Our experience at CFP has always shown us in general that conversion rates from SEO and generally higher than customers generated through PPC activity. We feel that instinctively browsers ‘trust’ organic serach listings more than they do sponsored listings, for the simple reason that they are there ‘on merit’.

So, a controversial study by Engine Ready has got the industry all ‘a-flutter’ as it states that according to their evidence the opposite is true. Check it out :

Does paid search deliver more conversions than organic search …

This is equally true of the SEO v PPC debate. It is dangerous to view such claims as “visitors coming to an online retailer’s website from a paid search ad are 50% more likely to make a purchase than visitors coming from an organic …

Ultimately our own view is that whatever the truth about their relative effectiveness, both SEO and PPC have their place in business marketing armoury. The weapon of choice depends on the particular promotion and its stage in the marketing lifecycle.

A good example is a client who came to us for a Christmas sales of limited offers for the gift market. Clearly a short-term campaign, limited in scope, is perfect for a PPC campaign.

In both cases similar principles will ensure maximum conversion rate – visibility, well written ads and sales copy, effective use of other onpage media and a well-placed call to action.