are actively searching for what you have to offer. 

Once you've established your Chicago SEO campaign and started to rank for your keywords, you're likely to remain at the top for a more extended period of time. This means that you'll have less to spend each year in order to maintain your top position. However, it's important to note that this is a long-term plan for your business, meaning that you won't see results overnight. It can take a few weeks or even months before you'll start to see results.

     Downsides of SEO

The main downside to many SEO campaigns is that you don't see results right away. So if you're looking to gain traction quickly, SEO might not be the best strategy for your company because it takes time before you can expect results. Besides the amount of time you'll need to wait to see results, you'll also need to create an SEO strategy that works, which can be difficult if you don't know much about the topic. In fact, implementing a poorly designed SEO strategy won't help you rank at all. This is where SEO agencies help the most.

What Is PPC?

Pay-per-click advertising is the opposite of organic SEO. Rather than being listed high in organic search results, your website will have its own ad that pops up when someone searches for keywords you're targeting. This means that the user has to click on your PPC ad before they can even access your site. However, unlike paid advertisements, where you pay for the number of views on your advertisement, PPC advertisements only charge when someone clicks through the ad. 

Are you looking for your next PPC agency partner? Listen to our colleague, Jason, to learn about our approach & process for your next PPC campaign.

     Benefits Of Using PPC Advertisements

PPC is a beneficial technique for growing your business because you only pay when someone clicks on the ad. This makes it easier to determine the amount of money you need to spend each month without overspending.

Unlike SEO which can take months before you start seeing results, PPC campaigns can generate faster traffic to your website. So if you need immediate website traffic or have a limited-time product and don't care about long-term customer strategy, PPC might be a better option for your company.

Once you've successfully sold your products or services, you can turn off the advertising as needed. This means that you won't need to continue spending money on expensive advertising if it isn't necessary.

     Downsides To Using PPC Advertisements

The downside to many PPC campaigns is that you can end up paying a significant amount of money before seeing the results. If your ad is displayed too often, you might end up with much higher costs than you anticipated. Unfortunately, if you don't have enough money to continue the advertisements, you won't be able to move forward and might end up losing money. 

What Is The Right Option For My Business?

If you're looking to gain traffic and customers quickly, PPC might be a better choice for your business. You'll likely see results within the first few days or weeks of starting an ad campaign. However, it can also be more expensive because you pay for each click, regardless of whether or not that leads to a sale. 

On the other hand, SEO campaigns can take months before you see results. You'll need to carefully craft your strategy and wait patiently for the returns. If you're looking to attract visitors who are already searching for your products or services, organic SEO might be the best option for your company. 

No matter which way you choose to conduct your advertising campaign, it's important to remember that there's no such thing as "set it and forget it." Instead, you'll need to continue updating your strategy in order to gain traction and keep people coming back to your website.

Get Started With Your Digital Campaign Today

Digital Authority is an SEO agency that can help you take your business to the next level. We'll work with you to create a digital strategy to maximize your website traffic, reach potential customers in your target market, and increase sales. For more information on how we can help your company grow, visit our services page or contact us today to get started.