I’ve always thought of SEO and PPC as two completely separate processes, and not together. But now I think about it, SEO and PPC should both be used together to grow your online presence, you shouldn’t have to pick one or the other! Actually, they work hand in hand, and can lower the cost of the services!

But first, what are SEO and PPC?

Search Engine Optimisation is the activity that attempts to improve search engine rankings.

In search results, Google displays links to pages it considers relevant and authoritative, and there are ways you can optimise your page to make it more authoritative, enabling you to appear higher in searches.

Pay Per Click is a system in which you appear at the top of searches, and pay when your ad gets clicked on. When your ad is live, it will start appearing immediately, unlike SEO which can take months.

So how can they work together?

• Visibility

The most obvious advantage of using both SEO and PPC together is that you’ll get more exposure and visibility on the search engines. Most businesses reduce their PPC spend once their organic site is number one, but this is wrong. The more links you have to your company on the first page, the more likely customers are to convert. It’s about improving your credibility and shows visitors that you are number one!

• Share Data

If you have simultaneous SEO and PPC campaigns, it gives you the chance to analyze double the amount of data. Outline which keywords are performing well in your paid ads, and use this as a basis for your SEO campaign.

• Link directly to your product page

With your PPC ads, you can link to the specific product page that the ad relates to. Google will rank you higher, and your quality score will improve the more the landing page relates to the ad. It also makes it easier for your visitors - reducing the number of clicks for them to make a purchase. Improving your quality score will also impact your SEO rankings too.

• Combat Negative PR

It is impossible to please all of your customers, so it’s inevitable that you’ll get some negative reviews. When you do, SEO and PPC combined can make for great damage control. It comes back to visibility again and using SEO and PPC to ensure visitors see what you want them to see when searching for things. For example, if you’re getting a number of complaints about a certain area of your business, direct visitors to a page that shows the ways you’re committed to improving your services.

• Test Strategic Organic Keywords with PPC

PPC ads are a really easy way to refine your organic keyword strategy. As your long-term organic keyword strategy evolves, you can test the conversion rate of certain words using PPC ads. You’ll get immediate and real-time feedback, which allows you to create a more effective SEO strategy.

Final thoughts

SEO and PPC complement each other and allow you to truly dominate the search engines. If you’re still not convinced by what you’ve read here, however, speak to one of our experts, who will explain how the two services marry up nicely. The number to call is 020 3617 9950.

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