SEO, unlike contextual advertising (SEA), is a method of appearing in organic search results.
Note: SEO — Search Engine Optimization. SEA — Search Engine Advertising, also known by the payment method PPC — Pay Per Click.
Comparison of Contextual Advertising and SEO:
| Contextual Advertising | SEO | |
| Launch and return speed | + | - |
| Ease of adjustment | + | - |
| Cost per click/client | - | + |
| Predictability | + | - |
You can launch contextual advertising and see initial results in just a day. With SEO, results may take up to 3 months to manifest.
Contextual advertising campaigns can be quickly managed by adjusting campaign settings.
However, in the long term, the cost per visitor/client is often higher compared to SEO.
Nevertheless, SEO is a somewhat unpredictable tool, operating in a gray area, despite its widespread use and acceptance by search engines. Conversely, a well-optimized and established contextual advertising campaign typically delivers predictable results relative to the budget invested in it.
Conclusion:
Ideally, both tools should be utilized simultaneously. This combined approach is known as SEM - Search Engine Marketing or Search Engine Promotion, involving the use of both SEO and SEA.
During the initial phase, contextual advertising can complement SEO efforts while waiting for organic results to materialize. Even when keywords rank highly through SEO, many users still click on contextual advertising because it is often displayed prominently above organic search results. It can be said that traffic is evenly distributed between these channels, often in a 50/50 ratio.
