If you have a website, of course you want to show up in Google when people are searching for businesses like yours. There are a few ways to do this, and not all of them cost money! Today I’m going to talk about the difference between Google Ads and organic SEO, and when to use them.
Google Ads
By doing Google Ads, you are paying to show up in the sponsored listings that come up in Google for a search query. So, if you search for ‘WordPress designer’, the first results you will see are sponsored listings. This real estate was paid for, and these ads are showing up based on how much competing advertisers are paying for these ads. The only way to guarantee that you show up in sponsored listings is to have an unlimited budget and pay the most for each term. If you want to get some quick traffic to your website and have a budget, this is definitely a viable option.
How much do Google Ads cost?
The Cost Per Click (CPC) for a term like ‘Webflow designer’ can be anywhere from $2 to $10. That’s per click; that ad spend can add up pretty quickly! But yes, it will definitely get you clicks.
Organic SEO
If you search for ‘Webflow developer Oslo’ — and you look past the first few paid-for results (above each it says sponsored listing in bold), you will see my business, Mo Dyani Design. Why am I showing up here? Well, I didn’t pay for advertising on Google. Instead, I’m showing up because Google deemed by site a good, relevant result for this particular search. All of the results beneath sponsored listings happen organically because of Google’s algorithm and your website’s appropriateness. When people do a search query, Google tries to match up the best results based on all the information that they have. How do you get Google to recognize your site and display it? Good question! This happens by providing SEO-smart web copy, title tags, headings, and a site that follows Google’s best practices: it’s healthy, it’s responsive, it’s accessible, it has appropriately structured pages, smart linking, optimized page speed, and content that’s relevant and updated often. If your site puts some effort into SEO and plays by the rules, you are more likely to show up for the searches that could bring new clients to your business. You can even use Google Search Console to inform your SEO efforts!
How much does organic SEO cost?
It depends. Like I said, you need a strong foundation and to follow best practices for web design. This means you’ll need an awesome web developer! But you will need a good web developer to have a stand-out website either way. What’s required for great SEO is understanding how to make Google your friend, knowing your most important keyphrases, and having consistent content marketing. You can do that yourself, or hire someone to help.
Which approach is best for your website?
Unless your website will only be up for a few weeks, I recommend that you employ smart SEO practices regardless of whether you’re consider Google Ads or SEO. Achieving organic rankings usually takes a bit of time, although depending on your landscape, it can happen quicker. If you need your website to show up in search results immediately, Google Ads can make that happen. Or if you have so much competition that showing up in organic results is unlikely without a massive amount of time and content (think ‘real estate agent Oslo’), Google Ads may be your best choice. But if you’re playing a long game, and planning to be in business for a while, put effort into SEO. Increasing organic rankings can take time, but it’s absolutely worth it if you can get on the first page of Google for an important term that helps new clients find you.While employing smart SEO practices isn’t guaranteed to get you results, there is a very strong likelihood it will benefit you in the long term. Wouldn’t you like to show up in search results and not have to pay advertising fees? Me too! Let’s go, SEO!
