This topic has been debated for years. The question itself is actually quite simple: what works better for getting to the top of search engines — PPC (pay-per-click advertising) or SEO (search engine optimization)? But for business owners, this decision is often not so easy, since budgets for advertising and online presence are usually limited, and everyone wants results that are, if not amazing, then at least significantly above average. So, is there a clear-cut answer to the question: which is better? Or is the ideal solution to take “a bit of this and a bit of that” and combine them?
In this article, we’ll try to answer these questions, explore the features of both online promotion methods, and consider the possibility of combining them in different contexts.
As a reminder, PPC isn’t just advertising with a per-click payment model shown on various websites. It also includes visibility in search engines — appearing above or below the search results. But the appearance of a particular ad depends on the user's browsing behavior and interests.
It's also worth mentioning SEM — a field of digital marketing focused on driving traffic from paid search engine ads. SEM is often described as a combination of SEO and PPC. Sometimes, SEM is used to refer to PPC alone. But there’s an important distinction: SEM inherently involves contextual advertising (SEO is a natural part of it), meaning ads based on user interests. Platforms like Google Ads and Yandex.Direct operate this way. But social media platforms also offer PPC ads, often using a “show to all” approach with little targeting — making it less effective. So when marketers discuss promotional strategies, it’s useful to clearly define what PPC means in that context.
On the other hand, SEO focuses on improving site content and optimizing pages for search engines, which helps the site appear in organic search results.
It makes sense to invest in SEO (to appear in the middle of the results) and run PPC ads (to appear at the top and bottom of the page). At the same time, SEO is beneficial in that even after setup and initial optimization , your site can continue ranking high for a long time with steady traffic and less ongoing investment.
While we’ve written a lot about SEO in previous blog posts, let’s now focus on PPC — since it works quickly. That’s what makes PPC ideal for business situations that require fast customer acquisition or quick product sales.
A PPC campaign requires a lot of fine-tuning — identifying the right keywords for your products or services. But if the advertising is short-term (e.g. seasonal or promotional), PPC can rapidly raise awareness about a new brand online. PPC ads aren’t just search-based banners — they can take many forms.
When is PPC needed?
Shopping. If you’re running an online store, then advertising on major marketplaces like Google Shopping or Yandex Market is almost a must. You can’t really optimize a site to rank naturally on these services — PPC is the only way in.
Banner ads on the Google Display Network (GDN) are typically shown on websites based on user interests. If someone never looked up car tires, tire ads won’t appear — or will appear very rarely, less than 1%.
You looked at stools, then checked the weather, and suddenly there’s a stool ad. Because you searched.
Remarketing. This is one of the most effective PPC strategies. The goal is to bring back a user who’s already visited your site. Say someone added a product (even a houseplant) to the cart but didn’t finish checkout. With remarketing, that person will see ads for your store while browsing other sites within Google’s or Yandex’s advertising network. You can customize these ads, and there’s a good chance they’ll return to complete the purchase — or explore further.
Rebranding. PPC is crucial when you’re redesigning your site or updating content. During these changes, organic traffic often drops. PPC ensures your ads still appear, keeping your brand visible and helping prevent a dip in sales.
Contextual advertising. This is the most common PPC type today. It’s especially useful for mobile traffic, which is often very different from desktop and is analyzed separately. As mentioned earlier, contextual ads don’t show on social media — those platforms require a very different targeting approach.
So when discussing PPC, it’s important to understand your campaign goals, duration, and what happens to your online presence once PPC funding stops. We’re not even diving into budget concerns, competition, data analysis, keyword costs, and so on — that’s beyond today’s scope.
PPC and SEO — best friends forever
Interestingly, PPC campaigns can actually strengthen SEO. A simple example: keyword usage. If the keywords used in your ads also appear on your website, it boosts both. Search engines will show your site in both paid and organic results — reaching all types of users, including those who use ad blockers and those who engage with ads. That means greater reach, more potential customers, and broader visibility. In short — it’s effective.
Branding also plays a role. In PPC, branding is embedded in the ad content. You could simply say “floor and wall tile sales,” or you could mention specific brands, a quality guarantee, low delivery cost — and suddenly the ad becomes more appealing and effective. Plus, if your site is well-optimized, Google will include extra links to your internal pages. The example below from the Ozon online store shows a PPC ad first, followed by an organic result. They look similar — because the SEO is well-optimized.
Going solo has its perks
Some readers might think, “Great, we’ll just combine PPC and SEO into one powerful, always-on cocktail.” And yes, this combo often works well — but there are times when it’s better to use just one. For example, SEO works great without PPC when there’s limited budget, when you need long-term results, and when your site needs to consistently attract visitors over time. It may take time to climb the rankings, and search engines constantly update their algorithms — meaning top placement is never guaranteed.
Similarly, PPC isn’t always appropriate for every project. It works best when the site/brand is designed to bring in financial returns — to sell something. Cafés might need ads, but blogs usually don’t. A real estate website? Yes. A neighborhood maintenance service? Probably not — residents already know where to call when their apartment floods.
Conclusion
So, what’s better for growing your business online? It depends on your industry and budget. Ideally, a mix of organic SEO and a well-structured PPC campaign delivers the best long-term results. You’ll get traffic and customers quickly via PPC, while SEO builds lasting search rankings. If you regularly add content, this growth becomes hard to stop.
At the same time, it’s important to know your market and niche. There are countless cafés, even more online stores, and a seemingly infinite number of home improvement blogs. Yet all of them appear in search results. Seeing a regular link to a café is one thing — but seeing a compelling PPC ad is more attention-grabbing.
So we’ve reviewed the key features of PPC, its connection to SEO, and the benefits of combining both. But which is truly better? Unfortunately, there’s no single answer. Too many variables. That’s why marketers study not just promotion strategies in general — but the specifics and subtle nuances of each channel.