When we talk about driving growth with search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC), we’re discussing strategies to get to the top of search engine results. This means outranking competitors and capturing both organic and paid traffic.
For healthcare marketers, this is vital. According to a report from The Telegraph, about 7% of daily Google searches are health-related. With 3.5 billion searches globally per day, this translates to around 2.45 million health-related searches daily. This highlights the variety of reasons someone might turn to Google for health-related inquiries.
While SEO and PPC share the common goal of getting your business to the top of search engines, they employ different methods. This can lead to confusion for those looking to launch or enhance their digital marketing efforts.
We aim to answer some frequently asked questions about the relationship between SEO and PPC:
Search engine optimization (SEO) involves various strategies, tactics, and best practices that help websites rank highly on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Pay-per-click (PPC) is an advertising model where you pay each time a user clicks on your ad. Ads appear in search results based on specific keywords, and you only pay when someone clicks your ad, not just for displaying it.
Costs depend on competition for keywords—higher-volume terms typically cost more. In the screenshot below, you can see an example of a PPC ad that looks organic, reflecting a bid on the search term “local PPC advertising.”
Both SEO and PPC can be effective, particularly in healthcare marketing where targeted audiences and optimized content drive results. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Many organizations use a combination of both strategies, while others may find that one suits their needs better.
Understanding how each tactic works—its definitions and appropriate use cases—is crucial before committing to one. This knowledge helps develop a sustainable strategy that meets both short- and long-term business goals. Successful campaigns are those that are regularly reviewed, reassessed, and optimized.
Remember, SEO and PPC are ever-evolving and subject to changes from algorithm updates.
Your website’s content should be structured for a pleasant user experience, with a logical flow, clear titles, headings, and easy-to-skim lists. Content must be original, informative, and fresh—there's no substitute for quality.
