Does Successful PPC Make SEO Lazy?
I was born into Search Marketing through PPC so I am inclined to back PPC to the hilt. However, the question is not which method is better but what the effects of either strategy have on one another. The whole purpose of search marketing is to increase the direct response from tapping into the stream of targeted searchers. Surely if this is successful then it can lead to someone being complacent and taking their foot off the peddle? More so for SEO?
Well, there is more scope to take the peddle off SEO efforts than there is for PPC. SEO is all about persistency and consistency – obviously you need to know what to be persistent and consistent with. However for PPC, this is a shorter term strategy and something that can be turned around quicker than SEO. I am not by any stretch of the imagination saying that PPC is easier than SEO because that isn’t the case. In a summarising comparison of the two strategies, they are very different but complimentary to one another.
Lets look at the question in hand and consider the direct hypothesis of ‘successful PPC makes SEO lazy’. Whoever you are doing the Search Marketing for will want to know the direct correlation between it and the Return yielded, i.e. ROI. For owners of SMEs, search marketing is crucial for them to make money. With this constant drive, is there any let up for SEO should the PPC be successful? If the PPC is successfully driving the business then there is that continual hunger for more. Does their attention turn to SEO for continued growth?
From the perspective of a search marketing agency, this is not always the case. PPC is always under pressure, mainly because of high investment costs. In the age of booming PPC this is becoming more and more competitive and margins are becoming tighter, thus the need for more quality of marketing techniques. However the most important piece of information to know in considering the above question is the perspective that people have of SEO. SEO is seen as a long term strategy. SEO is seen as an investment over time that blossoms into ROI, in the same way that a pension works.
SEO is given time to develop and because of this it could lead to complacency. However, a definitive answer from our agency is that it doesn’t. Our company focus is a constant strive for our clients’ success, as their success is our success. It is our responsibility to develop our clients’ online marketing to yield better results, whether it is SEO, PPC, Email or Affiliate Marketing etc. If SEO is the answer to our clients’ online marketing needs then it is our job to fulfil them.
Therefore, successful PPC does not lead to lazy SEO.
I think people do not look long term, they look short term, for example, a business will look at Pay Per Click a sa day to day way of making money through leads or orders, but long term strategy is key, the ultimate race for 1st page listings on google will affect the entire marketing cost per conversion, never mind the brand building by that multiple 1st page presence on Google, so look long term, not just short term leads! Good article.
Comment by Matt — March 11, 2008 @ 6:54 pm