Every search engine display search results of two types. First one is Organic Search and second is Paid Search. If you are a SEO expert then you will go ahead and work hard for it. But if you a bit lazy like me then you will prefer to spend some of your precious money to get the highest rank (sometimes on the top) in search engine results page. This method is costly but it is less time consuming. So we can now better explain about two types of content i.e. Organic Search and Paid Search.
Organic Results
Organic results are listings of web pages that appear as a result of the search engine’s algorithm. Search engine optimization professionals, commonly known as SEOs, specialize in optimizing web content and websites to rank more highly in organic search results.
Organic search benefits: With high search engine rankings comes a perception of credibility on the part of searchers. High search rankings imply industry authority and leadership. This perception translates into more trust and a greater likelihood to click through to the site. If the content that ranks high is evergreen, then the rankings will also have a more evergreen presence. The specific listing may rank high long after the content was created. Once you get high rankings, it’s easier to keep those rankings. You get authority status and build the trust of users and search engines.
Organic search drawbacks: Depending on the competitiveness of the keywords involved, it may take months or years to get high rankings. Can you wait that long? Getting high rankings requires both creating content and using SEO tactics to achieve it. That can be difficult, frustrating and time consuming. Either internal staff or external contractors are needed for both these functions.
Paid Search
Paid search results are advertisements. A business pays to have their ads displayed when users do a search containing specific keywords. The ads are typically displayed above of organic search results. The exact placement of the ads is determined by both a bidding process and quality score.
Paid search benefits: Unlike organic search rankings that can take months or years, paid results are placed at the top of rankings as soon as you pay for ad placement. PPC campaigns can be tailored to reach specific audiences. Examples of segmentation include geo-targeting, income, age, educational level, marital status, industry, etc. Searches using terms that denote high purchase intent such as product or brand-specific keywords will get more clicks than organic results.
Paid search drawbacks: The more competitive the keyword, the more the bid price is for each click on the displayed ad. Paid search requires a level of expertise to manage these campaigns. Otherwise a lot of money will be spent to attract unqualified traffic. The ads disappear as soon as you stop paying for them, consumers don’t always trust paid ads and often avoid them. They place more trust in organic rankings. Except for high purchase intent searches, users will click on paid search listings at a lower rate than organic search listings. Organic listings have more credibility with search engine users.
For many businesses, the best approach is a mix of both organic and paid search results. The advantage of this approach is that organic rankings give business credibility and evergreen search results. Paid search (PPC) provides immediate top-of-the-page listings and greater click through rates, i.e., sales, when consumers are ready to purchase.
So, should you use paid search or organic search for your marketing? It depends. It depends on your marketing needs. It depends on which method gives you the best CTR (Click Through Rate) or ROI (return of an investment OR return on investment). Whether paid or organic search is better depends on purchase intent displayed by the search query. What we do know is that “together is better.”
Organic Results
Organic results are listings of web pages that appear as a result of the search engine’s algorithm. Search engine optimization professionals, commonly known as SEOs, specialize in optimizing web content and websites to rank more highly in organic search results.
Organic search benefits: With high search engine rankings comes a perception of credibility on the part of searchers. High search rankings imply industry authority and leadership. This perception translates into more trust and a greater likelihood to click through to the site. If the content that ranks high is evergreen, then the rankings will also have a more evergreen presence. The specific listing may rank high long after the content was created. Once you get high rankings, it’s easier to keep those rankings. You get authority status and build the trust of users and search engines.
Organic search drawbacks: Depending on the competitiveness of the keywords involved, it may take months or years to get high rankings. Can you wait that long? Getting high rankings requires both creating content and using SEO tactics to achieve it. That can be difficult, frustrating and time consuming. Either internal staff or external contractors are needed for both these functions.
Paid Search
Paid search results are advertisements. A business pays to have their ads displayed when users do a search containing specific keywords. The ads are typically displayed above of organic search results. The exact placement of the ads is determined by both a bidding process and quality score.
Paid search benefits: Unlike organic search rankings that can take months or years, paid results are placed at the top of rankings as soon as you pay for ad placement. PPC campaigns can be tailored to reach specific audiences. Examples of segmentation include geo-targeting, income, age, educational level, marital status, industry, etc. Searches using terms that denote high purchase intent such as product or brand-specific keywords will get more clicks than organic results.
Paid search drawbacks: The more competitive the keyword, the more the bid price is for each click on the displayed ad. Paid search requires a level of expertise to manage these campaigns. Otherwise a lot of money will be spent to attract unqualified traffic. The ads disappear as soon as you stop paying for them, consumers don’t always trust paid ads and often avoid them. They place more trust in organic rankings. Except for high purchase intent searches, users will click on paid search listings at a lower rate than organic search listings. Organic listings have more credibility with search engine users.
For many businesses, the best approach is a mix of both organic and paid search results. The advantage of this approach is that organic rankings give business credibility and evergreen search results. Paid search (PPC) provides immediate top-of-the-page listings and greater click through rates, i.e., sales, when consumers are ready to purchase.
So, should you use paid search or organic search for your marketing? It depends. It depends on your marketing needs. It depends on which method gives you the best CTR (Click Through Rate) or ROI (return of an investment OR return on investment). Whether paid or organic search is better depends on purchase intent displayed by the search query. What we do know is that “together is better.”
I'm a web developer, programmer, blogger and SEO expert from Pakistan, with over 5 years experience in the industry. When I'm not writing about marketing and SEO you'll find me coding things. Follow me on twitter, connect with me on google+ and add us on facebook to keep up with all the latest trends in SEO and online marketing.
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