The Pros of PPC
First of all let us go through what makes PPC worthwhile. There are multiple reasons as to why PPC is an exciting and profitable decision, however in order to be successful it is helpful to understand the exact benefits.
Target the perfect audience
PPC ads are effective, as they will solely focus on your target audience based on the keywords you have bid on, as well as Google constantly adding new targeting methods in Adwords. This is a unique and clever practice which will cause your ads to be placed directly in front of potential customers. And there is nothing better than having reached someone resulting in a direct response.
Track their every move
With Google Analytics, you are able to view high-level performance details such as, impressions, clicks, and conversions. Compared to other marketing channels this is not always readily available, or is not as clear. There are numerous benefits for ad tracking, which you can find out all about in our blog.
It’s quick
The second your PPC ad goes up, you can start bringing in revenue and analyse results. SEO, however, can take between 6-12 months before you start seeing any extra traffic. And don’t get us wrong, SEO is an effective marketing tactic which is worth investing in, but keep in mind that it will take time. Furthermore, PPC is fast at targeting people outside of those who already know about your brand, so you are not limited to existing audiences and customers.
You’re in Control
Whilst there are multiple benefits surrounding PPC, the most valuable is having the ability to immediately change, stop and pause keywords that are not working for you. You have the flexibility to optimise, even when your ads are running. And if you have a small budget, you have a lot of budget flexibility and choose what you are willing to spend.
The Cons of PPC
Like with any positive marketing tactic, there are always going to be negatives and PPC is no exception. Here are the cons you need to be aware of before considering:
Once you stop paying your visibility disappears
As soon as you stop bidding, the ad will stop and will disappear immediately. Not only this, but traffic and sales that have come with it will stop as well. This can be troublesome when you have lost the top spot of the SERP and have relied on the PPC campaigns for your sales. SEO may take longer over time, but will never disappear.
Expenses
The fact PPC is not free, is one of the main reasons as to why so many people avoid it. If you are a small or new business, you are looking to save as much money as possible. And PPC can build up on costs quite quickly. Also, depending on your industry you may have to pay a fair amount when it comes to clicks, especially when you’re in a competitive industry. Speaking of competition, some businesses may even deliberately click on competitors ads, just to drive up their advertising costs!
Reputation
Recently, people are becoming more and more sceptical of advertising, and many believe it may not be as effective as it once was. For instance 50% of users can distinguish between paid and organic search results. And depending on how you look at it, this means many people are going to scroll past PPC ads in favour of organic results.