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SEO vs. SEA - When is which measure worthwhile?

SEO and SEA are essential components of search engine marketing. Website operators rely on these measures to strengthen their online presence, increase traffic and ultimately boost their sales. But what exactly is behind SEO and SEA, and how do these approaches differ? This article answers these and other questions.
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Katrin Kratz
December 13, 2019
November 25, 2024

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What do the terms SEO and SEA mean?

SEO is the acronym for Search Engine Optimization and SEA for Search Engine Advertising. Both terms are key components of search engine marketing and play a decisive role when it comes to increasing the success of a website.

What is SEO?

Search engine optimization encompasses all measures aimed at improving the visibility of a website in organic search results. The aim is to achieve a higher ranking for relevant search queries, ideally in the first position of the search results, in order to attract more users. This is done without the use of paid ads, but is based solely on organic traffic that is driven directly from the search engine to the website. Organic traffic is particularly valuable for website operators as it is sustainable and free of charge. The continuous optimization of website content and structure plays a central role in achieving a top position in the search results in the long term. Traffic is then practically generated by itself, which is why everyone wants their website to appear in first place on Google or Bing - but space is limited.

What is SEA?

SEA refers to paid search engine advertising. This involves placing ads that appear in the search results of search engines such as Google or Bing. These ads are usually placed prominently above or below the organic search results, but can also be displayed in special areas such as the right-hand side of the search results pages. The organic search results and the paid ads can therefore exist together on the corresponding search results pages. SEA makes it possible to bid on specific keywords in order to drive traffic to your own website quickly and effectively. This is why keyword advertising is also used in this context. A certain amount is paid per click on the ad (pay-per-click). The Google Ads and Bing Ads advertising networks offer extensive options for creating and managing ad campaigns.

Differences between SEO and SEA

While SEO and SEA often have the same underlying goal - increasing traffic to a website - the methods are fundamentally different. Search engine advertising (SEA) offers immediate results through paid ads, while search engine optimization (SEO) aims to improve organic rankings in the long term.

The main difference between the two methods is that traffic generated via search engine advertising (SEA) is paid for, whereas traffic generated via organic search results is free of charge. Both methods require an initial investment to set up a suitable infrastructure.

It is also necessary to constantly review and revise SEO measures. Search engine optimization (SEO), for example, nowadays focuses less on pure keyword optimization and more on the thematic relevance and user-friendliness of the content. Excessive keyword usage (also known as keyword stuffing) can even be rated negatively by search engines in the organic sector - which is a fundamental difference to the early days of SEO. Search engine advertising (SEA), on the other hand, focuses directly on keywords in order to place targeted ads in the search results. Both approaches require specialized expertise in order to achieve the desired marketing success and take current developments into account.

When should you focus on SEO and when on SEA?

For many website operators, the question arises as to whether SEO or SEA is better suited to achieving their company's goals and what the respective advantages are. The objectives and the available resources are the key factors here.

SEO: Good things take time

SEO is ideal for companies that want to invest in their online presence in the long term and continuously increase their organic traffic. This approach requires patience, as the results often only become visible after some time. For companies with a limited marketing budget, SEO is an attractive option as it does not incur any ongoing advertising costs. Investments are only made in working time - an additional marketing budget is not necessary.

SEA: Fast results

SEA is particularly suitable for companies that want to see results quickly and increase their traffic in the short term, for example for time-limited campaigns or to increase visibility in highly competitive markets or target regions. SEA enables ads to be targeted at specific regions and target groups. Although these measures cost money (payment per click), advertisers can concentrate on specific keywords and immediately increase the traffic for these.

Both methods can be optimally combined to achieve both short-term and long-term success in search engine marketing. Through the targeted distribution of keywords and the use of ads, companies can maximize the visibility and relevance of their content. Ads initially ensure quick success, while search engine optimization is developed in parallel to increase traffic and reduce advertising expenditure in the long term.

How can the results of the measures be measured?

Tracking and monitoring are essential for checking the effectiveness of SEO and SEA measures. After all, anyone who spends money, time and resources on their ads as part of SEA or invests in SEO in the long term naturally also wants to be able to check whether and how well the measures are working. Google Analytics and the Google Search Console offer valuable insights into user behavior and website performance. They can be used to analyze both organic traffic and the results of SEA campaigns. Third-party tools can also be used to obtain a comprehensive overview of all marketing channels and to optimize measures.

Google Analytics: Powerful tracking tool

Google Analytics offers valuable insights into the behavior of users on your website. This allows you to quickly determine whether the marketing measures taken have led to an increase in traffic. A clear distinction can be made between organic traffic generated by SEO and clicks generated by SEA.

Analytics also shows the development of traffic over time, making it easy to track changes. It also enables the tracking of defined goals, such as the purchase of a product or the sending of a contact form. If the financial value of these target transactions is known, the marketing costs can be evaluated based on the return on investment and adjusted accordingly.

Google Search Console: Monitoring

The Google Search Console, formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools, offers further valuable data for evaluating the success of search engine optimization. This data relates exclusively to organic, unpaid traffic and provides important insights, such as the click rate and the so-called impressions, i.e. how often the page is displayed in the search results - regardless of consent to cookies.

It is particularly important to analyze which keywords have contributed significantly to the increase in traffic. The Google Search Console answers these questions by showing which keywords had the greatest influence on the traffic figures and for which terms the website ranks best. These findings can then be used to better target and optimize SEA ads. Everything is connected!

Monitoring with Google Ads and third-party tools

Google Ads provides comprehensive functions within its advertising network to monitor the success of SEA campaigns. Anyone running active ads should use these internal monitoring options to make the best use of their budget and manage it efficiently.

There are also numerous third-party tools that combine tracking and monitoring across multiple sources. These tools offer a quicker overview of all channels used, but are usually subject to a charge.

Conclusion: SEO and SEA in comparison

In this article, we have explained the basic differences between SEO and SEA and how they work. In conclusion, it can be said that the choice of suitable marketing tools depends largely on three factors: Time, budget and objective.

It is often not a question of weighing up SEO and SEA against each other, but rather the optimal combination of both approaches to maximize your company's success in search engine marketing. The focus should be adjusted according to your resources. If you want to increase your traffic rates in the long term, it is advisable to focus on optimizing your website for organic traffic. On the other hand, if you are looking for short-term results, such as for limited-time promotions or to outrank a competitor, ads may be the right choice.

Deciding which method is suitable for your company and to what extent can be complex. We offer a wide range of services in the areas of organic and paid and are happy to support you both in an advisory capacity and in the implementation of your goals.

We look forward to your inquiry

Book a free initial consultation with our Account Manager Johannes Tsangaris now or contact us by email, phone or LinkedIn.

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+49 621 533 999 82
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