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Pay-per-click (PPC) and search engine optimization (SEO) are among the most popular online marketing strategies. But often, SEO and PPC efforts compete for the same thing: traffic from search engines. This clash can often cause conflict between the two approaches, with each side trying to outdo the other.
But PPC and SEO should not be sequestered; instead, they should work together. And spoiler alert: if you find a way to make it happen, it’s the perfect marketing pair:
The Difference Between SEO and PPC
PPC is about paid advertising, while SEO focuses on organic search results. PPC is an excellent way to get immediate results, as your ad will appear at the top of search pages as soon as you start your campaign. Conversely, SEO takes longer to see results, as it can take months for your website to increase organic search rankings.
That’s not to say that SEO is not necessary—it is! But done correctly, PPC can complement it perfectly.
For example, let’s say you’re running a PPC campaign for a new product launch. You can employ SEO to ensure that your website ranks highly for relevant keywords and your organic site link appears as your audience searches.
Or, let’s say you have a time-sensitive sale going on. You can use PPC to drive immediate traffic to your website and leverage SEO to ensure your website ranks high for relevant keywords, and people can find out about your sale even after it’s over.
The Advantages of PPC and SEO Working Together
To optimize your joint PPC and SEO strategy, you have to think about the big picture:
Keyword Ranking
With PPC, you can target key phrases that are difficult to rank for organically. This strategy draws attention to your website and gets people clicking through to your content. Then you can complement your PPC work with SEO to target easier long-tail key phrases. It’s a strategy that covers all your bases.
Audience Credibility
Use SEO to develop trust and credibility with your audience. This engagement can make people more likely to click on your ads when seeing them. Then, come in with PPC to drive traffic to your website immediately. This setup can be helpful for time-sensitive campaigns or when you need to boost traffic quickly.
You can use SEO to build long-term sustainable traffic. This approach is the best way to grow your business in the long run and should be the foundation of your online marketing strategy.
Content Testing
Landing pages are essential for both PPC and SEO. A/B testing can help teams understand what works best for their visitors. Testing different headlines, layouts, and calls to action can help increase conversion rates and ROI.
PPC landing pages will focus on immediate conversions with forms and chatbots, while SEO landing pages will provide more information and helpful guides. Producing both is essential for targeting consumers on different buying journeys. Having people encounter your brand at every stage is what’s most important.
Working with PPC and SEO Teams
On a larger marketing team, SEO and PPC teams may start to compete. So, if you’re in a position to help guide both, let each group of individuals shine with their unique skill set:
SEO teams understand keyword intent. If they see multiple possible meanings for a keyword, they can analyze search results and inform PPC teams on how to focus their ads. Conversely, PPC teams obtain feedback quickly from new ads and can help shape headlines and keywords with SEO teams. Monitoring keyword trends month-to-month can help inform SEO strategy.
Building Your PPC and SEO Strategy
When used together, PPC and SEO can be a powerful combination. Understanding how they work together allows you to make the most of both strategies and create a well-rounded online marketing campaign integration. Not sure where to get started? Talk to 10x digital to find an expert partner to integrate your SEO and PPC teams effectively.