Now I make no secret that I am not a big fan of Pay Per Click marketing – not only because I beleive it is open to abuse but I also don’t beleive in people forcing web sites to the top of the search engine listings via payment. For me it defeats the object of the search engines providing results that are relevant to the search string.
What is Organic Search?
Organic Search results are presented in the main left hand area of the search engine results page and are generally ordered by relevance and popularity as seen fit by the search engine provider. It should be every web site owners aim to get listed, at least on the front page, of the organic listings and it can be very rewarding. In 1998 Google was born, and through providing good quality, relevant organic search results it quickly become the search engine to use. To this day, people often say that if you aren’t listed in Google then your web site effectively is invisible. The beauty of organic search results is that no company can buy the top listing, it’s purely the determination of Google which sites appear first for any given search term. This is, in fact, the core of Google’s business. If they ever stop providing good relevant search results, internet searchers will go somewhere else to search.
What are the advantages of Organic Search?
You don’t pay per site visitor – Visitors that find you through organic search results are totally free, so there’s a very high return on investment those clicks.
More Click throughs – More searchers click in the organic search results than the Pay Per Click adverts, so a #1 ranking in organic will bring you more targeted traffic.
More Trust – Most searchers trust Google, therefore a number one organic ranking is the ultimate trust mark for your web site.
Less Long Term Investment – The initial investment in an organic search campaign depends greatly on the competitiveness in your industry. It’s important to think of it as a long term investment. You won’t see immediate results, but by investing a little time and money each month, you can gradually build your site up to attract loads of free targeted traffic.
Disadvantages of Organic Search
Ranking can take time –You may start seeing noticeable traffic increases within a few weeks to a few months. It all depends on the competitiveness of your industry.
Requires Investment in Your Website – Getting a result in the organic search listings can require a large investment in your time in preparing content and working with your Search Engine Optimisation Company. You may also find that you need to invest in the layout and design of your web site to create call to actions on your pages and make the most of your enhanced search result positions.
What is Pay Per Click?
In the Autumn (fall) of 2000, Google announced their AdWords, do-it-yourself pay-per-click advertising system. The system revolves around bidding for keywords in an attempt to show at the top of the Pay Per Click sponsored listings. This method of Internet Marketing relies on budget and is often open to abuse.
Advantages of Pay Per Click
Whilst not a fan of Pay Per Click, we concede that this method of Internet marketing can bring near instant results.
Disadvantages of Pay Per Click
It can be expensive – If you are in a competitive industry you can find that your costs start to spiral upwards at an alarming rate.
Once the funds stop the listing dissapears – If you decide to stop funding the advertising it is removed instantly, as opposed to the organic listing which would have a longer shelf life.
So what is right for me?
If you are looking for a long term, sustainable results then we would recommend going down the Organic route. However, seeing results can take time so you need to a) consider this in your marketing plan and b) have the patience and understanding to see the campaign through. There is no rule that says you can’t mix both Organic and PPC and this could be an especially interesting cocktail during the early days of an organic campaign whilst you are still waiting for good natural listings.
If you want more information on Organic Search then why not get in touch. You can call us on 0845 838 8588 or email info@esoftware-solutions.com
