Most people understand Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Google AdWords (also known as Pay Per Click) as two separate Digital Marketing strategies. Yes, the two are different in their methodology, but ultimately both share the same end goal – driving your Website to the top of Search Engine results to get more traffic to your Site.
There are many ways in which SEO and Google AdWords complement each other and when used in conjunction with one another, they can boost a Small Business’s Online presence over the long haul.
Before knowing why they should be used together, here’s a crash course on why both matter in the grand schemes of things.
SEO: Is essentially the practice of getting a better organic Search Engine ranking for your Website. If you are able to correctly optimise your Website and landing pages, such as your ‘Home’, ‘About Us’ and ‘Services’ pages, then it will make it easier for Search Engines like Google to read and define your Website.
While SEO can take at least 3 months to really start to make an impact, if Google recognises your Website as a legitimate Business the more likely you are to appear higher in the Search Results pages. And the higher you’re ranked – the more likely a user is to click on the link to your Site.
Google AdWords: Unlike SEO, Google AdWords is a paid service Google offers to advertise your Small Business through Online Ads that can result in instant traffic to your Site. To ensure your ads are at the top of Google’s search results, your AdWords Campaign will target specific Keywords associated with your products or services. When a user selects on your ad they will be diverted to your Website and you’re charged for that click, which is a result of the Keyword that was searched for by the user.
The cost per click-through to your Site will vary depending on how many other competing Businesses are using that same Keyword in their respective Campaigns – this is where a bidding system is used.
Now that you’re more familiar with both Online Marketing strategies, you might be wondering which one will serve your Small Business best in the Digital Marketing stakes. stand to benefit from more? But before you choose one, keep reading, because here are some key reasons why utilizing both SEO AND Google AdWords into your Marketing Strategy might yield the best results for you.
Visibility
The biggest benefit of combining SEO and AdWords is the increased exposure across Search Engine result pages. By featuring prominently on both the organic and paid search results, Small Business owners will see a significant increase in Website traffic. The more exposure the Website receives on search page results, the greater the impression that the Business is a well-established brand in a particular market.
Imagine if a user who is unfamiliar with your Website is searching for your Business and sees your company listed multiple times in their search results; both organically AND with an ad. Logically speaking, that user will be more inclined to click on your Business because your site is so prominent, making them feel you’re more trustworthy and professional.
More Campaigns Mean More Data
By simultaneously running SEO and AdWords Campaigns you’ll gain even more data to analyse, helping you stay on top of market trends and audience insights.
Furthermore, you’ll be better able to determine which Keywords and phrases have the highest conversion rate, so you can incorporate them into your SEO Campaign too! That’s the beauty of starting up a Google AdWords Campaign from the get-go, because it helps identify the relevant keywords and what visitors are looking for that can be fed directly into your SEO, allowing you to select the most popular Keywords for your organic Campaigns.
Apply Top Performing Paid Keywords into Your SEO Campaign
As stated in the previous point, what works for a Google AdWords Campaign can also work wonders for your SEO. By determining which AdWords copy results in the most conversions, you’ll have a better understanding of how to create effective Title Tags, Meta Descriptions and page content for the pages that you want to rank well in organic Search Results.
The benefit of using Google AdWords to test written content is through data and results. Just like with the Keywords, you will know immediately what works and what doesn't, while organically testing titles and Metas can take a long time to get enough data to find out what’s working.
In addition, knowing what Key Search Terms work can also help in the production of a Blog page for the Website. A dedicated Blog page can have immediate ranking benefits on any SEO campaign.
Audience Retargeting Opportunities
One of the best things about Google AdWords is the opportunity to target your Ads towards specific groups of people, based on demographics, interests, location and other key factors. The data collected from these AdWords Campaigns may reveal key details about the targeted audience, thus helping you to refine you Business’s overall SEO strategy.
For example, if you’re using Google AdWords to retarget on YouTube, it’s now possible for you to show your Ad for a sports shoe to people aged between 20 and 30 years, living in a particular country who have shown an active interest in sports, health and fitness Online.
In this way you’ll be able to appeal to people who will be most likely to purchase your products. But furthermore, the data you collect from these retargeting audiences will also pay off big time for your SEO efforts.
So, if you’re tossing up between SEO or Google AdWords, why not consider employing both simultaneously for a truly effective Digital Marketing Strategy? While individually they will likely yield good results for your Small Business, hand-in-hand they could prove to be an unbeatable strategy!