How to Wean Your Business Off Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Just like any other business tool, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising should be used in moderation. It’s a fantastic way to jump-start interest in a business, and to land those first few crucial customers, but in the long term you should look at ways to replace it. The reason is that competing to stay in the top position on programs like Google AdWords can be incredibly expensive, but with a little elbow grease, you can get there for free.

The role of organic search

Everyone’s heard of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), but for a lot of people it can seem like a bit of a minefield. There are lots of companies offering this service, and just as many horror stories about folks who have been struck off search engines thanks to shady SEO practices. But in reality, the tenets of SEO are very simple, and by being patient and thorough, you can work your way to the top of the pile. The main thing is to understand that this will never, ever happen overnight. So if anyone offers you that, walk away at full speed. Targeting natural search is a great way to wean your business off PPC, but how does it work?

Content is king

It was true ten years ago, and it’s still true today: the SEO success of a website depends on its use of content. If you don’t post any new content (like blog articles), or optimise your page content at least a little, don’t be surprised if your site is languishing on page 7 of search. In order to climb those ranks, you need to do a number of things related to content, including:

• Publish regular content so search engines know you are active
• Optimise your existing pages for the relevant keywords
• Do not stuff your content with keywords. This isn’t 1999.

A combination of these tactics and some good old-fashioned hard work on your content should net you significant gains in search results.

Big savings in the long-term

Some companies spend upwards of £10,000 per month of PPC programs like Google AdWords, but this approach is not sustainable for many. That’s why optimising for organic search is such a recommended plan of attack. All of the money that you’re currently piling into PPC can be diverted elsewhere and used to grow your business in ways you hadn’t even considered before. The main takeaway here is that PPC should only ever be used as a form of boost or crutch, and very rarely as a central strategy. At the end of the day, hard work pays off, so be sure you revisit your own content and ensure it’s optimised to the nines.

Once you’re sitting pretty at the top of search, you’ll want to be sure your business can handle all of those new customers. That’s where the AutoVu CRM platform comes in. Check out the site today and see what it could do for you.