SEO vs. Google Ads: Which Should You Use?

Both SEO and Google Ads are helpful depending on different circumstances. Both have the same purpose, but there is a distinct difference between their targeting strategies. However, SEO benefits the long-term growth while Google Ads services are for a quick response. The aim of both is to increase website traffic and generate leads. So, different SEO methods and Google Ads campaigns help to achieve this target. But, they both have advantages and disadvantages at the same time. There is a need to understand the terms SEO and Google Ads and their functioning before diving into their comparison. 

What is Search Engine Optimization:

SEO is the process of ranking the website at the top of google searches. It diverts relevant traffic from Search engines to the website. It is a long-term process and requires a lot of hard work and persistence. The goal of search engine optimization is to optimize the website, generate leads and traffic from search engines to the website, and rank the website at the top of google queries. However, it has its cons and pros as well. 

Different SEO methods:

There are various methods of SEO which are;

• On-page SEO
• Off-page SEO
• Technical SEO
• Mobile SEO
• E-commerce SEO
• Local SEO

But, the most productive and widely used SEO methods include On-page SEO, Off-page SEO, and Technical SEO. However, there are many different SEO strategies as well. It requires a complete and persistent implementation of these SEO strategies. It includes proper keyword optimization, high content quality, a backlinks building approach, an easy-to-use user interface, a high-speed website,  and site security. 

These SEO strategies require a persistent effort and a long period to bring some outcome. The accurate keyword selection helps boost the website rankings. There must be low competition and high volume keywords as it becomes easy to rank out on the low competition keywords for the new websites. Moreover, the content must be well-researched, unique, and accurate. The backlinks play a huge role in driving relevant traffic from search engines to the website. In addition, the user interface must be according to the customers’ interests. 

Advantages of opting for SEO:

Search Engine Optimization is one of the best strategies to rank on the website. It is a productive technique if you want long-term benefits. Here are some of the advantages of Search Engine Optimization;

1. Organic traffic helps increase the retained rate of customers. 
2. Relevant audience targeted to boost the business’s growth.
3. An optimized website helps rank at the top of google searches.
4. No Pay-to-click (PPC) expenditure secured the budget wastage.
5. More return on investment boosts the website’s productivity.
6. The long-term benefit helps the persistent high ranking of the website. 
7. Trust building is more among the customers as it is organically ranked, not have the word “ad” shown. 

Disadvantages of opting for SEO:

Besides a lot of benefits, it also has several disadvantages as well. Here are some of the following;

1. A slow ranking process requires approximately 4-6 months of persistent struggle with optimization.
2. It requires a lot of time to optimize the website. 
3. It might not give the results you expected from your given effort.
4. You have to compete with the already highly developed companies.

What are Google Ads Campaigns?

Google Ads is a paid advertisement platform. It helps to rank the website over the top of organic searches. It is one of the best and quick optimizing strategies to rank top on searches.  It requires a tricky bidding and campaigning process to rank the website quickly. However, Google presents the Google Ads platform itself. There are different campaigns in Google Ads. Moreover, it has pros and cons as well as SEO. 

Different campaigns in Google Ads:

There are different campaigns in Google Ads used to rank the websites swiftly. Here are some of the following;

• Search engine marketing campaign
• Brand awareness campaigns 
• Email marketing campaigns
• SEO campaigns 
• Referral marketing campaigns 
• Social media marketing campaigns

And so on. 

Advantages of Google Ads campaigns:

Google Ads campaigns help boost the website rankings through a pay-per-click strategy. Here are some of the following;

1. It is a quick way of ranking the websites on the first page.
2. It drives traffic from search engines to the website rapidly.
3. It takes less time to generate effective leads.
4. It may customize the specific kind of person.
5. It provides the customer access to a limited region. 
6. It ranks at the top despite the highly competitive companies.

Disadvantages of Google Ads campaigns:

There are many cons to adopting Google Ads. There are some of the following;

1. It is a temporary strategy to rank the websites until you pay for them.
2. It has no organic traffic.
3. It is a costly pay-per-click approach.
4. It suspects the customer trust as it has the word “ad” mentioned.
5. It requires a high bid to rank at the top of the searches. 
6. It demands a vast budget to run the campaigns.

SEO vs. Google Ads: which one is a better choice?

A complete comparison drafts help understand which one to choose. It is a critical question to ask nowadays. But, everybody answered it according to their experience and their critique. Some people refer to using Google Ads because it takes less time to rank the website at the top. However, another recommend using SEO techniques as it brings long-term benefits and is less costly. 

Some people say to use the amalgam of both these simultaneously, and others say to use Google Ads first and then move to SEO techniques. There is not a single recommendation in this regard. 

It depends on the circumstances that help in choosing the one. But, keeping in mind that SEO is a long-term productivity-yielding strategy and Google Ads-based ranking is dependent on the pay-per-click (PPC). If there is no concern about the budget issue, adopt SEO strategies and run Google Ads campaigns until the organic traffic generates. 

However, if there is no budget for running the Ads, then put your best and most persistent effort into adopting different SEO methods to optimize the website rankings organically for the long term. The best quality time investment in implementing the SEO strategies yields efficient productivity. 

Conclusion:

Both SEO strategies and Google Ads campaigns help rank the website. SEO is an organic and long-term persistent strategy, while Google Ads is a temporary ranking. The choice between the two depends upon the circumstances. SEO is best if one desires to rank their website organically. On the other hand, Google Ads works best if the purpose is ranking the website swiftly. However, both optimization techniques have pros and cons as well.