Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) refers to the strategic practise of increasing website visibility and attracting organic traffic from search engines. It involves optimising various elements of a website, such as content, structure, and meta tags, to improve its ranking in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). By focusing on unpaid, editorial, or natural search results, SEO aims to enhance a website's online presence and drive targeted traffic without relying on paid advertising. The primary objective of search engine optimisation (SEO) is to enhance the visibility and ranking of your website on search engine results pages (SERPs). It is important to note that the visibility of a website increases as its ranking on search engine result pages improves.

Differences between paid and organic search

It is crucial to have a clear understanding of the distinctions between organic search, which is synonymous with search engine optimisation (SEO), and paid search. There exist five fundamental distinctions:

1. Position

One notable distinction is that paid search results are positioned at the top of search engine results pages, while organic results are situated below them.

2. Time

One important distinction to note between paid and organic search is the factor of time. In paid search, you can expect to see results quite quickly, often within minutes. On the other hand, organic search requires more patience, as it can take weeks, months, or even years to see significant results. In order to achieve success with organic search, it is important to adopt a strategic mindset and focus on the medium- to long-term game.

3. Payment

When considering payment, it is important to note that paid search traffic, as the name implies, involves a monetary cost. The payment model utilised is pay-per-click (PPC), where the cost is calculated on a per-click basis, also known as cost-per-click (CPC). The implication of this is that a charge is incurred for each instance in which a user interacts with your advertisement by clicking on it. Instead of depending solely on organic traffic, one can opt to purchase traffic for their website by engaging in paid advertising through Google. This involves paying Google to display an advertisement when a visitor conducts a search using specific keywords relevant to the website. Organic search traffic is obtained without any direct monetary cost, but it necessitates an allocation of resources and time.

4. Return On Investment (ROI)

When evaluating the return on investment (ROI), the measurement process is comparatively simpler for paid search. This is partially attributed to the fact that Google offers a greater amount of keyword data that can be collected through the use of Google Analytics. Nevertheless, it is important to note that in the context of paid search, the return on investment (ROI) has the potential to remain stagnant or even decrease as time progresses. Measuring return on investment (ROI) in the context of organic search presents certain challenges, yet it typically exhibits gradual improvement as time progresses. In the context of prolonged duration, organic search has the potential to yield a highly favourable return on investment.

5. Share Of Traffic

In terms of the distribution of web traffic, it is observed that approximately 20% to 30% of search engine users click on paid search results, while the majority, around 70% to 80%, tend to click on organic search engine optimisation (SEO) results. The majority of clicks are primarily directed towards the organic search results.