In today’s digitally driven marketplace, businesses are constantly looking for ways to attract more online visitors, drive sales, and remain competitive. Search marketing has emerged and remained a critical component of a successful digital strategy. I have been a digital marketing consultant for a long time and nothing has come close to being as successful as this super duo.
If you’re considering how to bolster your online presence, you might have come across these two popular tactics: Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). But did you know that these two methods, when combined, can yield even better results than when used separately?
Let’s dive in and discover how PPC and SEO can work in tandem to enhance your business’s online visibility and growth.
1. What is PPC?
Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
is a type of online advertising where businesses pay each time their ad is clicked on. Each click means a visit to the advertiser’s website and potentially a new lead. These ads usually appear at the top or bottom of search engine results, clearly marked as ‘sponsored’. They can be tailored to display when specific keywords are searched, ensuring that the ads are shown to a relevant audience.
You can also advertise on Google’s search network which displays your ads on a variety of different websites and apps. We won’t discuss this further in this blog post as it’s not really search marketing, but more traditional advertising. Great for brand awareness and remarketing, but not so much for directly attracting new users and leads.
Benefits of PPC:
- Immediate visibility: Your ads can be up and running quickly.
- Budget control: You decide how much you want to spend.
- Targeted reach: Define who sees your ads by geography, time, or device.
- Data & insights: Immediate feedback on ad performance helps you fine-tune strategies.
Whilst these benefits are attractive, there are some pitfalls to be mindful of. As a seasoned PPC professional I’ve seen many many businesses waste a lot of money on PPC, usually because they have tried to do it themselves without really understanding how it works. It is pretty complicated in 2023 and it ca be a really easy way to burn through a lot of money with little to show for it. It’s so important to ensure it’s managed by someone that knows what they are doing and can show their expertise.
2. What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
involves optimizing your website to rank higher in organic (non-paid) search engine results. By improving various elements of your website (like content, meta descriptions, URL structure and a whole host of other things) and fostering a network of backlinks, you can improve its ranking.
The key to SEO is understanding what your target audience is looking for online and then building your strategy around those topics.
Benefits of SEO:
- Long-term results: Whilst it can take time for it to start working, once it does it can reap a far higher ROI that PPC.
- Credibility: Users often trust organic results more than paid ads.
- Increased organic traffic: A higher rank means more visibility and more clicks.
- Better user experience: SEO often involves improving site speed, mobile responsiveness, and content quality.
The downside is that it can take time for it to work. Many businesses that come to us think nothing of spending thousands on PPC but expect to pay a fraction of that for SEO services. Whilst I can understand that to a certain degree, I mean who doesn’t want to see instant results, businesses really need to be playing the long game, the rewards in doing so far outweigh the investment made.
So now we’ve looked at what these two powerhouses are, how do they work together?
Deep Dive: The Power of Keyword Data Sharing in PPC and SEO
The synergy between Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is undeniably powerful. One of the standout areas where this collaboration shines is in the sharing of keyword data. Let’s take a closer look at how this interchange works and why it’s a game-changer for businesses.
1. What is Keyword Data?
Before diving deep, it’s essential to understand what we mean by keyword data. In search marketing, keyword data pertains to the insights you gather about specific search terms. This includes data like search volume (how often a keyword is searched), click-through rate (how often a user clicks on your link after searching that keyword), conversion rate (how often a click turns into a sale or lead), and the competition or cost associated with that keyword in PPC campaigns.
2. Gleaning Insights from PPC
PPC campaigns offer a goldmine of real-time keyword data. With PPC, you can quickly determine which keywords lead to clicks and conversions. For instance, if a specific keyword is leading to many clicks but not conversions, it might be attracting the wrong audience or might indicate a misalignment between your ad content and landing page.
PPC also allows you to run multiple ad variations for the same keyword. By analysing which ad performs better, you gain insights into the type of content or call-to-action your audience prefers.
3. Informing SEO with PPC Data
Once you’ve gathered keyword insights from your PPC campaigns, you can:
- Optimize Content: If a keyword is converting well in PPC, it’s worth creating high-quality content around it for organic search. This can be blog posts, infographics, videos, or other forms of content.
- Refine Metadata: Use top-performing ad copy from PPC campaigns to tweak your website’s meta titles and descriptions. This can help improve organic click-through rates.
- Internal Linking: For keywords that have proven value, ensure you’re using internal linking strategies to guide users and search engine crawlers to relevant content.
4. Informing PPC with SEO Data
The exchange goes both ways! High-performing organic keywords can:
- Inspire Ad Campaigns: If a keyword is driving significant organic traffic, consider creating a targeted PPC campaign for it to dominate the search results.
- Budget Allocation: Organic performance can help you decide where to allocate your PPC budget. If a keyword already ranks well organically, you might reduce spend on it and allocate more budget to other potential keywords.
5. The Competitive Edge
Sharing keyword data between PPC and SEO teams (or strategies) is more than just collaboration; it’s about gaining a competitive edge. When both channels communicate and share insights, you’re essentially doubling your data resources. This combined intelligence makes your search marketing strategies more agile, informed, and efficient.
Deep Dive: The Impact of Enhanced Visibility through PPC and SEO
Visibility is paramount in the world of digital marketing. In the vast ocean of content and websites, standing out and capturing your audience’s attention is crucial. One of the most compelling advantages of combining Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies is the significantly enhanced visibility it offers. Let’s delve into how this works and why it’s indispensable for businesses.
What Does Enhanced Visibility Mean?
In the simplest terms, enhanced visibility means your brand or product is more prominently and frequently displayed in search results. When users type in a query related to your product or service, ideally, your website should show in both the paid (PPC) and organic (SEO) sections of the search results.
When you employ both PPC and SEO effectively your brand can appear twice on the first page – once in the paid ads section and once in the organic listings. This dual presence magnifies the chances of a user noticing and clicking on your listing.
Seeing a brand listed both organically and in paid ads subconsciously reinforces its credibility and authority in the mind of the searcher.
Multiple studies suggest users trust organic search results more than paid ads. However, when they see a brand rank organically and also invest in PPC, it sends a signal that the brand is confident, established, and trustworthy. Enhanced visibility offers a more rounded and holistic brand image. Users might think, “If they’re everywhere, they must be good!”
Some users have a propensity to click on ads, while others prefer organic results. By being visible in both sections, you cater to both types of users, potentially driving a higher overall CTR. Even if a user doesn’t click the first time, repeatedly seeing your brand increases familiarity and the likelihood they’ll engage with you in the future.
Search engines are notorious for updates that can affect organic rankings. If your SEO rankings suffer temporarily, your PPC ads can ensure you still maintain a prominent presence on the SERP. Similarly, in highly competitive PPC arenas, having strong organic SEO can ensure you’re still visible, even if competitors outbid you for certain keywords.
By using both PPC and SEO, you can create more touchpoints with users and if a user comes to your site via organic search but doesn’t convert, you can use PPC remarketing ads to remind them of your offerings, increasing chances of eventual conversion.
Deep Dive: The Testing Ground of PPC for SEO Strategies
PPC campaigns can serve as the ideal testing ground for SEO strategies, offering rapid insights to inform more sustained efforts. Let’s explore how this works and why it’s essential for businesses.
Keywords
Unlike SEO, which often requires time to see movement in rankings and traffic, PPC provides immediate feedback. Within days, or even hours, brands can measure metrics like click-through rate (CTR), bounce rate, and time on site. This allows them to understand which keywords and ad copies are driving actual sales, sign-ups, or other desired actions.
PPC also allows you to quickly validate keyword assumptions before dedicating resources to rank organically for a term, test its conversion potential with PPC. It can also help you to discover new keywords by uncovering long-tail keywords or search queries you hadn’t considered but resonate with your audience.
Content and Behaviours
The textual component of your PPC ads can offer insights for organic search strategies by testing different value propositions or calls-to-action in your ads. The top-performing ones can inform your SEO metadata, like title tags and meta descriptions. It can also help you to understand what phrasing or emotion (e.g., urgency, curiosity, relief) drives users to click and convert. In my opinion, this is critical in providing content and messaging that resonates with your audience.
In all my many years in this industry if I’ve learnt nothing, it’s that visitors are actual people with feelings, wants, need and desires and it’s connecting with them in a way that feels authentic to them that makes the biggest impact on their buying decisions.
PPC can also help you gauge seasonal behaviour to see how different times of the year might affect search behaviour or interest in your products and services. This can help to inform SEO content strategies throughout the seasonal peaks and troughs.
PPC also helps I testing audience segmentation. Whilst SEO is generally broad, PPC provides granular data on audience segments. You can test demographics and understand which age groups, genders, or other demographics resonate most with your offerings as well as analysing location insights. Which regions or cities are most responsive? This can guide local SEO efforts or content tailored to specific geographies.
Have I Convinced you?
I’ve been asked many times over my career whether PPC or SEO is a better strategy. Like most things in digital marketing it really does depend. I would look at it this way, if both strategies are producing an ROI for your business then why wouldn’t you utilise both? If that’s not the case then you may want to explore why a particular strategy isn’t working for you.
I don’t believe PPC will work for every business and I also don’t believe SEO will (yes, I said it out load!). But I definitely think it’s worth exploring both options.
Not sure how to get started or if this article has left you completed confused. Sign up for a free 30 min call with yours truly, Claire Taylor and we can discuss your strategy in more detail, oh did I mention it was completely free? Here’s the link: BOOK NOW