There are a lot of new webmasters - and even some more experienced ones - who constantly want to “debate” using pay-per-click (PPC) versus search engine optimization (SEO) for web site promotion.

Which is better?

Okay, ask a carpenter the same question about a hammer and a saw. Which is better? I will bet he will look at you funny and suggest that you use the appropriate tool for the job you are trying to accomplish. Do you want to nail something? Or do you want to cut something? So, when is SEO appropriate and when is PPC appropriate?

Search engine optimization is the long slog - but a worthwhile slog. You are investing time and money for the ultimate goal of getting free traffic to your site via search engines. Your site appears at the top of the search engine rankings - people click on it - go to your site - buy a bunch of stuff - you are happy. SEO is a process requiring patience, as it can take a good deal of time to see results and those results can often be difficult to measure. The beautiful aspect of SEO is that time can be invested creating wonderful results for the web site owner - no money needed. This is balanced out by the time factor.

This is where I say that there should be no debate over SEO vs. PPC. A smart webmaster - who cares about the long-term prospects of his website will be doing SEO constantly. But what if there is something he wants to promote starting tomorrow? Unless that promotion was part of a strategic SEO plan, it is unlikely search engine traffic is going to help. This is the tactical advantage that PPC can give a site owner - it is a tool you use if you need traffic now. The disadvantage? Well, it costs money - you pay for every click on your advertisement.

And it can cost a lot of money. Believe you me - you can watch clicks adding up and burning through your limited advertising resources, eventually finding yourself at the end of the day no closer to your objectives. This is not a process where you want to FIRE - READY - AIM - REPEAT. That is, unless you have some seriously deep pockets. You can certainly learn to use PPC campaigns or you can hire a PPC management team to help you navigate the PPC process. Gaining your own experience can be expensive, but a skilled PPC expert can work with you to select the right keywords, develops the ads, create a landing page that converts into sales, and keep the cycle going with appropriate analytical reports detailing campaign performance.

So, which is better? SEO or PPC? You ultimately need both, just as you would need a hammer and a saw to build a house.