When thinking about search engine marketing (SEM), many businesses choose to go down the route of either Google Ads (aka PPC) or SEO (search engine optimisation). However, the two techniques actually support and complement one another, so it’s beneficial to use them both. Below, we’ll uncover how the two go hand in hand.
What’s the difference between PPC and SEO?
SEO is work that helps your website to appear organically (for free) on the search engine results page. That means that when a user searches for a query that matches your website, your website will appear in front of them and they will click on your website as it’s relevant to their search. However, this is extremely competitive and, depending on your industry, it can be very tricky to get on the first page of search results organically, let alone in the coveted first position.
PPC or pay-per-click marketing helps your website get to the top of the search engine results page, and businesses only pay when a visitor clicks their result. Costs per click can range from £0.01 a click to £20+ depending on the competition. However, the accounts we manage are between the £0.50-£2 mark for clicks, and you can set your limit on how much you’re willing to pay per click.
How do PPC and SEO help each other?
1. Extra visibility
One of the main benefits of using both strategies is an increase in visibility and brand awareness. Remember that with PPC and SEO, many more people will see your website and result appear than those who click. That leads to an increase in brand awareness for free, which can only be a positive thing!
PPC marketing can also be used to bridge the gap while you’re working on your SEO. Search engine optimisation is very often a medium to long-term strategy, and PPC can help your business drive targeted traffic and leads even if your organic rankings aren’t up to scratch yet.
2. Additional keyword insights
A big perk of PPC is the flexibility it allows. You can very easily switch keywords on and off, which often delivers a wealth of real-time and up-to-date data. This means you can use your PPC keyword data to drive your SEO strategy – giving you priority keywords to focus on.
3. Good SEO can make PPC cheaper
One of the main factors that defines how much you pay for each click is a metric called quality score. This measures the relevance between your keywords, ad copy and the content of your landing page. Having an up-to-date SEO strategy including URLs and on-page content will improve the quality score of your Google Ads, reducing the cost you pay per click.
Here at Conteur, we encourage our clients to adopt both strategies to maximise the impact of their search engine marketing efforts. If you’re not sure where to start, contact our digital marketing experts today for a no-obligation chat.
