Which one is the better option and how do you decide? Here are some pointers that can help you decide which is more suitable for your business.

The main features, pros and cons of SEO

SEO stands for “search engine optimization”. It implies a process of optimizing a website and webpages in a way that increases their organic reach and visibility in search engines. Therefore, without the influence of additional advertisement tools such as paid ads and direct traffic. Various algorithms are used to determine which content and in what order will be shown in the browser (SERPs) for a specific query.

The ranking on the image example above is a direct result of the organic reach that the sites have for this specific keyphrase. And that is mostly due to the implementation of good SEO techniques.

A bigger volume of organic reach will mean a higher position in the search engine. The most critical part of SEO is identifying what search engines consider relevant since the rules and algorithms are changing constantly.

Advantages of SEO vs. PPC:

• SEO is much cheaper – To optimize your website perfect, you will need to invest in a content team. While it sounds costly, it is quite worth it in the long run. The website or a blog that ranks for over a hundred thousand keywords will be at the top of the search results, which generates more views. Trying to achieve the same result through PPC will be ridiculously expensive.
• Results compound over time – A high potential to bring in compounding ROI over time is a great advantage that makes SEO better than PPC and traditional marketing strategies in the longterm. As long as you are ranking high in the SERPs for the right keywords, search engine optimized sites will generate new views even if you slow down the production of new content.
• More appealing for users – Organic search results are getting 70% of the clicks since most internet users ignore paid ads. People tend to scroll down on the result list until they get to the source without Ads attached to it.

Cons of SEO

• Slow process – It can pass some time until you see the results of SEO. Roughly, it can take about 4-6 months for your website to start to generate a volume of views and a better rating. For those who want to see an instant result, this marketing strategy isn’t the best fit.
• Depending on volatile algorithms – PPC is much more certain since its algorithms aren’t so unpredictable. To make things even worst, they are constantly changing. You will have to keep up with all of them since non-complying can result in charges or penalties.
• High standards for the quality of content – Authority and relevance are one of the most important principals of SEO. As such, it requires experts who can create content up to the highest standards. And that bar is quite high due to fierce competition and saturation of niches. Also, the content has to be updated constantly to keep up with algorithm updates while the fees of experienced content writers are increasing drastically.

What Is PPC And What Are Its Benefits

On the other hand, PPC is “pay-per-click” system. It’s quite simple – advertisers pay a publisher for ads that are clicked by its users. The most common form of PPC advertising is Google Ads, so popular that has become synonymous with “paid search”. RevContent, AdRoll, and Bidvertiser are also some of the PPC advertising platforms.

How does that work? Well, advertisers usually bid on keywords or key phrases that are most suitable for their niche, while advertising platforms are helping businesses to find new customers through these keywords. For example, if you search “PPC software” via Google, the first results in the browser will be paid ads. The same goes for almost any phrase you’re looking up that contains keywords that brands are interesting to position with.

PPC model has the biggest presence in advertisements for social media platforms. All giants like Facebook, Twitter, Quora and LinkedIn are using it.

Pros that makes paid ads a winner in the battle of SEO vs. PPC:

• Fast results – If you wish instant results, PPC is the model by your preferences. With the right strategy that’s meeting people’s intent, PPC can pay off in the matter of days.
• Very adaptable – Alongside quick results, other important advantages of this model are its more loosen algorithms. As long as you’re funding your ads, campaigns can be quite flexible.
• Oriented toward buyers – PPC is targeting people who are searching for a particular product, considering or are ready to buy. That’s why it is getting more conversion.

Cons of PPC:

• Expensive – In highly competitive and saturated industries, keywords are much more expansive. To outbid the competitors, you might have to empty your wallet. Just be careful that advertising for your product doesn’t get more expensive than the product itself.
• Sometimes requires constant tweaking – While PPC is easy to scale, the campaigns are getting less effective the longer you run it. A way to change it requires often changes or tweaking of ad copy. Something that can be costly and taxing.
• Requires startup costs – As its name reveals it, you have to spend money to make money when using this model. For a new business with a restricted marketing budget, this can be a serious issue, especially considering that PPC campaigns can fail at first.

SEO vs. PPC: Who Wins The Battle?

In the end, who’s the winner of this long-standing battle? The answer is none. There can’t be winners and losers when both can generate great results if used wisely.

On the contrary of many new marketer’s beliefs, SEO and PPC aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, brands that are using both models are the most successful ones. Combining these two approaches creates a powerful tool that can make a brand force to be reckoned with. Their optimal mix carefully planned by business goals and niche is the best way to get exposure, establish as a reliable source and authority, increase sales, and attract new customers or readers.

While the SEO and PPC working together are almost bulletproof strategy, it can add up to significant funding. It might not be the problem for big companies, but for start-ups and new businesses with a limited budget, this is a serious issue.

So, one is not necessarily better over the other, but one can be more suitable for your business model if you have to choose. Which one you will select depends between SEO vs. PPC depends solely on your needs, preferences, business goals, and means. Define these criteria, and you will see which one is more suitable for your project at the moment. The good thing is that you can always add or shift your approach to the other model when you have a more flexible budget.

There are just 7 questions to consider for making a bulletproof content strategy:

1. What are the goals of your content marketing strategy
2. Who’s your target audience?
3. Have you established the distribution channels?
4. Any idea how will you make your content stand out?
5. Who will write for you?
6. How will you measure your ROI?
7. Is there any type of content missing?

Why Creating Content Marketing Strategy Is Important

A joined study by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs has come to some quite interesting results – only 37% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy.

According to this study, marketers have skipped this important step for several reasons:

• Not enough team members
• Lack of time
• Consider it to be unnecessary
• Believes that it isn’t important for content creation and distribution

Meaning that these marketers are relying on the luck for the success of their content marketing campaigns. Quite a high stake since one twist or wrong step can result in many marketing dollars gone with the wind.

When you have a plan, it will enable much easier execution and motoring of the marketing initiatives, making them more effective and organized at the same time. Since the main goal of content marketing is to generate profitable results for your brand, making a strategy is a crucial step to achieve it.

1. What are the goals of your content marketing strategy?

Identifying the reasons and goals you want to achieve via content marketing is the first step. Trying to increase your brand awareness, aiming to attract more leads or increase sales? Maybe you wish to generate more traffic to your website or to build authority in your niche?
Whatever your expectation and milestones are, it is important to define them right from the start since all marketing efforts should lead to that direction.

2. Who’s your target audience?

Assuming who your audience is the biggest trap you can fall into. Just imagine spending hundreds of dollars on paid ads oriented to the 30-60 age group, just to realize that younger generations are more interested in your content.
This shouldn’t be a guessing game – do the thorough marketing research and determine who is the true audience you should focus on.

3. Have you established the distribution channels?

Careful selection of the platforms you use for distributing and promotions of your content will be very valuable for the marketing strategy to stay on the right course. Social media, influencer marketing, guest posting – these are all good distribution paths.
If you have a wiggle room in your budget, paid ads on Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit , Instagram, or YouTube might give great results. Especially combined with solid SEO techniques.

4. Any idea how will you make your content stand out?

The internet is flooded with articles covering all kinds of subjects. There isn’t a niche that’s saturated or close to it. So it’s up to you to figure out something that will make your content outstanding and catchy.
The answer perhaps lay in the company’s value proposition or product’s unique selling proposition, and thorough research of the competition. Knowing what they are doing and then doing will keep you one step ahead.

5. Who will write for you?

The size of your content team isn’t important. Here quality always trumps over quantity. It is better to have one or two superb writers on a high payroll than 10 of them writing for above-average fees and delivering poor-quality content.

So cherish your writers if you’re satisfied with their work, and don’t let competition to snatch them from you. After all, what’s the point of making marketing content strategy without strong and high-quality content?

6. How will you measure your ROI?

One of the great things about online marketing is that you can track the progress of your efforts at any moment. Depending on your goals, there are many ways to measure the return of investments.

A number of page views or sessions, engagement, click-through rate, open rate, opt-in rate, just to name a few.

7. Is there any type of content missing from your website?

While outstanding writing should be the focus, you can’t rely just on the copy to attract and make people stay at your site. A quality and thoughtful mix of text, video, and images is an absolute necessity.

Since the human span of attention is decreasing rapidly, you need something to catch their eye. Lure them with appearances, make them stay for the substance.

Ready to Make A Plan For Your Content Marketing Strategy?

Now when you have all these questions to consider, it’s good to mention that content marketing is actually one of the most cost-effective advertisement strategies. But starting it without a defined plan is like bringing a knife to a gun battle.

Taking time to create a content marketing strategy can help you to attract prospects or customers, become an authority in your niche and a trusted go-to resource.

Why Quora?

Quora is a Q&A type of site. Here user can ask any questions that cross its mind and get answers or personal opinions and experiences on the subject by other users. Some use it to get honest, first-hand reviews of the product they want to buy or a place they tend to visit, while others are seeking advice about their personal or carrier issues.

Cleverly asked questions that spike interest have multi-million views. Quora is a pool of various types of people, and the chances are high that your targeted customers are one of them.

Still wondering why should you add Quora in your content marketing plan?

Well, here are the best reasons to consider:

• Building authority and social influence – At this platform, you can demonstrate your expertise by providing honest answers related to your niche. Showcasing your knowledge with helpful posts will create trust amongst users which is crucial when promoting first yourself and then the brand you’re representing.
• Creating more traffic – In your answers, posts or profile bio you can include a link to your website, and promote your business. It is important to include it in the right way, but we’ll come to that and elaborate more thoroughly.
• Generating quality leads and conversion – When users see the real value in your answers, they will be more eager to visit your site or blog, sign up for your list or follow you on social media. All the things needed for boosting the content marketing strategy.
• Reaching a wider audience – This platform is very popular and has over 300 million monthly active users. If using it correctly, Quora can help you reach a whole new audience.
• Market research – Another value of this site is that you can find out the people’s true opinions about all subjects. Learning the needs and interests of your targeted audience can help you to improve your marketing strategies and campaigns.
• Content that never dies – Many times when you’re searching for something on the internet, the Quora answer will be amongst the first results in the browser. Even if it’s a couple of years old, if it’s relevant, the content on this platform is evergreen.

Choosing the right questions and giving the right answers

Don’t fall into a trap of responding to the questions that have nothing to do with your audience or the content you’re promoting. Keep your focus on them, and stay silent on some heated subject that affects you on a personal level.

Size up the potential of the question to draw views and followers, and answer only on posts where you can demonstrate your knowledge. Also, keep in mind that the speed of replying is also quite important.

Being amongst first users to give the valuable answer almost guarantees the top spot of your rankings. This creates a great opportunity to gain exposure for your brand and you.

Of course, some older questions are also worth answering. In a situation where being the first responder isn’t possible, use statistics to determine which posts are worthy of your attention.

Underneath each question, you will see the tab labeled with three dots. Click on it will open the falling menu where the View Stats and Log option is available. It will lead you to the new tab where you can exam the statistics of the question.

It will show you the number of excising answers, the last time the thread was active, overall views, and the number of users who are following it. The stats at the image above are showing a clear example of the question that’s not worthy of your time.
Questions with many answers aren’t off the table, but your answer should provide new insides and add value to be considered as helpful.

Create A Question Anonymously

Rather than just answering questions post by other users, ask them yourself. If there’s no question related to your topic or subject, or it is outdated, start a new thread anonymously and then answer it yourself.

The platform recommends posting with “How”, “Why”, “What”, but you can also use prepositions, like “Should I”, “Is”, “Can”, “Did”, etc. As long it is in question form, you can use many variations.

At the bottom of the pop-box, there is also an option of including a link as additional context. Still, this one is best used to link back to a source you reference in the question. Let’s take for example you’re promoting the news site and that you’ve asked: “Did you hear that the USA is changing the Immigration Law? Could that be true?”. Providing a link to the article that’s addressing this matter is a great way to create additional context.

But be very careful when asking the question, especially the one you’re planning to answer. If you publish it under your name and then be first to respond to the thread, it will be very transparent. Luckily, that’s why Add Anonymously checkbox is there. Click the tab beside your name, change Public to Anonymous, before Add Question tab, and once your question is live, be the first to answer it.

How to use Quora as a part of your content marketing strategy?

Promoting content organically on Quora is quite simple – write an original response or use extract parts of your existing content (but rewrite it so it’s not seen as doubled/plagiarism) and include links of your website in the answer.

That’s when it gets a bit trickier – make sure that links are relevant and their anchors natural. Phrases like” Check out my website for more information”, “Read this article”, “Click to this guide”, etc. are outdated, spammy, and too pushy should be avoided.

Write your answer in a way where anchor should be added without the disruption of the word flow. To boost your chances, add some links from other sites to make your response more neutral.

Final Guidelines

Now when you understand the importance of the platform and guidelines on how to use it, you can incorporate it into your marketing plan.
We have just a few finale tips:

• Make a detailed profile – Your profile should include a description in a form of short biography, credentials, links to your website or blog, and social media information. Don’t forget to include a photo, but chose the one where you look more professional.
• Have strong content on your website or blog – The quality of content on the website leading from your link is quite important since it should pique interest of the users to visit it.
• Linking – Limit the links in your answers: place one per post when in context and only when it’s necessary.

As long as you follow these simple rules, using Quora as a part of your content marketing strategy can bring many benefits to your business.