Approaching SEO and PPC as separate, disparate strategies might be tempting for digital marketers, but in both the long and short-term, using a combination of both tactics can produce great results for companies in all sectors and of all sizes. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why, and how a harmonious PPC/SEO strategy will generate the best outcome…
PPC & SEO – What’s the difference?
Before delving into the ways in which SEO and PPC can work together, it is first vital to clarify what is meant by each term. PPC (or pay-per-click) and SEO (search engine optimisation) define two tried and tested online marketing tactics. PPC ads charge a fee every time a particular advert is clicked, providing a great way of securing increased web traffic. Meanwhile, SEO refers to the process of gaining traffic from activities which bolster your company’s organic search engine presence.
Increase Your Visibility
With an end goal of increasing brand recall and product visibility, a combination of PPC and SEO tactics are a match made in marketing heaven. Visibility is the keyword to keep in mind when plotting marketing activity which utilises both PPC and SEO – as this is where both can help eradicate troublesome obstacles and boost your overall presence. Whether wanting to bolster the rankings of your website, your social pages or a landing page, the success of one of these tactics helps lead into the other. Harnessing SEO and PPC simultaneously also allows you to take control over your digital PR in a way which could prove extremely helpful when attempting to overcome negative attention or outmatch competitors.
Access Vital Data
One of the main problems some people have with SEO is the fact that it is not a quick fix. Whilst when done properly, a well-optimised search engine presence will provide you with great results, it is by no means instant – whereas a PPC advert can be set up within five minutes once you understand how it all works. The lessons learned from successful aspects of your PPC campaign can then be fed into a longer-term SEO strategy, such as which imagery and text appeals to your customers, and which messaging brings in results. Testing keywords with a PPC campaign can help you decide what will have the greatest impact when subsequently used as organic keywords.
