Final answer:
(a), as organic SEO exposure is free and relies on strategies to naturally rank higher on search engine results, while paid search comes with costs for top ad placements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is option (a): Organic exposure is free but requires time and effort. Unlike paid search, which involves paying to have your ads appear at the top of search engine results pages, organic SEO is the practice of optimizing a website to rank higher in the search results through non-paid means.
Organic exposure through SEO involves several strategies like optimizing website content, improving page load speed, and acquiring backlinks. Although organic SEO does not directly cost money like paid search, it requires a significant investment in time and expertise.
Option (b) is partially correct in stating that paid search can guarantee top placement, but this is usually in the form of ads, and there is always a cost associated with maintaining that placement.
Option (c) is incorrect as organic exposure is typically slower to achieve results compared to paid search but does not have a direct cost associated. Option (d) is incorrect because while paid search can be targeted, it is not inherently limited to a specific audience; advertisers can choose a broad or narrow target audience.