When you search anything on Google, you will find a mixture of organic and paid search results. So which is better? If you want to grow your business online, it’s essential to understand the difference between the two, the strategies to adopt, and the benefits to gain from each. This blog post has the lowdown on all of them. Stay with us.
Understanding The Difference
Often, the first few search results are ads (paid search) and clearly demarcated as ‘Ad’ in bold letters. Based on your query, the search engine throws up paid search results that are most relevant for your search term. The rest of the search results are organically populated from around the web.
Organic Search
Organic results are the regular results found under the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). They appear naturally, thanks to the search engine algorithm that analyzes pages across the web, and presents the most relevant information to you. The Google algorithm decides which websites will have the most relevant content, according to your desired query. The ranking depends on the keyword you type in the search bar. The page is scanned for various parameters (meta title, meta description, URL, keywords, content, and so on) which makes them come up higher in the search engine results.
To optimize your page organically, you need to make sure the SEO techniques are fully implemented at your end. There are various easy techniques to ease out the SEO part for ranking organically on the web, and landing on the search engine results page.
Paid Search
Paid search ads are the gateway for businesses to quickly rise above the organic search results. Marketers invest money in various ways to boost their website ranking and reach a greater audience.
To show a certain ad on Google, marketers and advertisers use Google Adwords to craft their promotions and bid on placement opportunities in the auction. You can always differentiate paid from organic ads by looking at the first search result and the little ad icon just below the title. It is assumed that whoever pays the highest gets the best visibility on the first page. However, much like organic, Google has its way for paid searches to qualify for that exam. They consider various aspects, including copy rules, landing page quality, quality score, and so on.
Organic vs Paid – Which Strategy is Best for Your Business?
Today, marketers should use both the strategies to successfully run an online business presence. Organic searches are considered to have an evergreen presence. They can continue to climb up the ladder, assuming the information remains relevant. Paid ads, however, stop displaying as soon as you stop paying for them.
Importantly, you need to understand how and where your customers are looking online for a solution to their problem. It is important to do your research before investing in such tactics for your business. For example, if you have a visual brand, such as a cosmetic company, Instagram ads make more sense.
Organic Search Benefits
- Awareness:
- Credibility and Trust:
- Cost:
- Website Traffic:
Visibility in the search engine results for your targeted keywords puts you in front of your potential customers.
Receiving organic results can influence your perceived credibility with an audience looking for your service.
While SEO is neither cheap nor expensive, it is a better option compared to the other marketing tactics.
Organic traffic increases your opportunity to significantly drive awareness of your business.
Paid Search Benefits
Paid searches let you dominate the search engine with above-the-fold content.
Paid ads let you deliver your marketing message in the format you desire. The creativity, control, and execution is all in your hands.
Google provides a fantastic option of visual shopping ads that can help users to appropriately choose and buy what they seek.
Both organic and paid search strategies are optimal approaches for a successful digital marketing strategy. If you’re an advertiser looking to grow your business online and need some assistance, get in touch with our experts at Responsive Media Tech Services or simply put your queries down in the comments section.