Business, now more than ever are using Google to market their products and services as they realize the abundance of targeted traffic it provides. Does this then pose the questions: do you optimize your website to appear in Google’s natural search listings or do you pay to be placed in the sponsored listings? It can sometimes seem an easy option to pay for results, but is it the right decision?
In a recent study, Google found that searchers were 72% more likely to click on a natural listing rather than a pay per click ad. This shows that although you can pay to get your website seen at the top of Google, it is not as effective as having it appear there naturally.
Searchers look for relevance in the ads they click on, in the same way, that Google searches for significance in the websites it shows in its natural listings.
This is why natural search offers a much higher conversion rate; people know that the original listings will tend to be more relevant to their search as they cannot be bought, only earned. You can distinguish between Google’s natural and sponsored listings as Google separates them in the following format.
The main benefit of natural listings is that they are free to earn and maintain. There are no click prices or fees as with pay per click. This is not to say that pay click is not worth doing just that natural listings are deemed more relevant and cost-effective. Be Aware: Approximately 65% of people never click on paid results so you must ensure your website is listed prominently in Google’s natural listings.
The main tip is Naturally ranked websites are more highly regarded than sponsored listings. Therefore, optimizing your site using relevant keywords and a user-friendly structure will be far more beneficial and will create more targeted traffic than pay per click would. You cannot forget Pay Per Click can seem an easy and fast way to achieve results, but it is not always the most cost-effective option.