Last week on our Instagram series “Digital Advertising FAQs”, we discussed the question of SEO vs paid search for small businesses and nonprofits. When it comes to growing online visibility, small businesses and nonprofits often find themselves grappling with a common dilemma: which is more critical, SEO or paid search, and which should they be investing their limited resources on. Both methods have their merits, and deciding between them can be challenging, especially with limited resources. However, the reality is that these two strategies aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, SEO and paid search both play essential roles in helping small businesses and nonprofits build an online presence, attract the right audience, and ultimately achieve their goals. Let’s dive into why SEO and paid search are critically important and how combining the two can create a powerful online marketing strategy.
Understanding SEO and Paid Search
Before delving into their significance, it’s essential to understand the difference between SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and paid search:
- SEO: This refers to the practice of optimizing your website and content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) organically. The goal is to increase visibility by aligning your site with what search engines like Google deem most relevant for specific search queries. SEO involves keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, and content creation.
- Paid Search: Also known as pay-per-click (PPC) or SEM (search engine marketing, but we prefer “paid search”), this strategy involves paying for ads that appear on search engine results pages. Typically, businesses bid on specific keywords, and when a user searches for those terms, their ads are displayed at the top or bottom of the search results. Popular platforms for paid search include Google Ads and Bing Ads.
Though both aim to increase visibility and drive traffic, the tactics, timelines, and costs associated with each are quite different. Now, let’s explore why both SEO and paid search are so vital for small businesses and nonprofits.
1. SEO vs Paid Search: Reach and Longevity
One of the most significant differences between SEO and paid search is how they impact long-term visibility and reach.
SEO is a long-term strategy. It requires time and effort to build a website’s authority and content quality in order to rank well on search engines. While this means it can take months to see substantial results, the payoff is that organic traffic often continues to flow long after the initial work is done. Once your site achieves a strong ranking for specific keywords, it can maintain that position with relatively low ongoing costs.
On the other hand, paid search offers an immediate impact. As soon as you launch a campaign and your ads start showing up, you can expect an instant influx of visitors. However, this traffic stops as soon as you pause or stop paying for the ads. So, while paid search provides a short-term solution to boost visibility, it doesn’t offer the same long-term sustainability as SEO.
2. SEO vs Paid Search: Cost and Budget Considerations
For many small businesses and nonprofits, budget constraints are a significant factor when deciding between SEO and paid search. So, how do they compare when it comes to cost?
SEO generally requires a larger upfront investment of time, and potentially money, especially if you hire an SEO professional or agency. However, once your SEO efforts start to pay off, the cost per visitor tends to decrease over time, and the organic traffic can continue to come in without much additional expenditure. SEO is often seen as a more sustainable and cost-effective long-term strategy because you are not constantly paying for each click.
Paid search, on the other hand, is more flexible but can also become costly quickly. Advertisers typically pay per click (PPC), meaning you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. Depending on your industry, keywords can become highly competitive, and the cost per click can rise. Small businesses and nonprofits with limited budgets need to be strategic when using paid search to avoid wasting money.
3. SEO vs Paid Search: Targeting and Audience Reach
When it comes to targeting and audience reach, paid search has a distinct advantage. With paid search, you can target specific keywords, demographics, locations, times of day, devices, and more. This allows you to craft highly targeted campaigns that reach exactly the type of audience you want.
For example, a local nonprofit might run a paid search campaign targeting users in their geographic area who are searching for terms related to their cause. This level of precision can be incredibly beneficial when you need to quickly attract the right people and generate leads or donations.
SEO, however, is slightly more general in terms of targeting. You’re essentially hoping that your optimized content will attract people who are searching for related topics. While you can target specific keywords, SEO doesn’t allow for the same granular control over your audience as paid search does. That said, SEO builds credibility, and when done correctly, it helps attract a highly relevant audience over time.
4. SEO vs Paid Search: Trust and Credibility
One of the biggest advantages of SEO over paid search is the trust and credibility it can foster. According to various studies, users are more likely to trust organic search results over paid ads. When your website ranks highly in the organic results, it can signal to users that you are an authority in your field. This organic presence often feels more authentic and credible compared to a paid ad.
That’s not to say that paid search doesn’t have its own benefits. Paid search ads can be highly effective in driving conversions, especially for users who are actively searching for solutions to a specific problem. However, when users see your site appear in the organic results, it often carries more weight than an ad at the top of the page.
5. SEO vs Paid Search: Combining the Two for Maximum Impact
While both SEO and paid search have their individual benefits, the real magic happens when they’re combined. Small businesses and nonprofits can leverage the strengths of both approaches to create a robust online marketing strategy that covers both short-term and long-term goals.
Here’s how you can combine SEO and paid search for maximum impact:
- Test Keywords with Paid Search: Before committing to a long-term SEO strategy, you can use paid search to test which keywords are bringing in the most traffic and conversions. This allows you to refine your SEO strategy and target the most effective keywords for your content.
- Enhance Paid Search Performance with SEO: SEO can help you improve the quality and relevance of your website content, which, in turn, can improve your paid search Quality Score on platforms like Google Ads. A higher Quality Score can lead to lower costs per click and better ad placements.
- Leverage Paid Search to Fill Gaps in SEO: If there are keywords that you can’t rank for organically yet, paid search can fill the gap while you work on improving your SEO. This way, you don’t lose out on potential traffic while building your organic rankings.
Conclusion
In the debate of SEO vs paid search, the reality is that both are incredibly valuable for small businesses and nonprofits. SEO offers long-term, sustainable growth, building organic traffic and trust over time, while paid search delivers immediate results, allowing you to target specific audiences with precision. For small businesses and nonprofits looking to maximize their online visibility and success, combining both SEO and paid search can create a balanced, effective approach to digital marketing.
By using SEO and paid search together, you ensure that you’re covering all your bases—achieving both short-term wins and long-term growth. After all, in the ever-evolving world of online marketing, it’s not about choosing one over the other; it’s about using both strategically to propel your organization forward.
If you are interested in SEO or paid search for your Central Coast nonprofit or small business, please contact us here for a free 30 minute consultation. We here at Screechy Cat Media do not currently offer SEO services; however, we have worked with some amazing SEOs over the years, and would be happy to connect you with a local or remote search engine optimization specialist by request.
