To be fair PPC and SEO are not the same thing. PPC (Pay Per Click) refers to specific ad content while SEO refers to actual web page content. They don’t really compete in the same arena, although each can complement the other if used right.

First, let’s take a look at PPC.

PPC ads are an excellent way to get online recognition for a new website fast. Depending on how much money you want to spend on a PPC marketing campaign, you can achieve high level search result placement the first day you website goes online.

Of course money is also a potential downside for PPC marketing. A PPC advertising budget can quickly run out of control if you fail to actively manage your spending limit and/or you only bid on high priced keywords. Larger, more established companies can easily win the bidding wars for keywords.

Also, your PPC ad will stop running immediately if you stop paying for it. This means instant loss of top level search engine placement. PPC ads must be actively managed to measure costs in relation to benefits. You should also decide what constitutes a benefit ahead of time. Are you simply trying to make a sale? Do you want to build relationships with customers? How will you measure success?

Now we will look at SEO.

SEO is best considered as a tool for building credible content on a website. The cost of utilizing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is nothing more than the cost of building and maintaining a website. SEO uses relevant keyword placement to get noticed by search engines. SEO is a long-term strategy for gaining higher status in search engine results.

SEO will not generate top level search results right away. Google, Yahoo and Bing charge a premium for paid search results. SEO is not part of the paid search process. If you want instant top level placement you will need to utilize PPC marketing.

The real trick in creating credible SEO content is to place keywords/phrases within web page content as it is generated. SEO is more durable than PPC in the sense that it stays with a web page and bears no cost after it is created. When search engines scan over the web, they will look at both keywords and content to determine relevance to search queries.

Even a new web page that is utilizing PPC marketing should include SEO strategies within content pages. PPC keywords can actually become more effective if they match SEO keywords within page content. Content is key here. The writing on a page must be accurate, informative and engaging to hold viewer attention. Google, Yahoo and Bing rank websites with these criteria in mind. Simply placing keywords on a page will not help its ranking. Keywords must complement content to be effective. Content must be relevant and informative to get noticed.

It is easy to get carried away with both PPC and SEO. The most important thing to remember with both is that content is key. Content must relate to keywords used and the relevance of this content must be obvious to viewers. Don’t expect visitors to make the connections for you. You have to make the connections for them.

The stress should be on content, followed by PPC and SEO. This is the best way to ensure maximum market penetration and search engine ranking. Content is king. If you have the best content you will enjoy the best results.