What's the fundamental difference?
paid ads (renting): With paid ads (like those on Google, Facebook, or Instagram), you pay for instant access to a prime location. Your ad appears at the top of search results or in a user’s feed as soon as you turn on the campaign. The results are immediate and predictable, but when you stop paying, your traffic disappears.
seo (owning): With SEO, you build your own property. You create valuable content and optimize your website to rank naturally in search results. It takes a lot of hard work and patience, but once you earn a top spot, you get a steady stream of “free” organic traffic that continues to flow long after you’ve put in the effort.
When should you use paid ads?
1. To get instant traffic and sales:
- the benefit: immediate data on what works and what doesn’t. you can quickly see which ads are converting and which ones are a waste of money.
2. To test a new product or offer:
3. For remarketing campaigns:
When should you use seo?
1. To build a long-term, sustainable traffic source:
2. To reduce your reliance on a marketing budget:
3. To establish your brand as an authority:
The best strategy: combining seo and paid ads
use paid ads to get a head start: When you launch your business or a new product, use paid ads to get instant visibility, drive sales, and collect valuable data.
use that data to inform your seo strategy: The keywords and products that performed well in your ad campaigns are the exact ones you should focus on for your long-term SEO content strategy.
use seo to build your foundation: While your ads are generating traffic, you should be working consistently on your SEO. This ensures that even when your ad budget runs out, your website continues to grow and attract visitors.
