Organic Search vs. Paid Search: The Showdown

Most marketers have strong opinions on the benefits of organic search or the dominance of paid search marketing. Each has its advantages; paid provides almost immediate results, while organic search drives much more traffic and wins the majority of clicks. Large companies often invest (heavily) in both, but for small businesses, that’s not always an option. 

Find out the pros and cons of paid search and organic search and decide which channel is best for your organization. 

Organic vs. Paid Search 101

Definitions are always helpful, especially if you’re wading into this debate for the first time. 

• Organic search refers to the “free” listings on the search engine results page (SERP) served after typing in a query on Google, DuckDuckGo, Bing, or another search engine. Each organic link gains position based on Google’s algorithm and changes over time based on hundreds of factors. The process of improving position is called search engine optimization - it’s a whole thing. 

• Paid search refers to the paid or sponsored results that appear near the top of the SERP. These ads are served based on keywords, location, and other factors the advertiser chooses. Ads are typically pay-per-click (PPC), with marketers bidding on keywords to win more clicks. 

The difference between organic and paid search results is primarily based on placement. With paid, you can bid your way to the top of the SERP, though it takes no small amount of strategy, testing, and (a big)  budget to win valuable keywords consistently. With organic, you earn your way to the top of the SERP with excellent content, optimization, research, and time. It also takes a lot of time. 

Paid search results for "digital marketing services". 

Why Organic Search Is Better Than Paid

Depending on the study, organic search accounts for between 45% and 64% of all clicks on the Internet. We tend to use the 53% figure from Higher Visibility, but by all estimates, it’s the largest traffic source by a mile. Winning top positions and SERP features greatly increases site sessions. With a rigorous SEO strategy, organic search increases user quality and drives conversions, whether you’re selling mountain bikes or dishwashers. 

SEO works by grouping specific keywords on relevant pages (or creating new ones) to capture the right organic traffic. Optimizing product pages and service pages and writing engaging blogs pays off—websites with blogs get 57% more traffic than those without blog content. 

Organic Search Works…But…

There is a but. Organic search takes a while to really work. The average age of a page holding a top ten position on the SERP is two years old. In most cases, it takes two or three months to see any results from SEO, and in competitive, high-volume markets, it can take much longer. 

Organic search results for "digital marketing services". You'll note none of the agencies holding paid positions rank in the top three positions organically. 

Why Paid Ads Are Better Than SEO

Paid ads give marketers immediate results, whether it’s increasing brand awareness among a targeted audience or driving cost-efficient conversions on valuable keywords. Google Ads is a remarkable tool that allows for precision targeting and testing with almost real-time feedback. PPC is an excellent way to launch a new or profitable product and drive immediate sales or increase brand awareness with a low-cost display campaign. 

Paid Search Works…But…

It’s paid, and you have to keep paying. Depending on the industry, the cost per click (CPC) could be a few cents or a few hundred dollars. Brands that are overreliant or inefficient with paid search spend thousands of dollars per month to buy what their competitors might be winning for free with SEO. 

Paid doesn’t drive much traffic, either. Paid search wins roughly 4-6% of all SERP clicks, and most paid clicks go to the expensive #1 spot. Display ads, the most affordable paid option, have an average click-through rate of 0.46%

Paid Search Vs. Organic Search: Which Is Right for Me?

There’s no universal answer, so we’ll qualify this with an important disclaimer. In most cases, small businesses should focus on organic search first. While slower in bringing results, SEO has a much longer shelf life and drives more traffic for less investment in the long run. Organic search can also inform your paid search strategy by surfacing the most valuable or competitive keywords for your brand and identifying your toughest competitors.

Paid and SEO by ROI

It’s worth looking at the return on investment of SEO before you decide, too. The ROI of SEO is 5.3x, while paid search is usually around 2x, although both metrics vary widely by campaign, brand, and industry. With rock-solid analytics and reporting, you can calculate return on investment and make more informed marketing choices over time. 

Related: Measuring the ROI of SEO

PPC or Organic Search: We Can Help

Smaller businesses can enjoy big results with SEO, PPC, or both with a little digging and a detailed strategy. We’ll look at your current marketing efforts, identify the most impactful opportunities, and then get to work. With expert reporting and over a decade of digital marketing experience on your side, expect sustainable results. Let’s get started; drop us a line today.