SEO and PPC Cannibalization
Factors to consider before launching organic and paid search campaigns at the same time.
Factors to consider before launching organic and paid search campaigns at the same time.
My column, “Organic Versus Paid Search,” sparked some debate. Some argued that you should never have to choose between these two activities — that both should always be employed. Yet others sided with my view — the most appropriate and cost efficient investment really depends on your circumstances.
To be clear: I never said don’t do both. If budget restrictions require a strategic focus of dollars, I contend that you then might have to weigh your options between the two.
This got me thinking about a very related and highly debated topic: Should you be doing both? Do organic search (SEO) and paid search (PPC) activities complement or cannibalize each other?
Coincidentally, my team attended a Webinar the other day called, “Tactical Methods to Coordinate your SEO and PPC Campaigns“. It basically talked about how employing SEO and PPC in tandem could potentially cannibalize or bring synergies to your online campaign.
Now, this isn’t the first time this topic has been tackled. I touched on it in the column, “Coordinating Organic, Paid Search Efforts.” However, the Webinar made me see this issue in a slightly different light — that SEO and PPC together can often be harmonious, but there can also be some negatives that come out of employing both at the same time. Now as a search enthusiast, this idea leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but I would have to agree — there are some dangers. Cannibalization is number one.
Cannibalize: It’s a Don’t
Cannibalization can occur when your SEO and PPC activities compete against each other and/or one (usually paid search) is unnecessary or even wasteful due to the success of the other.
It can take place in any of the following scenarios:
Keep in mind, it’s highly unlikely for a site to obtain a strong organic ranking on every keyword phrase relevant to its audience. So paid search would likely still be important to support your organic efforts and gain presence on the more elusive keywords.
That said, just because your brand awareness is high, doesn’t mean everyone will automatically search for your brand. They might think first of the type of product or service they need and search for that instead (e.g. “iPod”) versus your brand or company name (e.g. Apple).
When these three situations occur, you may want to think twice about employing paid search, or evaluate exactly how you will use it.
However, before giving up on paid search too quickly, keep in mind that there are significant opportunities to create synergy with your paid search and organic search activities.
Synergize: It’s a Do!
A brand could gain positive synergy from having both organic and paid search in the following scenarios:
There are many considerations when deciding whether to employ one or both paid search activities. Ultimately, if SEO and paid search activities are planned strategically, it will exponentially benefit your campaign.