The Best SEO/PPC Analogy + An SEO Quick Start Guide
Category: Search Engine Optimization | Tags: SEO, avalanche email, seo analogy
Learn More and Subscribe to The Avalanche Weekly Email
This is my new favorite analogy of SEO vs PPC (pay per click):
“SEO is like planting a garden, while PPC is going to the grocery store.
If you need to eat tonight, you don’t plant a garden, you go to the grocery store.
But, you should still plant your garden now so that in time, you won’t have to go to the grocery as often, or spend as much money there.
But, if you have to eat today, you don’t only plant a garden. Or, you are gonna starve.”
This couldn’t be more accurate.
A few weeks prior to that, one of my favorite marketers posted a very popular LinkedIn post that summarizes that feeling you get when you neglect to garden (do SEO):
So what’s the point?
The point is, it is really important to make sure you feed your business today (as an owner, I get that).
If you need results now, there are better marketing and sales activities to invest in than SEO.
But, if you want to get to a place where you almost never need to worry about getting “results now” because results keep coming and compounding over time, then start working on your garden (SEO) today.
A garden takes a while to build, so don’t expect to start growing today.
Find out where you’re going to build your garden, what you should plant, and what tools you’ll need today.
Where to start gardening.
If you are looking for a great place to start, do this:
- Go to your Google Search Console (sign up if you don’t have it already).
- Look at your performance over the last 6 months and view your top pages.
- Pick a page and look at the queries (keywords) you show up for.
- Find queries with low numbers of clicks that you could add more context to on that given page.
- Update the content and watch your traffic to that page increase.
Share this article:
The Avalanche Email: Fun. Simple. Educational. No Selling.
Learn Result-focused SEO & Content
Join over 2,272+ others who get one email every Wednesday with simple instructions on how to get more website traffic and leads through SEO and content marketing. (Learn more about the email)
Keep Learning
🏔️ Hook, Line, and Sinker 🎣
Use this fishing framework to turn your posts into stories that capture attention, create tension, and inspire action from your audience.
🏔️ Avoid Everything That Doesn’t Move You Forward
Stop chasing shiny tools and refocus on what moves your marketing toward the end zone. Simple steps to cut noise and make steady progress.
🏔️ Stop Tuning the Race Car That Won’t Win a Race
Site speed won’t fix a weak message. Focus on clarity, trust, and real value first. Here’s how to build a website that actually works.
🏔️ Earning Preference > Tracking Visibility
Hi friend, Lance here. Today’s email is about a shift we’re seeing and feeling across marketing teams right now: We’re obsessed with tracking visibility but under-invested in earning preference. 🚨 The Problem Every marketer I talk to wants to know how their brand shows up in AI search, LLMs, and assistants. We’re running to new tools that track…
What’s the Best CMS for Landscaping Businesses?
Compare the best website platforms for landscapers. Learn the pros and cons of Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress, and why WordPress is best for long-term SEO.