Organic Traffic vs Paid Traffic

Organic and paid traffic use different ways of marketing so each has its costs and benefits. The best combination for your business will depend on what your marketing goals, budget, and timeline are. This is brief outlines about the difference between organic vs paid traffic methods and the benefits of each. Combining the two strategies to create one can be a well-rounded marketing plan. 

Organic traffic comes to your site from organic rankings in search results, paid traffic comes from paid online advertisements (Google Adwords). The biggest difference between organic and paid traffic methods is the cost. Increasing organic traffic focuses on no-cast or no-pay methods. Businesses can use different SEO methods to increase their traffic organically. Paying to get to the top of near page 1 (or near to the top) is done by running a Google Adwords campaign – ie. paying to appear in the “Ad” section at the top of search results pages. 

There are different kinds of content suited for either organic strategies or paid search. Helpful and creative content, such as blogs, videos, and infographics, are more suited to organic methods. More sales-focused pages, like landing pages, checkout pages, and product/service pages are more suited to a paid ad format. Each method has its benefits and shortcomings. This means the best options for you and your business may change frequently based on your budget, goals, and overall marketing plan. It is best to experiment with different methods and see what has the biggest impact on traffic to your website. In the next sections, we will learn some of the benefits you can receive from focusing on organic vs paid traffic methods.

Benefits of Organic Search

Organic Methods – No Cost!

Organic traffic optimisation is free. That makes it a very attractive option. The biggest cost in investing in organic methods is time. SEO strategies will take time to work, but can produce awesome results.

Increase your ROI!

Getting your website ready to be search engine friendly can increase your return on investment (ROI). Google analytics and enquiry tracking are used to monitor actual visitor numbers, so it will become obvious when your SEO strategies are working. Many web marketing studies have proven the benefits of a well-planned and executed SEO strategy.

Compounding Benefits

Organic traffic is also dependent on quality and well-written content. When you create authoritative and trustworthy content, it has huge benefits in getting your website noticed. This means that you will potentially see a boost not only in traffic and leads, but also in revenue and search engine rankings. All of these benefits compound to produce even better results for your website and, therefore your business. 

More Credibility

Consistently appearing on page 1 of the search results page tells users that your business has an authoritative voice in your business’s industry. This is especially true for organic vs paid traffic. Potential customers are more likely to click on your website if it is at the top of the regular search results (and not the paid ads section). A study has found that 53% of web traffic comes from organic search, while only 27% comes from paid ads.

Provides Good Tracking Data

Combining organic SEO methods with an online toolkit or data analytics manager will provide a lot more helpful user data. Most content management platforms have analytics tracking built right in. Our team at Webkite can use this information to find relevant keywords, target specific audiences, and see how well the website content is performing. We can then use this information to hone the overall SEO strategy.

Supports a Connected Marketing Approach

Lastly, focusing on organic traffic promotes a connected and holistic marketing plan. Since SEO tactics often take time and effort to bring in more traffic, they can be easily used to complement other marketing strategies. For example, you can use social media content to bring attention to your website, while targeting visitors with an email campaign. All of these strategies can be combined into one plan that helps to bring in users at all stages of the marketing funnel. 

Paid Search Benefits

Results Are Instant

One great benefit that paid ads have over methods to increase organic traffic is that results are achieved much faster. SEO tactics often take time to start working, while paid ads usually provide a boost in traffic as soon as you start using them. This can be very helpful for new businesses that need to start building up their website’s visibility fast. 

Offers SEO Keyword Data

When running paid ads for your business online, we receive lots of helpful user data, including relevant keywords, demographics, user locations, and more. We then use this information to round out the marketing strategy with SEO. WQe distill what keywords are performing the best in your ads and use them to create new content for your SEO strategies.

Delivers Great ROI

Despite the fact that you have to spend money upfront (as opposed to SEO strategies), paid ads can provide an excellent ROI for your business. In fact, one study done by Google found that most businesses earn $8 for every $1 spent on Google Ad campaigns. Overall, most companies can expect a minimum of $2 for every $1 spent on paid online marketing strategies. At Webkite we are able to 

Attracts Quality Leads

One huge benefit of focusing on paid advertisements is that paid methods tend to attract users who are ready to make a purchase. Users who search for a specific product or service using the paid ads section know what they want and are looking for the best option available. Targeting these qualified leads with your ads can bring in more traffic and increase conversions for your business.

Can Fit Into Any Marketing Budget

Lastly, another great benefit of paid ad campaigns is that there are tons of options available for every kind of budget. Paid ads are also easy to track, so we can plan out your budget ahead of time. We can also adjust your spending based on how successful your other strategies are. No matter what your business is looking to spend, Webkite can provide an option for you.