Conversion Rates Between PPC (Paid) and Organic (Free) Results
In a thread over at Cre8asite Forums named Organic vs Paid traffic ROI?, there is a discussion going on about the different conversion rates and ROI seen between the pay per click traffic (paid traffic) and organic traffic (free traffic). I have personally heard at conferences that people are more likely to click on organic results over paid results. However, I do not remember hearing the differences in terms of conversions or ROI when it comes to paid versus free search.
In the thread, one member says:
I use PPC for one site which also comes top for the same keywords.
One great thing about PPC ads is you can turn them on and off, and experiment. At first I thought by having an ad show for a word we are number for was just throwing money away, so i turned the ads off, profits dropped, turn them back on profits increase, repeated just to make sure.
Results could suggest a few things,
1. Our ad text appeals more to some people more than the description/title in the serps – can’t please everyone.
2. Some people will click on the ads first, so its either us or a competitor.No major difference in conversions, if anything the PPC converts better as i make sure the ad is very relevant. Have tried several niches with PPC and lost money, PPC is not always the answer, a lot can depend on the product/service. One thing i would recommend is to continue to use PPC for as long as it makes a profit and don’t stop just because you come top in the serps(test this, each site may be different)
This can make for a very educational thread.
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Columnist Barry Schwartz is the Editor of Editor of Search Engine Roundtable and President of RustyBrick, Inc., a Web services firm specializing in customized online technology that helps companies decrease costs and increase sales.
