Choosing between Pay-Per-Click Marketing and Search Engine Optimization is not a matter of measuring return on investment. There are major differences between the two approaches and the choice between one or the other is based on different factors; you must understand the differences before a final decision is made. Here are the steps to choosing between the two.
Many web marketers who have used pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, bothered by the ever-increasing cost of PPC or stung by instances of click fraud, are turning to search engine optimization (SEO) as a substitute or replacement for their PPC efforts. The problem is that many of these advertisers then start comparing their returns on SEO and find these lacking.
Comparing PPC to SEO is like comparing an IBM AS 400 mainframe to an Apple Powerbook there is simply no comparison. They have distinct differences; they may be similar in that both are computers, but the differences outweigh the similarities.
Choosing between PPC and SEO is not a matter of tossing a coin or playing rock-paper-scissors. You must have a clear understanding of each approach and how to measure the return on investment of each...