Do you think SEO and PPC should always be two separate entities? Think again.
You can actually combine them in your digital marketing strategy to deliver incredible results you never expected. By pairing them the right way, you’ll be able to attract more visitors, increase organic traffic, and generate qualified leads. Oh, and you’ll be boosting your revenue, too!
To get a better understanding of their symbiotic relationship, let’s discuss what they are, particularly their similarities and differences. After that, we’ll move on to tackle the various ways they can work together to help your website and business thrive.
Let’s get started, shall we?
How Are SEO and PPC Different?
As you may already know, SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving a website so it ranks better in search engine result pages (SERPs); thus, boosting its visibility to searchers looking for the products or services you offer.
PPC, or pay-per-click advertising, on the other hand, refers to the ads you see at the top and along the sides of searches on Google, Yahoo, and other search engines. Companies only pay for the ads once someone clicks them – hence the term “pay-per-click.”
Although both tactics are encompassed under the umbrella of search engine marketing (SEM), there’s certainly a number of major differences between them.
For instance, paid ads often show up at the top of search engine listings, just above the organic rankings influenced by SEO implementations.
Advertisers who use PPC to generate traffic should pay for those site visits, whereas organic listings that gain clicks from visibility through SEO spend little to nothing.
As for the results, PPC campaigns tend to produce them immediately. The downside is, after the promotion comes to an end, the metrics of a website will likely revert to pre-campaign levels
Meanwhile, it may take months (or even years) to gain momentum and see a return on investment when you’re using SEO. However, as soon as your SEO strategy starts to yield results, those changes will definitely be prosperous and continuous.
How Are SEO and PPC Similar?
Now, let’s talk about their similarities. Most online marketers assume that SEO and PPC will never share any commonality. That’s where they’re wrong.
While we can’t deny that they’re different in many ways, they can also be alike for a couple of reasons.
First, both marketing tactics are all about driving traffic and conversions. While SEO does it by climbing the SERPs organically and PPC makes it happen simply through paid means, the ultimate goal remains the same.
Second, they’re both keyword-driven strategies. Pay-per-click advertisers conduct keyword research to determine successful phrases to bid on and they rely on negative keyword lists to look for irrelevant keywords that should be excluded. SEO specialists also analyze keywords to understand how to optimize their content, titles, technical elements, and other on-site aspects.
How Can You Drive Leads by Combining SEO and PPC?
So, how can these two powerful marketing tactics work hand-in-hand to improve the quantity and quality of your leads? Let’s explore five ways below!
PPC Helps Recover Missed Search Engine Clicks
Just because your website is already ranking first naturally for a certain keyword doesn’t mean that there’s no need for you to purchase a PPC ad for that exact keyword.
But, what’s the point of appearing on the same page twice, you ask?
According to a Google study, when search ads for a particular keyword were paused, around 89% of traffic generated by these ads weren’t replaced by the organic rankings. In other words, pausing your PPC ads could affect your traffic, and yes, even if your site has the number one spot.
That’s why using PPC is a must. Doing so will help you recover clicks and interest from searchers you might’ve missed. No matter what your ranking is, these ads can draw in traffic from people who are searching for your products or services. No worries about the money, it won’t cost you a lot.
PPC Allows You to Test New Keywords for SEO
SEO is a lengthy process that requires lots of research and expense. You might find yourself planning to target a specific keyword, but a part of you is quite unsure if it’s a good idea.
So, how can you be certain that the keyword you’re thinking of is viable for SEO? That’s right, PPC.
Choose a keyword that could possibly rank high and bring in conversions. Obviously, it should be something that’s highly relevant to your products or services. Once you’ve decided on one, buy PPC advertising for it.
Keep track of the results and observe the performance of your website. If the performance looks impressive, your next move is to start optimizing your site for it. However, if your PPC ads aren’t as effective as you hoped them to be, you’ll have to avoid SEO for that keyword.
SEO with PPC Means Better Search Engine Presence
Targeting the right keywords in your SEO can get your website to rank in the first page of search engines. Purchasing pay-per-click ads for those same keywords with a good enough bid gives your campaign an opportunity to appear near the top of the page when someone searches for those terms.
Optimizing your website and buying PPC advertising for those keywords ensures that your brand dominates the search results. Plus, it increases your odds of capturing valuable leads and eventually converting them.
Reach Past Visitors with Remarketing
So, you notice that your website is ranking well and drawing in new visitors every day because of your SEO efforts. The problem is, most of these potential leads take too long to decide – too long to the extent that they end up leaving and forgetting to return.
How are you supposed to get them to come back to complete their purchase? Your best bet is to combine your SEO with remarketing, a form of PPC.
Let’s say you run an online store for gym and fitness enthusiasts. Someone is looking for a pull-up bar on your site, but since they’re still on the fence, they exit your virtual shop to think their decision through.
Unfortunately for you, they never stepped foot on your site again. This is where remarketing comes in.
What you’ll be doing is to buy ad space from a website in Google’s network to show that previous visitor of your ads for that same pull-up bar at a later time. That way, you get to remind them to visit your store again and finally buy the equipment.
SEO and PPC Provide More Data for Wiser Decision-Making
By fusing PPC and SEO, you’ll receive a huge source of data that can help you make better decisions. Both tactics come with similar metrics you can examine, including the click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, bounce rates, and time on site.
From your gathered data, you can identify which keywords are best at generating sales, and which ones are driving visitors to your site. In most cases, these are visitors who are least likely to turn into leads.
Although you can always get this data from SEO or PPC separately, using both means you’re doubling the data, making it easier for you to come up with a smarter decision.
The Bottom Line
From what you’ve just read, you might agree with us now when we tell you that combining PPC and SEO can be a magical thing. From ranking you higher and generating organic traffic to your site, to driving more leads and converting them, the rewards will be plenty.
If SEO or PPC isn’t (or never will be) your forte, you might as well hire an agency that offers topnotch SEO services. You won’t regret it!
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