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Paid Traffic (PPC) vs Organic Traffic (SEO) Which is Better?

Reblogger Robert Havana
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Park and Protect- Alberta Real Estate License Parking

This is a great post that discussed internet traffic.  It is something that I enjoy studying and something that having an understanding of can be of a huge benefit to you.

Original content by Brad Carroll

I have to admit, I can sometimes be a numbers geek. I’m one of the few people who actually enjoy looking at Google Analytics.

There’s one graph in particular that always seems to stay constant no matter what real estate website I review. It’s the graph that compares Organic Traffic (the traffic that comes from natural search engine optimization) vs Paid Traffic (Google Pay Per Click advertising). It always shows the same thing. Organic Traffic yields far better visitors than Pay Per Click. But, don’t just take my word for it. Let’s look at some numbers.

You can see that the particular site we are looking at has about the same amount of Organic Traffic vs Paid Traffic.



But, that’s where the similarities end.

The organic traffic has almost 3 times the amount of pageviews - Wow!



That’s not all. Let’s take a look at time on site. Pay Per Click traffic only clicked around the site for 2:30 vs 4:16 from Organic Traffic.



I can go on and on with numbers like these but I know not everyone is a data geek like me.

What Does PPC Really Cost You?

Looking at these stats, it’s easy to see that Pay Per Click Traffic costs more than just the cost of advertising. It can also cost you quality traffic.

The "Why" Behind the Numbers

I think one of the key features (and conversion points) of a real estate website is to be a solid resource - a research tool. Many potential home buyers and sellers start out in the “information gathering” stage. As a result, they want a site that has quality information and doesn’t put everything behind a forced registration wall. Most people automatically assume a company that is buying keywords to be in the “sponsored results” is going to try to sell them something.  Sites that show high in the natural rankings are there because they have killer content (amongst other ranking factors). As a result, people know the site will probably be information rich.

So, What Do You Do?

If you know people are seeking killer content, then give them killer content.  Be THE resource for Hoboken condos. Offer extensive information about Maui real estate. Whatever the niche, make it abundantly clear to your target audience and to search engines that your site is the information hub. You’ll not only grow your organic rankings but also gain higher quality traffic.

 

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Park And Protect is the largest specialty real estate license parking brokerage in Alberta and all of Western Canada.  We are experts in the field of ensuring that your greatest career asset is safe and secure.  Contact us to discuss Alberta real estate license parking or other potential business opportunities.

Comments(1)

Kathy Clulow
Uxbridge, ON
Trusted For Experience - Respected For Results

Robert - having never done any PPC advertising I have nothing to compare but then I don't use PPC for all the reasons you quote here.

 

From our home to yours ..... wishing you and yours a Very Happy New Year filled with good health and happiness.

Happy New Year to You And Yours

Dec 30, 2011 04:28 PM