Determining how to balance organic search and paid ads for your business
Determining how to acquire the web traffic you need to grow your business can be overwhelming at first. Once you gain an understanding of the different values of organic search and paid ads, you will understand the balance between them and know where to focus your efforts.
Organic Search
Organic Search is the result of entered search terms matching a relevant user to your webpage. This is done through a complex algorithm developed by whichever search engine is being used. By manipulating your webpage to fit the criteria of the algorithm, you are able to get quality organic search results without paying for them, this is known as Search Engine Optimization.
There is no direct cost when your webpage is on the first page of search results organically. Optimizing your page to acquire consistent organic traffic will of course require an investment of either time and effort from your team/business or capital if you decide to contract it out. Once this investment is made, your website authority will increase and successively your credibility.
Paid Ads, Pay Per Click
If you need search results and don’t have the luxury of time to wait for new content to perform or lack website authority, paid search is an excellent tool. Results are delivered instantly, and can be wielded to attain the desired traffic. By experimenting with different keyword combinations, you will also be able to gather performance data to be used to optimize your SEO efforts.
And the winner is…
Both of these efforts deliver an excellent ROI and provide actionable insights. There isn’t a superior way to drive web traffic, both are beneficial and should be used in conjunction with each other based on the current desired outcome.