SEO vs PPC: Search Engine Optimisation & Paid Ads Compared

SEO vs PPC: What's the Difference Between PPC and SEO?

Choosing between SEO and PPC can be tricky, especially when both aim to increase traffic and visibility.

This article breaks down the real difference between PPC and SEO, so you can decide where to spend your budget.

Whether you're new to search engine marketing or looking to sharpen your digital marketing strategy, this guide helps you make the right call without wasting time.

Article Outline

1. What’s the Difference Between PPC and SEO?

2. How Do SEO and PPC Actually Work?

3. When Should You Use SEO?

4. When Should You Use PPC?

5. Can You Use SEO and PPC Together?

6. Which Offers Better ROI: SEO or PPC?

7. What Are the Pros and Cons of SEO?

8. What Are the Pros and Cons of PPC Advertising?

9. Is SEO or PPC Better for Your Business?

10. SEO vs PPC: Which One Should You Start With First?

11. Do You Pay Per Click in SEO?

12. How Do Keywords Work in PPC vs SEO?

13. What Role Does Google Ads Play in Search Engine Marketing?

14. Should I Invest in SEO or Paid Search First?

15. How Do I Build a Strong SEO and PPC Strategy?

1. What’s the Difference Between PPC and SEO?

The key difference between PPC and SEO is how your site appears in a search engine. SEO focuses on organic search results. You don’t pay per click – instead, you earn your position through strong SEO work like optimised content, technical improvements, and backlinks.

PPC, short for pay-per-click, is when you bid on keywords and your ad appears above the organic results. You pay each time someone clicks. It's a quick way to appear at the top of search, but the traffic stops once your budget runs out.

Both are used in search engine marketing, but they work very differently. SEO builds long-term visibility. PPC offers fast results.

2. How Do SEO and PPC Actually Work?

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is about improving your site's organic visibility. It involves tasks like keyword targeting, content writing, and technical SEO to help search engine algorithms understand your site.

There’s also off-page SEO – such as building backlinks – and local SEO for location-specific searches. These help increase your ranking in search engine results.

PPC works through platforms like Google Ads. You choose specific keywords, write ad copy, set your budget, and your ad appears when someone searches those keywords. This is paid search. You’re charged per click, so cost per click and landing page performance are critical to success.

3. When Should You Use SEO?

You should use SEO if you want long-term visibility and traffic that doesn't depend on ad spend. SEO helps you appear in organic results and build trust with potential customers.

It’s a good option when you're investing in content, building authority, or targeting keywords with long-term value. SEO takes time, but the return builds steadily. Once you're ranking, you can often stay there with less effort than it takes to maintain a PPC campaign.

SEO is also important for wider brand awareness. The stronger your SEO, the more often your site shows up in search results, which keeps your brand visible.

4. When Should You Use PPC?

Use PPC when you need traffic quickly. It’s ideal for time-sensitive promotions, product launches, or testing new offers. PPC allows you to appear at the top of search engine results in hours, not months.

You can use PPC to target specific keywords that are too competitive to rank for with SEO. It's also useful if you have a high-converting landing page and a clear goal – like generating leads or online sales.

PPC focuses on paid search, and you’ll need to monitor your campaign closely to avoid wasting budget. But when managed well, it delivers instant, measurable results.

5. Can You Use SEO and PPC Together?

Yes – and you probably should. SEO and PPC can help each other. While SEO drives organic traffic over time, PPC gives you fast visibility. When you use SEO and PPC together, you cover more of the search engine result pages and increase your chances of getting the click.

For example, appearing in both the ad and the organic search result for the same keyword increases trust and visibility. It’s also a way to gather more data – your PPC performance can show which keywords lead to conversions, helping you improve your SEO strategy.

It’s not a case of SEO vs PPC. For many businesses, the best results come from using both.

6. Which Offers Better ROI: SEO or PPC?

It depends on your goals and timeframe. SEO often offers better ROI over the long run. Once your site is ranking, clicks from organic traffic are free. But SEO requires upfront work, time, and ongoing effort to maintain rankings.

PPC provides fast results and lets you track cost per click and conversions easily. You have full control over your spend, which can lead to quick wins – but stop spending and the traffic disappears.

SEO builds over time. PPC delivers now. If you need quick traffic and have budget to spend on PPC, it can work well. But if you're investing in long-term growth, SEO is the better choice.

7. What Are the Pros and Cons of SEO?

Pros:

• Free clicks from organic search results

• Long-term visibility and authority

• No need to pay per click

Cons:

• SEO takes time

• Requires continuous content and SEO tasks

• Needs technical SEO knowledge and effort

SEO focuses on the long game. If you're building your brand or working on a digital marketing strategy, SEO should be a priority.

8. What Are the Pros and Cons of PPC Advertising?

Pros:

• Fast results from paid search

• You control targeting, budget, and timing

• Easy to track ROI and campaign success

Cons:

• Traffic disappears when you stop paying

• Can get expensive for competitive keywords

• Needs constant optimisation to stay effective

PPC advertising works well for short campaigns or product-specific offers. PPC provides visibility quickly, but requires frequent updates and testing.

9. Is SEO or PPC Better for Your Business?

It depends where you are. If your business is new, PPC offers immediate exposure and traffic. You can appear at the top of search results within hours and start collecting data.

If your business already has a website and some visibility, then investing in SEO may bring better long-term results. SEO builds organic traffic that keeps coming even when budgets are tight.

You can also use PPC to test which keywords convert before building SEO content around them. Use SEO and PPC together to get faster results and build lasting visibility.

10. SEO vs PPC: Which One Should You Start With First?

Start with PPC if:

• You need leads right away

• You're testing new keywords, products, or markets

• You want fast data on what converts

Start with SEO if:

• You're thinking long-term

• You want consistent organic traffic

• You're building a strong brand presence online

Whether SEO or PPC is better depends on your goals. Many businesses start with PPC to gain quick insight, then shift focus to SEO once they know what works. Others run both from day one.

11. Do You Pay Per Click in SEO?

No. With SEO, you don’t pay a fee each time someone clicks. You earn placement through effort – content, backlinks, speed, and technical improvements. That's why SEO is seen as more sustainable long-term.

PPC involves paying per click. If someone clicks your ad, you pay a set cost per click. That’s the core of PPC campaigns.

12. How Do Keywords Work in PPC vs SEO?

In PPC, you bid on keywords. The more relevant your ad and landing page, the better your cost per click and ad placement. Google Ads uses a quality score to determine this.

In SEO, keywords guide your content strategy. You want to appear in organic results when someone searches that term. SEO requires keyword research, strong content, and optimisation techniques to rank.

13. What Role Does Google Ads Play in Search Engine Marketing?

Google Ads is the biggest PPC platform. It powers most paid search ads in the UK and globally. Businesses run PPC ads here to drive traffic instantly and test performance.

Whether you're using search ads, display campaigns, or shopping ads, Google Ads lets you fine-tune who sees your ads, where they appear, and how much you spend per click.

14. Should I Invest in SEO or Paid Search First?

If you’re short on time and need immediate results – consider using PPC first. It’s fast and measurable. You can run a ppc campaign for a week and learn a lot.

If you want a steady stream of traffic that doesn’t cost per click – invest in SEO. It's slower but more cost-efficient over time.

You don’t have to choose. Many businesses split their budget to use SEO and PPC together, depending on seasonality, campaign goals, and existing traffic levels.

15. How Do I Build a Strong SEO and PPC Strategy?

Start by defining your goals – is it leads, sales, or visibility? Then research relevant keywords. For SEO, plan your content and focus on on-page SEO, technical SEO, and off-page SEO.

For PPC, build your ad groups based on intent. Create a clean landing page, set a sensible budget, and test performance regularly.

SEO and PPC should work side by side. Over time, SEO can replace some of the cost of ppc advertising. But together, they give you flexibility, control, and stronger visibility across all search engine platforms.

Summary: Key Things to Remember

• The difference between SEO and PPC is how you gain visibility – SEO earns it; PPC buys it.

• SEO and PPC each play a role in search engine marketing.

• SEO helps you build organic search rankings over time.

• PPC offers immediate traffic through paid search.

• Use SEO to build long-term authority and trust.

• Use PPC for fast traffic, product launches, and testing.

• Using SEO and PPC together is often the strongest approach.

• Start with PPC for early results, then build SEO as you grow.

• Track your keywords and spend carefully to maximise ROI.

Need help figuring out your first step? Focus on your audience, product, and budget – and build a strategy that delivers real clicks, not guesswork.

Whether you're managing it yourself or working with SEO specialist SEOJet provide hands-on support for businesses that want to drive real results from search.