“Organic Traffic” arrives at your website through unpaid search results. Essentially, when someone pops a question into a search engine and lands on your site without any paid ads guiding them, you’ve just gained an organic visitor.
Why Paid Traffic Gives Instant Results and Organic Traffic doesn’t?
At the heart of digital marketing strategy is a problem– should you opt for paid traffic or organic traffic? To determine this, understanding the differences is pivotal.
Paid traffic is primarily generated through paid advertising. Think of Google AdWords or Facebook Ads, where marketers pay for each click or impression. The immediate benefit? Rapid results. By allocating budget to an ad campaign, marketers can ensure their site appears at the top of search results or on users’ social media feeds, drawing immediate traffic. It’s akin to jumpstarting a vehicle – there’s an immediate jolt of energy.
Organic traffic, on the other hand, is a slow burner. It relies on search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and high-quality content to gradually improve site visibility. While it might not offer the instantaneous results that paid traffic does, its long-term advantages are undeniable.
So which is better?
Most marketers vouch for organic traffic over its paid counterpart, and here’s why:
Cost-Efficient: Over time, organic traffic is more cost-effective. Once your SEO strategies start bearing fruit, you can garner consistent traffic without a recurring expense, unlike paid ads.
Credibility and Trust: Internet users often bypass ads and lean towards organic search results, deeming them more reliable and relevant to their queries.
Sustainability: Paid campaigns have a shelf life. The moment you stop funding ads, your traffic drops. Organic traffic, conversely, has longevity. A high-ranking post can deliver consistent traffic for months or even years.
Better Conversion Rates: Often, organic search results cater to users genuinely seeking information or a solution, leading to better engagement and conversion rates compared to users coming from ads.
What Other Types of Traffic Are There?
Broadly, website traffic can be categorized into:
Direct Traffic: This is when users directly enter your URL into their browser. It’s indicative of strong brand recall or repeat visitors.
Organic Traffic: As previously explained, this traffic comes from unpaid search results.
Campaign/Ads Traffic: This is the result of paid advertising campaigns, be it through search engines, social media platforms, or other digital spaces.
So how does SEO impact Organic Traffic?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a collection of tactics and strategies aimed at boosting the visibility of a website on search engine result pages. A well-optimized site communicates its relevance to search engines for particular queries, thereby ranking higher for those search terms.
From keyword optimization, meta tags, and high-quality backlinks to mobile-friendliness and page load speeds, SEO encompasses a broad spectrum of techniques, all of which significantly influence organic traffic. A well-executed SEO strategy ensures that a site’s content reaches its intended audience, boosting organic traffic.
Let’s talk Google Organic Ranking (Position)
Google, being the world’s premier search engine, uses a sophisticated algorithm to rank sites. One of the critical metrics it considers is the volume and quality of organic traffic. When your site receives a consistent stream of organic traffic and users engage with the content (low bounce rate, long session duration, among some of the metrics), Google interprets this as a sign of your website’s quality and relevance.
Consequently, sites with healthy organic traffic often find themselves with a higher ranking. This becomes a virtuous cycle: high rankings bring more organic traffic, and sustained organic traffic can further boost rankings.
You should be using Organic Traffic as a base metric for all marketing campaigns or paid traffic. Chat to us so we can do an analysis of your digital presence and find a way to establish an organic lifecycle.
