I have seen a few articles lately (and no I’m not going to mention any names) that sort of pit PPC and SEO against one another.  As if to say you only need one, one is superior to the other, or that one is more fruitful than the other.  Since I work at a marketing firm that specializes in both, I’d say that it takes a more holistic approach; one that involves both SEO and PPC strategies.

Here’s the metaphor we always use when explaining to our clients the process of SEO (or the “SEO Flow,” as we like to call it) and PPC:

Building a house versus buying a house.  If you build a house, it takes money, time and patience (perhaps a lot of all of those).  But when you’re finished, you’re living there, enjoying your creation and all you really have to do is make little tweaks/repairs every now and then.  Buying a house takes money, but it is different; it’s more immediate.  You move in your sofa and TV and before you know it, you’re watching the Braves beat the Mets in HD.  Can you guess which metaphor applies to which strategy?

SEO is like building a house and PPC is like buying.  The payout is big on both, but you run risks for both as well.  SEO takes a little more time and care in the beginning, but it pays off– assuming of course that your company’s site needs to be found online and can convert on some level (purchase, leads, sign-ups, etc.).

They are different but definitely not at odds.  In fact, almost every one of our clients has had both.  We recommend that you start with a round of SEO to fix any mechanical/navigational/conversion problems you may have before you even begin running PPC.  After all, what’s the point of getting the traffic to your site if your conversion rates are going to be low (or non-existent)?