If you want to grow your online presence and reach more potential customers, you need a digital marketing strategy that works. But which one should you choose: SEO or Google Ads?
SEO (search engine optimization) and Google Ads are two of the most popular and effective ways to drive traffic and leads to your website. However, they have different advantages and disadvantages, and depending on your goals, budget, and industry, one may be more suitable for your business than the other.
In this blog post, we will compare SEO and Google Ads and explain why SEO is better than ads in most cases. We will also give you some tips on how to use both strategies together for the best results.
What is SEO?
SEO is the process of improving your website and its content so that it ranks higher on the organic search results of search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. SEO helps you attract more relevant and qualified traffic to your site, which can lead to more conversions and sales.
SEO involves optimizing various aspects of your website, such as:
Keywords: These are the words and phrases that your target audience uses to search for your products or services online. You need to use relevant and specific keywords on your web pages and content to match the search intent of your potential customers.
Content: This is the information and value that you provide to your visitors through your website. You need to create high-quality, original, and engaging content that answers your audience’s questions, solves their problems, and educates them about your brand and offerings.
Technical: This is the behind-the-scenes part of your website that affects its performance and usability. You need to ensure that your site is fast, secure, mobile-friendly, and easy to crawl and index by search engines.
Backlinks: These are the connections between your website and other websites on the internet. You need to earn and build backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites that point to your site and content. This helps you boost your credibility, reputation, and visibility online.
SEO is a long-term and ongoing process that requires time, effort, and patience. It can take months or even years to see the full results of your SEO efforts. However, once you achieve high rankings on the organic search results, you can enjoy consistent and free traffic for a long time.
What are Google Ads?
Google Ads is Google’s advertising platform that allows you to create and display paid ads on Google and its partner websites, apps, and videos. Google Ads helps you reach more people who are interested in your products or services at the right time and place.
Google Ads offers various types of ads, such as:
Search ads: These are text ads that appear on the top or bottom of the Google search results page when someone searches for keywords related to your business. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad, hence the name pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
Display ads: These are image or video ads that appear on millions of websites, apps, and videos that are part of the Google Display Network. You can use these ads to build brand awareness, generate leads, or retarget previous visitors to your site.
Shopping ads: These are product ads that appear on the Google Shopping tab or on the Google search results page when someone searches for products that you sell. These ads show an image, price, and name of your product, as well as your store name and rating.
Video ads: These are short video ads that appear on YouTube or other video platforms that are part of the Google Display Network. You can use these ads to showcase your brand, products, or services, or to engage your audience with stories or testimonials.
Smart ads: These are automated ads that leverage Google’s machine learning technology to optimize your campaign performance and reach potential customers across Google’s platforms. Smart ads are ideal for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as for beginners who want to simplify and enhance their online advertising with Google Ads.
Google Ads is a fast and flexible way to advertise your business online. You can start and stop your campaigns anytime, set your own budget and bids, and measure and optimize your results using various tools and metrics.
Why SEO is Better Than Ads?
SEO and Google Ads both have their pros and cons, and the best choice for your business depends on your specific situation and objectives. However, in general, SEO is better than ads for the following reasons:
SEO is more cost-effective: SEO does not require you to pay for clicks or impressions. You only need to invest in creating and optimizing your website and content, which can be done by yourself or by hiring an SEO agency or freelancer. Once you rank well on the organic search results, you can get free and unlimited traffic to your site. Google Ads, on the other hand, requires you to pay for every click or impression that your ads receive, which can add up quickly and eat into your budget. The cost of Google Ads also depends on the competition and demand for your keywords, which can vary widely and unpredictably.
SEO provides a longer-lasting and more sustainable result: SEO is a long-term strategy that builds your online presence and authority over time. As long as you maintain and update your website and content, you can keep your high rankings and traffic for a long time. Google Ads, on the other hand, is a short-term strategy that only works as long as you run and pay for your campaigns. As soon as you stop your ads, your traffic and leads will drop immediately.
SEO has a higher click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate: SEO helps you attract more organic and relevant traffic to your site, which means that these visitors are more likely to click on your links, explore your site, and take action. SEO matches your website and content with the search intent of your potential customers, and provides them with the best and most satisfying answers to their queries. This leads to more engagement and sales than Google Ads, which may not always be relevant or trustworthy to the users.
SEO builds trust and credibility: SEO helps you rank higher on the organic search results, which are perceived by users as more trustworthy and authoritative than the paid ads. According to a survey by Moz, 71% of users prefer to click on organic results rather than ads. This is because users trust Google’s algorithm to provide them with the best and most relevant answers to their queries, rather than the advertisers who pay to show up on the search results page. By ranking high on the organic search results, you can establish your brand as a leader and expert in your industry, and earn the trust and loyalty of your customers.
How to Use SEO and Google Ads Together?
While SEO is better than ads in most cases, that does not mean that you should ignore Google Ads completely. In fact, the best digital marketing strategy is to use both SEO and Google Ads together to maximize your online visibility and reach.
Here are some ways to use SEO and Google Ads together:
Use Google Ads to test and validate your keywords: Google Ads allows you to quickly and easily test different keywords and see how they perform in terms of traffic, CTR, and conversions. You can use this data to identify the most effective and profitable keywords for your business, and then use them to optimize your SEO content and strategy.
Use Google Ads to supplement your SEO efforts: SEO takes time to show results, and you may not be able to rank for all the keywords that you want, especially if they are highly competitive or seasonal. Google Ads can help you fill the gaps and get instant exposure for the keywords that you are not ranking for organically. You can also use Google Ads to target specific locations, audiences, devices, or times of the day that are more relevant and profitable for your business.
Use SEO and Google Ads to dominate the search results page: SEO and Google Ads can help you increase your online real estate and visibility on the search results page. By ranking high on both the organic and paid results, you can increase your chances of getting clicked by users, and also reduce the chances of your competitors getting clicked. You can also use both SEO and Google Ads to target different stages of the buyer’s journey, and provide users with the right information and offers at the right time.
The Bottom Line
SEO and Google Ads are both powerful and effective digital marketing strategies that can help you grow your online presence and reach more potential customers. However, SEO is better than ads in most cases, because it is more cost-effective, longer-lasting, and more trustworthy than Google Ads.
That being said, you should not rely on SEO alone, but use it in combination with Google Ads to create a comprehensive and balanced marketing campaign that covers all your bases and maximizes your results.
If you are looking for a professional and reliable digital marketing agency that can help you with your SEO and Google Ads needs, you should consider HTSM Technologies. HTSM Technologies is a leading digital marketing agency with over 21 years of experience in providing high-quality and affordable SEO and Google Ads services to clients across various industries and niches. HTSM Technologies can help you create and implement a customized and data-driven digital marketing plan that suits your business goals and budget. Contact HTSM Technologies today at 09051755536 for a free consultation.
