A good visibility on the web is essential nowadays to develop a lucrative activity. In fact, regardless of the industry, the Internet is the best way to attract a large number of customers. There are several strategies to increase this visibility. Natural referencing and paid referencing are among the most commonly used.
However, many people wonder which strategy is best. Should we go for natural referencing or paid referencing? If you are asking yourself the same question, here is an article that can enlighten you on the matter.
SEO
Natural referencing includes all practices to increase a website’s visibility “for free” on search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. The ultimate goal is to improve the visibility of the websites in question by applying a set of “rules” established by the search engines.
The benefits of natural referencing
Natural referencing allows you to get regular traffic. Naturally acquired positions are often much more durable. It is therefore a long-term acquisition strategy that will allow you to get regular traffic as long as you occupy comfortable positions in the search engines. The sites concerned sometimes retain their positions for many years. This referencing requires technique, expertise and knowledge that a digital marketing agency can provide you with. Thanks to specialists in this field, you can get natural visibility without having to spend money on marketing.
The awareness and credibility of your brand depends on the visibility of your website. Internet users trust the first results of search engines more quickly. It therefore becomes easier to offer a service or sell a product if you are well referenced.
The disadvantages of natural referencing
Natural referencing takes time before it becomes visible. The first results can take days, months and even years. The changes caused by this method are much more impactful and also less predictable.
Paid referencing
Paid referencing refers to improving a website’s positioning in search engines through payment. Positions in search engines can actually be bought. The most well-known platform is Google Ads, but there are others, including Bing. Paid search (SEA) consists of buying keywords on the chosen platform and setting a bid that you are willing to pay to appear on that search. When internet users type these keywords into the search engine, your ads are likely to appear. However, the display and position of ads depends on several criteria: their quality and the size of the bids (you versus the competition).
The benefits of paid referencing
Paid referencing makes it possible to get a better position very quickly. In fact, it only takes a few days to update positioning and earn points. It is therefore the most effective solution when you are in an emergency.
Also, there are not many rules to follow. Therefore, website owners do not need to check their platform code or page content beforehand.
The disadvantages of paid referencing
With paid search, sustainability depends on budget. Once the period you paid for has expired, you will no longer have visibility. Plus, the more clicks you get, the more you pay. So you need to plan a significant budget. Ultimately, it’s about profitability. If you spend $1 to earn $5, the acquisition channel can be profitable.
What to choose between natural referencing and paid referencing?
The choice between SEO and SEA depends on the situation of each company. Some may prefer natural referencing to limit costs and have regular traffic. Others, on the other hand, may opt for paid search to get results faster and with less effort.
Of course, in order to be successful with your marketing strategy, it is best to use the most traffic acquisition levers. SEO is a long-term strategy aimed at maintaining traffic acquisition. But it takes time and results are not guaranteed. SEA, on the other hand, is a short-term strategy (we pay to be immediately visible).
We therefore understand that there should be no rivalry between natural referencing and paid referencing. These two acquisition levers complement each other.
The best thing for a successful web marketing strategy is the combination of the two levers, they complement each other perfectly.
In fact, paid referencing can be used to identify conversion-generating keywords and thus work on the same keywords in natural referencing (SEO). Ultimately, you may decide to cut back on paid acquisition if naturally referencing those targeted keywords will allow you to meet your goals.