SEO vs. Paid Advertising: Search Engine Optimisation or PPC Campaign?

SEO vs Paid Advertising: What's the Right Move for Your Business?

If you're trying to grow traffic to your site, you're likely weighing up two main options: SEO or paid ads. One builds momentum over time. The other delivers results quickly - but at a cost.

This guide keeps things simple and explains what actually matters: how SEO and PPC work, what you're paying for, and how to choose the right tool for the job.

If you're serious about using search to win more customers, this is worth reading.

1. What’s the difference between SEO and PPC?

SEO and PPC both aim to get your business seen in the search engine results page, but the way they work is entirely different.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) focuses on improving your site’s visibility in search results without paying each time someone visits. It’s about earning your spot in the organic search results.

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising means you create a campaign, and your site appears in the paid ad listings above or beside the organic results. You pay a fee each time someone clicks.

Think of SEO as playing the long game - steady, compounding, and durable. PPC is instant, flexible, and fast - but disappears the moment you stop paying.

2. How does search engine optimisation actually work?

SEO improves your site’s chances of showing up when someone searches online for products, services, or answers.

There are three core parts:

• On-page SEO: Optimising page content, headers, titles, and internal links using the keywords your audience uses

• Technical SEO: Making your site faster, mobile-friendly, and easy for search engines to read

• Off-page SEO: Earning backlinks and mentions to build authority

The goal of SEO is to appear higher in the search engine results for relevant search terms and bring in organic traffic that doesn’t cost you each time someone visits.

Done right, SEO can greatly impact your search rankings, helping you stay visible over time without constant ad spend.

3. What do you get with a PPC campaign?

A PPC campaign lets you bid on keywords to show up in the paid search section of results.

You only pay when someone clicks, so your money goes on traffic - not just exposure. It’s common to use Google Ads or similar platforms like Google to run these ads.

With PPC, you get:

• Control over your campaign targeting, message, and timing

• Quick visibility - PPC offers immediate visibility

• Useful data on what keywords and offers generate clicks or sales

But it’s worth noting:

• You pay every time someone clicks, even if they don’t convert

• Costs per click can be high for competitive keywords

• Once your marketing budget runs out, your visibility disappears

PPC is best used when time matters more than cost. Just make sure your ads go to a page that actually converts.

4. Pros and cons of SEO and PPC

There’s no perfect solution - just different tools for different needs. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each.

SEO:

• ✅ Long-term value and compounding results

• ✅ Builds trust by ranking in the organic search listings

• ✅ No ongoing cost per click

• ❌ Slower to gain momentum

• ❌ Requires regular effort - seo tasks and updates

• ❌ Harder to track ROI in the short term

PPC:

• ✅ Fast results, great for testing offers or short-term pushes

• ✅ Easy to measure performance with clear data

• ✅ Targeted - use ppc marketing to pinpoint specific audiences

• ❌ Traffic stops when the ads stop

• ❌ Costs per click can add up fast

• ❌ Can feel less trustworthy than organic listings

It’s not about SEO vs PPC - the best approach often uses both.

5. Should you use SEO or PPC first?

If you’re starting from scratch, PPC can help you test what works. You can quickly find which search terms bring the right kind of visitor, and use that data to guide your SEO strategy.

But if you’re on a tight budget, going all-in on ads might not be sustainable. Building out your site and investing in seo strategies can bring in consistent organic traffic without the need to keep spending.

Here’s a quick rule of thumb:

• Need traffic now? Start with PPC.

• Want a long-term asset? Focus on SEO.

• Have budget and time? Do both.

6. How your marketing budget affects the choice

Your marketing budget can make the decision for you.

PPC is great if you have money to test and learn fast. But it’s easy to burn through your spend if the campaign is poorly set up.

SEO, on the other hand, takes longer but can deliver a better return over time - especially if your business is built around content, services, or local discovery.

And remember: seo can greatly impact your success down the line, even if you don’t see results in the first few months.

Some businesses choose to spend on PPC early, then reduce ad spend as their organic search presence grows. That balance works well.

7. Can SEO and paid advertising work together?

They can - and they should.

Using both allows you to:

• Double up on search engine results page coverage

• Use PPC for immediate results and SEO for sustained growth

• Learn from data from PPC to improve your SEO targeting

For example, if your PPC ads show that people click more on “accountant for freelancers” than “freelance accounting help”, you can optimise your site content around the stronger phrase.

Also, if you already rank on page one for a keyword, running an ad can help you take up more real estate and improve overall click-through rate.

SEO and PPC strategies don’t have to compete - they complement each other.

8. When is SEO the better long-term option?

SEO is the better choice if:

• Your product or service has steady demand

• You want traffic that doesn’t rely on ad spend

• You’re targeting local SEO or niche terms

Let’s say you run a kitchen showroom and people often search for when looking online: “kitchen designers in Weston-super-Mare”.

Rather than paying to be at the top every day, you can write a page that answers this intent, builds trust, and ranks in the organic search results like Google Maps or local packs.

Using SEO gives you something lasting. It’s work upfront - but it pays off month after month.

9. When does PPC make more sense?

There are clear times when ads work better.

• You’ve got a new product or limited-time offer

• You’re launching into a competitive market

• You need leads now, not later

For example, if you’re offering a time-limited discount on a service, you don’t have time for your seo tactic to kick in. A well-built PPC campaign can get you in front of people fast.

You also get instant insights: which ads are getting a click, which aren’t, and where conversions are dropping off.

And in sectors where SEO is tough - like finance or legal - paid search campaigns are often the only way to get seen.

10. Which is right for your business?

It depends.

There’s no blanket answer, and anyone who gives you one isn’t looking closely enough.

What matters is:

• Your current traffic levels

• The type of product or service you offer

• How fast you need results

• How much you’re willing to spend

If you’ve got time, invest in SEO - it builds assets and authority.

If you’ve got a campaign to run or an audience to test, PPC gets you answers quickly.

Whether you choose SEO, PPC or both, your strategy needs to be built around your goals - not someone else's blueprint.

And if you want the best of both?

Use PPC for instant traction, while your seo campaign quietly builds in the background.

Summary: Key Points to Remember

• SEO and PPC do different things. SEO builds long-term traffic, PPC gets quick results.

• Search engine optimisation is slower, but doesn’t require constant spend.

• Pay-per-click gives fast access to the top of search but costs more over time.

• Your marketing budget should guide your mix. Avoid spending money you can’t afford to lose on ads.

• The difference between SEO and PPC isn’t just cost - it’s timing, scale, and control.

• The smartest option is often to use SEO and PPC together.

Need help choosing the right strategy?

At SEOJet, we build honest, data-driven plans that suit your business - not someone else’s template.

Whether it’s long-term SEO work, ad management, or just some proper advice, we’ll help you make it count.

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