It’s no secret that advertising is a necessary part of any business. Whether you run a family restaurant like Delhi Darbar Kebab House or a multi-million e-commerce chain like Amazon, you need to get the word out about your products or services.
In advertising, there are two main options: paid ads vs free ads. So which one is better for your business? Let’s look at the significant differences between paid ads and free ads and use it strategically to get the best ROI for your dollar.
What is Paid Advertising (PPC)?
Paid advertising, or Pay-Per-Click (PPC), is a form of digital marketing in which advertisers pay to show, display their ads on search engines like Google, Bing. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram. Radio stations like WBEZ, WVIV-FM. Daily newspapers like Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, etc. The advertiser only pay when someone clicks on their ad; hence, the name pay-per-click.
Paid advertising is an effective way to reach your target audience and generate leads and sales. However, it’s important to do your research before starting a paid advertising campaign to know what you’re getting into and how much you can expect to spend.
What is Free Advertising (SEO)?
Organic search, or “free” search, is the term used to describe the unpaid search results that appear on a web page. These results are displayed after you’ve entered a keyword or phrase into a search engine address bar. Usually, the higher a website appears in organic search results, the more likely users visited it. Because of this, many businesses strive to achieve high rankings in organic search results. Various factors go into achieving these rankings, including optimizing webpage contents, blogs with the right keywords. Understanding how organic search works is essential for any business looking to rank higher on the SERP or Search Engine Results Page. ChicagoTechSolution is one of the best rated SEO agencies in Chicago.
Paid Ads vs Free Ads: The Difference
There are many discussions on organic search engine optimization (SEO) versus Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. Some people swear by one or the other, but the truth is they are two sides of the same coin. The deciding factor on which advertising works best for your brand and business depends on your business and long-term goals.
Although they are often seen as opposites, paid advertising and organic advertising works best when used together. You can create a comprehensive marketing strategy that achieves better results together than alone.
PPC, or pay-per-click advertising, is a type of online advertising that allows businesses to target their ads more specifically to users looking for their products or services. With PPC, you can control the budget for your ad campaign, choose the keywords you want to target, and see exactly how many people have clicked on your ad. This level of control makes PPC an effective way to reach your target audience.
On the other hand, much has been said about the virtues of search engine optimization (SEO) and how it can help businesses bring in traffic without spending on paid advertising. It’s worth looking at how SEO can benefit businesses even after reducing or eliminating their paid advertising budget.
A recent study by Moz showed that due to search engine optimization, even after respondents had either decreased or completely stopped their paid ad budgets, that didn’t stop them from growing their organic search traffic. This shows that with the right SEO tactics in place, businesses can continue to generate website visits and leads long after cutting back on their paid advertising. So if you’re looking for a way to maintain your website traffic even after tightening your purse strings, consider investing in SEO.
Final Word
So, which is better for your business? Paid ads or free ads? The answer to that question may not be as clear-cut as you think. It depends on your specific needs and what you’re hoping to achieve with your advertising. Take guidance of ChicagoTechSolution, a digital marketing agency in Chicago. Professionals at CTS develop the best strategy for your brands and businesses. If you need immediate results and read to spend, then paid ads are the way to go.
SEO is the better option, but it takes more patience. If you want to see long-term results without spending money on ads. Whatever route you choose, ensure you partner with an experienced digital marketing agency like CTS to achieve desired results.
