Re: SEO versus PPC - the unending debate

From: Cliff Kurtzman <moderator_at_o-a.com>
Date: Wed 16 Mar 2005 08:39:16 -0600

I don't think it is an either/or decision really.
There are basic principles of site design, domain
choice, etc. that one can and always should use
that will enhance pagerank and organic search result
positioning. Going beyond that, there is a basic
cost/benefit analysis that any business owner should
conduct before going too deeply into organic search.
Many business owners won't find that a $50,000
investment in organic search optimization is a
worthwhile expenditure, even if the optimization
campaign is every bit as successful as anticipated.
But for some businesses, good search results will be
very valuable, and investing in getting them can be
worthwhile. I have a consulting client that recently
invested in an organic search optimization contract
that only cost them a few hundred dollars. While the
results are not incredibly exceptional, the cost level
and cost/benefit ratio for that particular business
was probably appropriate, and it would not have made
sense for them to have invested in anything more
elaborate.

A similar analysis is appropriate for PPC search
marketing. Given the overhead involved and the going
rates for relevant keywords, some businesses will not
find investing in a PPC campaign to be worthwhile in
terms of costs and benefits. Others will find it very
valuable indeed. Services like the one that Udayan's
company offers can certainly help tip the balance in
terms of making the benefits outweigh the costs.

The key in either case is to take a step that most
businesses ignore -- and that is mapping out costs
and benefits from each possible course of action,
and understanding how leads to the businesses web
site convert and what is the true long term value of
those conversions. Frankly many businesses will
find that investing in improving their web site to
increase conversions is a more profitable activity
than is investing in either organic or PPC search
marketing, and is certainly one that should be
undertaken first.

--Cliff

Clifford R. Kurtzman, Ph.D.
(281) 480-6300

CEO | Moderator
ADASTRO Incorporated | The Online Advertising Discussion List
http://www.adastro.com | http://www.o-a.com




Received on Wed Mar 16 2005 - 08:39:16 CST