Today, we're looking at how PPC and SEO can work together and what kind of effects they have on each other. On top of that, we'll examine a few tactics on how you can use them together. And let us tell you right from the start, if you combine the two properly, you'll get a result that you weren't even hoping for.
Both PPC and SEO operate on many of the same premises. And as a matter of fact, this is why they can work so well together. On the other hand, this is also why they can make a mess of everything if the line of communication between them isn't maintained.
To be able to use them as you should, you must know a bit more about each. So, let's see what these abbreviations mean.
What is SEO?
If you've been into business for some time, you probably heard of Search Engine Optimization. Moreover, the chances are that you even know why it's important to keep track of your SEO ranking. However, if you're new to the world of digital marketing, these terms might sound complicated to you. So, let's give you a brief explanation.
In essence, SEO is the process by which a website can rank better in the searches for targeted keywords. There are many things you need to do on your site to make it well optimized. And the more of them you can nail, the higher you'll appear when people search for a phrase you rank for.
SEO refers to all the changes you can make on your site to rank better.
What is PPC?
Pay Per Click advertising refers to the ads that you see at the top and on the sides of searches on any of the popular search engines. Its name should be self-explanatory, but let's clarify it just in case.
The companies that place them only pay for the ads that are clicked on. So, if you don't get any visits from the ad, you have nothing to pay for.
For a business, it's an affordable way to get new customers. However, depending on what words or phrases you want to rank for, the price varies. Some keywords will be very affordable, while the others can cost up to hundreds of dollars per click. The more competition there is, the more you can expect to pay.
Of course, there are ways to get more value for your money. With some clever wordplay, you can get under the radar and pay less than you normally would. That being said, you should consult with experts in this field before you do anything. Trying to do it by yourself might not deliver any results.
Do they affect each other?
One of the most commonly asked questions here is if one can affect another. And technically, the answer is no. No PPC ad will affect your ranking, and your site ranking can't affect them either. However, they can influence each other indirectly.
There are things you can do to connect the two. And if you do so, you'll get maximum results for your efforts. There are plenty of examples out there of how PPC and SEO can work together, so let's take a look at some of them.
SEO plus PPC equals great search engine presence
The better your SEO is, the more chance you have to rank on the first page of search results. If you do really well, you might even end up in the first place for a few keywords you rank for. And that's great. But add PPC into the mix for the same keyword, and your brand easily dominates the search results.
And if we know that over 90% of the searches on Google don't go past the first page, you're ensuring the maximum amount of clicks possible. Now, it's safe to assume that you won't be the only one with this idea. So, you'll have to learn how to make successful bids in Google ads to make it work.
Learn how PPC and SEO can work together for maximum results, and you'll get more search engine presence than any of your competitors.
PPC recovers your missing clicks
A lot of people assume that if they're already ranking on the top spot for a particular keyword, they don't need to purchase the ad for it. The logic they're going for is that appearing on the same page twice won't give you many benefits. However, we already established that this is incorrect.
According to Google themselves, if you have an ad and pause it, about 89% of traffic generated by it won't be replaced by the organic rankings. So, you're really missing out if you don't have one, even in this instance. This is why companies like Digital Dot, which are experts in both fields of SEO and PPC, recommend that you pay attention to your SEO but also invest in paid advertising. You won't necessarily pay a lot more, but you'll get a lot more.
You can reach previous visitors with remarketing campaigns
Your site might be ranking well thanks to your SEO efforts. And if it does, you're probably getting a fair amount of visitors. However, all these people are leads that will need some time to make up their minds. Luckily, there's a form of PPC called remarketing, and it lets you bring these visitors back to your site.
With this tactic, you show people the ads for products they already looked at on your site. It's an easy way to reach them and encourage them to come back and complete the purchase they've been thinking about. And even if you just turn a prospect into a lead, it still pays off.
Use PPC to test new keywords for SEO
SEO often takes time, research, and expense. If you're relying on a keyword-driven content marketing strategy, you probably found yourself in a situation when you're thinking about targeting a keyword with SEO, but you're not sure if it's worth it. Well, you can use PPC to test it.
And it's a pretty simple process as well. Buy a PPC advertising for a keyword you're considering, and you monitor results for a while. If the ad performs well, you probably should optimize your site for it.
When you brainstorm plenty of potential keywords, you can use PPC to test all of them.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are all kinds of examples of how PPC and SEO can work together. You can combine them, use them to test each other, or complement one another. On top of all that, PPC tends to be very cheap. So, it's a great thing to experiment with. You can only gain by using it, so feel free to try it.
Meta: Dive right into this article and find out how PPC and SEO can work together to give you the results you didn't even dream about.
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