PPC and SEO: The Dynamic Duo

Marketers should use both pay-per-click and SEO tactics in order to get the most out of their search marketing campaigns - are you using this strategy?

In search engine marketing, pay-per-click (PPC) and search engine optimization (SEO) each have their own intricacies to improve performance. Concentrating on those intricacies is beneficial, but sometimes increased performance can be attained when looking at the similarities of both channels. The obvious similarity is that both channels drive traffic through keywords. The more important similarity is that both channels strive to match user intent with the content of the page that is being promoted. The insight gained from this strife is the commonality that can make both channels a dynamic duo.

One of the biggest differences between the two channels is time. PPC can provide instantaneous results, whereas SEO can take a long period of time to achieve results. The time advantage that PPC has can ultimately provide great insights into what can be developed over time in SEO. Testing keywords and identifying the “phrase matches” that drove traffic can lead to content creation that benefits SEO. Testing multiple headlines on paid search advertisements can also provide metrics to help steer more effective titles of articles or content of pages. You can never get the time it takes to develop content and gain traction in SEO back. Don’t miss the mark and utilize the instantaneousness of PPC to improve your SEO efforts.

The need for content creation in SEO provides PPC with more landing pages to satisfy the intent of the user. Learning what content is most effective through SEO can provide PPC with new avenues for growth. Sometimes there are campaigns in PPC that aren’t producing, so they are turned off and forgotten. But SEO is always on and the metrics that were once providing poor PPC results can change on a dime. Make sure you’re monitoring content metrics in SEO to determine when those shifts occur. Seasonality is a great example; changes in content metrics through SEO can indicate when campaigns need to be launched in PPC.

There is also evidence that shows the presence of both a paid search and an organic listing can be mutually beneficial. Having your company displayed in both paid and organic results can be an indicator of trust to a user. You can also take advantage of attracting a user to your website through the messaging of both channels. You can rank in the first organic position for a keyword phrase. That listing contains a title and description that is attempting to satisfy that user’s intent. Having a PPC advertisement being displayed near that listing with supporting content provides more opportunity to satisfy the intent of that user. Competition can be fierce with very little real estate, so take advantage of every opportunity.

The benefits of sharing insights between PPC and SEO are extremely important and could ultimately mean the difference between effective and masterful.

Image via Shutterstock.

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