Search Engine Optimization or Pay Per Click

Before I address the main topic of this article, search engine optimization vs pay per click, let me just briefly explain what exactly inspired this post. As I was browsing the job search engines (I've been looking for a permanent seo job near the coast) I noticed in many of the job descriptions (supposedly for the position of an seo specialist, seo expert or senior seo analyst) that pay per click (PPC) expertise was often stressed as an important requirement.

I think pay per click is a legitimate and effective way to advertise online but it isn't search engine optimization. PPC falls more under the category of search engine marketing. Basically it's a form of advertising where, in contrast, search engine optimization is more focused on increasing traffic by increasing your rankings in the serps. Search engine marketing is not the same thing as search engine optimization. Seo focuses on your search engine ranking and not all forms of advertising or marketing. PPC kind of a roll of the dice. No matter how good you are at it, all it takes is for one nooby marketer to ruin the whole ppc gig. Bidding goes up or down depending on the competition and how they bid on certain terms. If you have a real noob trying his hand at ppc, in your niche, it could upset the apple cart.

PPC is too risky and really unnecessary. Why pay for your clicks when you could achieve top search engine placement instead? A top ranking site will always reap the benefits of their initial seo investment, over and over again. The return on investment is phenomenal rendering ppc unnecessary.