Marketing Sherpa just came out with the results of a new survey. They polled 2500 Search Engine marketers/marketing firms and found that SEO and SEM ran neck and neck. At least with the marketers.
This doesn’t surprise me. I’ve found that search advertising, such as Google Ads, is as profitable and beneficial to business as search optimization.
Besides, as I’ve said before, the 2 can work together to create a dual front effort that can cross-pollinate. It’s win-win if you do it right.
SEM has gotten a bad name with some businesses, unfortunately. Google’s limp response to the click fraud problem is at least partly responsible. At times they made Ford’s response to the Pinto look good.
But there’s another factor in that perception – and it’s shortsightedness by the businesses themselves.
I have heard businesses over and over talk about how they won’t use Google Ads or other search advertising because ‘you have to pay for it’.
As if all the other advertising and marketing they do is free. And all the money they pay for organic search optimization is from their Monopoly game.
SEO & SEM are both great tools and great ways to get business. Both cost money. Both will pay off.
Why would you NOT take advantage of both?