Marketers think of SEO and PPC as two boxes that should be separate and not muddy each other’s waters. However, combining both strategies is becoming more prevalent.
That’s because organic and paid search are two halves of the same whole, two peas in a pod that should stick together. Contrary to some beliefs, they don’t cannibalize each other.
When used together, they will earn more traffic and conversions than if they were kept in their own silos.
But how does one integrate the two? And how can we balance paid search and organic and which one should you use more of?
In the following sections, we’ll discuss the reasons for using SEO and paid search together, how to find a good mix of both, and how to combine them for better ROI.
How to Effectively Combine Paid Search and SEO for Higher Conversions
First, let’s have a refresher about the differences between each strategy.
Paid Marketing vs. Organic Marketing
Organic marketing is a method of attracting customers to your store or website without paying. This is achieved through search engine optimization which aims to increase organic traffic derived from search engine results pages.
You can also use social media posts, guest posts on other websites, and podcast appearances to get clicks organically.
On the other hand, paid marketing, also known as paid search or pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, is a form of digital advertising where you pay each time someone clicks on an ad you’re running. The ads can come in the form of search ads and social media ads.
Why should I use SEO and paid search together?
Combining SEO and PPC strategies will make you more visible on search engine results pages (SERPs), as well as make you look more credible.
If you’re ranking on top of search results pages through organic posts, that visibility can be boosted by paid ads (which come at the top of the results).
The more often a potential customer sees your brand or company on the page, they will think that you are an authority in your industry and therefore, the more they are likely to click.
SEO and PPC also complement each other in terms of how quickly they achieve your business goals. SEO is a long-term game while PPC has quicker results. When combined, they ensure you have a wider online presence.
Also, paid ads can negatively affect your ROI if you’re dependent on them for clicks. If you’re focusing on organic search to drive traffic to a product page on your website while running paid ads, over time your page will rank organically.
You can then stop or minimize your paid campaigns for that product and shift those resources to other products or campaigns.
What’s a good mix for SEO and paid search traffic?
Balance both SEO and paid search by assessing your marketing efficiency ratio (MER) to see if your ad budget is giving a reasonable return on investment.
MER measures how efficient your marketing efforts are as a whole. It gives a big-picture look at overall campaign performance, unlike return on advertising spend (ROAS), which measures specific ad campaigns and channels.
Once you’ve measured MER, you can adjust your SEO and paid search mix accordingly.
SEO vs. PPC: How to Combine Both Strategies
SEO first
We recommend building a good foundation in SEO first before you attempt to optimize both SEO and paid search. SEO will improve your PPC performance and your website’s content. It results in more organic traffic, which will affect your paid ads too.
Also, when conducting organic keyword research, you can identify good keywords to target for your paid search campaigns.
If you're not sure where to start building your foundation, it might be investing in an SEO consultancy service for some pointers.
There are many agencies out there that can help you set the right layers of your SEO strategy: identify the right keywords, the content pillars you should build on, creating the right content and executing the right linking strategy to help you increase your results.
To be clear: you can't start PCC or SEA without starting SEO first; both go hand-in-hand.
Your best SEA keywords are the ones that will help you shape your SEO marketing strategy. At the same time, your SEO results will give you hints and insights that are crucial to make sure your paid strategy is successful as well.
Most people are saying you should way 2 or 3 months before seeing SEO results: for meaningful results, this might be true. But within a few days/weeks, you can quickly see if your efforts are going towards the right direction.
So start early, and iterate a lot! Again, agencies can help: here are some questions you can use to find the right partner.
Mix in paid search
Add paid search and leverage both in your marketing efforts. Here are a few ideas to integrate both:
Paid search to test organic keywords
Organic search is a long game and can take a lot of trial and effort. You can use paid search to see if keywords bring the desired results.
Through paid search, you can find out if a keyword is suitable for organic search by running ads (which will be visible on top of the search engine results pages). If the response is good, it’s a sign that those keywords would work for your SEO efforts too.
On the other hand, if you have a high bounce rate or a low conversion rate from those keywords, that signals that you shouldn’t use them for your organic search content.
SEO and PPC also complement each other in terms of how quickly they achieve your business goals. SEO is a long-term game while PPC has quicker results. When combined, they ensure you have a wider online presence.
Using paid search in this way has quicker results because search ads attract more visits in less time than organic search. The information you get from these visits can be used to adjust your SEO tactics.
Paid ads to increase backlinks
Social media and retargeting ads give your posts a wider reach, leading to more backlinks that will boost your search rankings.
More exposure in SERPs
Paid ads are seen first because they’re near the top of search results pages. Your visibility is enhanced through these ads.
And if you’re already ranking high on search rankings for a keyword, having paid ads running in tandem with those pages will increase your credibility.
Notes for increasing your presence on SERPs with paid and organic search:
- Make sure your messaging and copy on paid and organic are cohesive. You don’t want to confuse your audience who are coming from your ads by jarring differences in your content.
- Use social media, display, and retargeting ads to give your posts a wider reach. The more backlinks, the better. On social media, target different demographics and see what works best. You can use this data to inform your organic strategies.
Track the performance of each strategy regularly
Analyze the data you’ve collected from paid ads and organic content based on the same metrics. This includes:
- Impressions
- Time spent on site
- Conversion rate
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Local conversions
Use these metrics to identify high-ROI keywords. Track your efforts and adjust your strategies using the data you have. You can also run A/B tests to see what your audience responds to more.
Regular monitoring and optimization will help you maximize ROI and achieve your goals faster.
Paid Ads and Organic Content: Finding the Perfect Mix for Your Marketing Strategy
In conclusion, balancing paid and organic strategies is essential for maximizing ROI in today's competitive digital landscape.
While paid strategies offer quick wins and targeted reach, organic efforts like SEO build lasting brand visibility and trust.
By thoughtfully integrating both approaches, you can achieve immediate business goals and sustainable growth.
Regularly assess and adjust your strategy based on performance data to ensure that your marketing efforts remain aligned with your objectives, delivering the best possible results over time.
FAQs
Why is it important to balance paid and organic strategies?
Balancing paid and organic strategies allows you to maximize your reach while managing costs. Paid strategies deliver quick results, while organic efforts build long-term visibility. Together, they create a sustainable and cost-effective marketing approach.
How can I determine the right balance between paid and organic efforts?
Analyze your business goals, budget, and performance metrics. If you need immediate traffic, prioritize paid strategies. For long-term growth, invest in organic tactics like SEO. Regularly review your results and adjust based on what's working.
Can organic strategies reduce the need for paid advertising over time?
Yes, as your organic presence strengthens, you may rely less on paid ads for traffic. However, a mix of both is often necessary to maintain competitiveness, especially in saturated markets.
