Yea, big spenders would surely go for advertisement. Which would you rather choose for long time success?

For me, its SEO

You nko?

Depends.

If I make N1m a month and spend, say, N100K on advertisement to get it, I will definitely stick with ads. On the other hand, if I am spending N900K, then there's a problem. Having said that, (organic) SEO sure comes in handy for the online viral and free advertising online. Of course, to rank high, you have to continuously tweak your code and study your competition to ensure top ranking.

At the end of the day, a blend of both is probably best. Then again, you have to periodically look at the stats to see what is serving you best so that you can adjust your plans accordingly.

And I get to clap again - more loudly this time.

SEO is best for long time success. Plus it's free.

Yep. True talk

This question has been in my mind for some time now. Thanks to poster, perhaps fellow (learned) nairalanders will have a better answer(s) to this. I will carefully monitor this link to actually learn from it.

If i may say, considering costs, SEO is cheaper (if not free). But how efficient is SEO?

micawber:

This question has been in my mind for some time now. Thanks to poster, perhaps fellow (learned) nairalanders will have a better answer(s) to this. I will carefully monitor this link to actually learn from it.

If i may say, considering costs, SEO is cheaper (if not free). But how efficient is SEO?

SEO is free if you're doing it yourself. But if you're paying an SEO expert, then that's a different ball game. But either way, i don't think it can be more expensive when compared to paid advertising considering the fact that it helps on the long term.

About SEO being effective? Millions of internet users use Google search to find stuff. So, you can imagine the number of potential client you get top visit your website if you have it somewhere at the top of google.

afam4eva:

SEO is free if you're doing it yourself. But if you're paying an SEO expert, then that's a different ball game. But either way, i don't think it can be more expensive when compared to paid advertising considering the fact that it helps on the long term.

About SEO being effective? Millions of internet users use Google search to find stuff. So, you can imagine the number of potential client you get top visit your website if you have it somewhere at the top of google.

Yeah you are right when it comes to long term benefits, but advert also have same effect, or even more. When you target adverts well, you gain the visitors, and if they like your services (website) they keep going there. The only problem though is the funds (cost). But what does it take to get the services of an SEO expert (in quote).

micawber:

Yeah you are right when it comes to long term benefits, but advert also have same effect, or even more. When you target adverts well, you gain the visitors, and if they like your services (website) they keep going there. The only problem though is the funds (cost).  But what does it take to get the services of an SEO expert (in quote).

Of course, it's because of fund that you see people running away from paid advert. To make matters worse, there are companies that have huge budgets for advertisement. How do you compete with such companies. That's why SEO is popular because it doesn't matter whether your bank account is fat or slim. It's more about having the know-how and patience.

To get the service of an SEO company, just search on google, you'll find loads of them. But i'll suggest you go to warriorforrum. There, you'll find cheap SEO plans from SEO experts. Just pray they don't use your website to spam.

afam4eva:

Of course, it's because of fund that you see people running away from paid advert. To make matters worse, there are companies that have huge budgets for advertisement. How do you compete with such companies. That's why SEO is popular because it doesn't matter whether your bank account is fat or slim. It's more about having the know-how and patience.

To get the service of an SEO company, just search on google, you'll find loads of them. But i'll suggest you go to warriorforrum. There, you'll find cheap SEO plans from SEO experts. Just pray they don't use your website to spam.

What do you mean by the phrase in bold print?

micawber:

What do you mean by the phrase in bold print?

There are two kinds of SEO: They are white hat and black hat. From the names you can deduce which is good and which one is bad. Some SEO experts use black hat seo because it kinda gives fast results. But if you get caught by google, you website will be banned. Just hope that whoever you're employing to do you SEO does the right thing.

i guess so[img]http://2.s07.flagcounter.com/count/DymW/bg=E6E6E5/txt=E6E6E5/border=E6E6E5/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/[/img]
[img]http://s07.flagcounter.com/count/DymW/bg=E6E6E5/txt=E6E6E5/border=E6E6E5/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/[/img]

For optimal result, you have to do both. SEO and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) work in tandem. SEO is definitely more cheaper & more effective, but you will need SEM to bring in specific targeted audience. The only question is how much you want to budget for advertising. Fortunately with Google Analytics and similar tracking tools you can always determine effectiveness of your spend and optimize.  

SEM can also help bring new potential customers to your site. How? Analysis of your Search result may uncover some "long tail keywords" that are generating traffic to your site. You can then develop an effective SEM campaign to take advantage of these keywords.

Let's say you sell men's shoes to North America customers, you expect most of your audience to come from these geographic area. However, your Search results may indicate some keywords that are bring high quality visitors from another part of the world. You may then use SEM to quiclky acquire more of this kind of audience.

@afam4eva, seems you have a good understand of SEO. I do have small knowledge of it too but I need more knowledge so, do you know any good school in Nigeria that teaches SEO or can you create one.

Talking of me knowing small stuff about SEO, I manage to rank 3rd for a keyword "Feasibility Report" and I think I don try small. I use http://www.scroogle.org to really know my possition for all my keywords, Do you have any free resources you use?

afam4eva:
In business terms, as I eluded to in my first post, it boils down to Return On Investment (ROI).

If you have a good marketing team, you can come up with 1 solid add and claim massive share. With SEO, whether you do it yourself or not, you have to keep on tweaking with hopes (and I am referring to white hat, as eventually, search engines will catch up with black hatters), that you not only rank high, but rank high consistently. Research shows that most people don't look beyond the first 5 sites in the SERPs.

A good SEO strategy could take up to 6 months to get positive results. Besides, it may guarantee you traffic but it sure doesn't guarantee you conversions. An ad on the other hand, with one's website cleverly positioned in it, is bound to yield you immediate conversions.

Pictures speak a thousand words (and by extension, videos speak a million words). IMHO, if you visit a site via googling, there is still some skepticism, especially with Nigerian sites, as to whether or not the business is legit. On the other hand, if I watch/hear an ad and that is complemented by looking at their website, I am less likely to think that way (emphasis on "less likely".

Having said all that, with a projected 6 billion mobile devices estimated to be in use by 2014, it is hard for any company, who wants to be taken seriously, not to want to think of marketing online. Granted, I would personally go with PPC and slowly wean off that and stick with SEO, as I get to know my customers better.

In conclusion:
Again, it depends.

My website is not Nigerian, and my target is larger. I am considering adwords, but on a second thought i don't know where to start. Nigeria, Angola, Senegal, Ethiopia,, ,Zambia, Zimbabwe! Even half a milion naira wouldn't do that for me. So i think SEO is the best option. I wish i can be clarified on this White and Black thing.

Adverts are great for brand awareness (customer is at the beginning of the buying circle) while SEO will increase to brand equity ( Customer wants to have another look or at the end of the buying circle, they may therefore have to search google  -seeing you at the top of google increases equity- as they might have forgotten your brand  name- re-targeting is useful here too, without strong SEO muscle you will have to depend on PPC.



Any business needs both but the goal must be clear so one can measure properly to make sure you are getting ROI. Google analytic or any insight software can help with this.

No financial muscle for ads then Guerilla marketing is the way to go.

Timing is a major factor here. If you want an instant upswing in your traffic, then Advertise. If you're more on the patient side, then SEO will do. Mind you eaither way costs eaither money or time.

Very educative. Hope you guys dont mind me putting this up in my blog?

Like the funk machine say's - Y'all talking loud and saying nothing!

First off-  the only reason the internet exist iz cos people "use it" to find stuff.

Before, you even think of seo or sem - u got to "confirm" that "u and ur 'em, business are even on the minds of people,

And even if it is - are the number of people who "emotionally want" - u or ur business significant? Over the year has the market grown or declined, what are the business "seasons"

Truth be told - if your bad business man/salesman/marketer "offline" you'd be a worse "online".

seo is cheap [/cheap]

If u have "experience" in SEO  - you'd know SEO is as xpensive as SEM , Check out the cost of the tools and the cost of running them e.t.c

You cant do SEM if you dont know SEO - SEM is born from SEO, Any SEM expert is an SEO "god" .

In all --- you should be spending more money on SEO than on SEM , dont frgt - i can always outbid,

You should listen to James Brown - Greatest Album

Get that funk- into your online hustle,

Both even beyond that.

Advertising Short term success, SEO Long term success

Like most have said earlier, SEO is kinda better and long term. Advertising on the other hand, is a short term success. However, both is good if you have the resources. At times, you might find yourself competing with strong and big companies who have enough to spend on advertising, then how do you survive with that. That is why SEO is the best and not just best, it is FREE.

Both are required but not at the same level. Site objective is also an important consideration. 

Advertising over and over and over again.

Never base the success of your company on a search engine.

100 years ago, it was advertising

Today it is advertising

In 100 years, it will be advertising

Well it all depends. In Nigeria now, you can go on with advertising but it is
best to do SEO as well. As for me, the link of my biz needs a lil bit of advert
and SEO, but in the long run, the papers or advert will vanish and only the
SEO will continue to make the site rank and get visitors

SHALOM