There seems to be a lot of confusion about SEO and what it can do. One common misconception that a lot of small businesses make is assuming that if you use AdWords advertising, then your SEO ranking will automatically increase. Most of them believe that if you pour your money into a search engine’s advertising platform (Google AdWords in this case), then the organic rankings of your page will increase significantly.
Well, that’s not the way digital marketing works.
Google won’t give you preferential treatment just because you’re using their advertising service. Likewise, you don’t have to worry that the moment you stop running an AdWords campaign, then your organic ranking will drop.
There’s no direct correlation between SEO and AdWords and investing in one won’t affect the results the other will deliver. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at these two online marketing tactics and talk about the impact they can have on organic search results.
You may also be interested in How Will AdWords Help SEO?
SEO or AdWords?
Let’s make one thing clear from the start: if you want to increase your position in Search Engine Results Page (SERPs,) then you shouldn’t look for ways to cut corners. Easy fixes should have no place in your online marketing strategy as search engines are quick to spot and penalise the sites that employ black hat tactics to boost their rank in organic searches.
If you want to see long-term results, then you need to focus on developing a sound SEO strategy and implement it consistently. It’s a meticulous job, and it can take a while to notice a significant change in your rank.
However, there is a way to get targeted traffic and qualified leads to your website without having to wait for months on end. We’re talking about Google AdWords.
Keep in mind that while a PPC campaign can boost the visibility of your website, it has little to no influence on your organic ranking.
The obvious solution, in this case, maybe to focus less on SEO and invest more in AdWords advertising, right?
Well, not necessarily.
Yes, AdWords can generate leads, but it’s not a long-term strategy. The moment you stop pouring money into it, your conversion rate will drop significantly. With SEO, on the other hand, you can see results months and even years after you’ve implemented your strategy.
Search Engine Result Pages
Let’s take a closer look at Google SERP page and try to understand the relationship between SEO and AdWords better.
The Google search page consists of three main sections: paid listings (through AdWords) which appear at the top and the side of the page and organic listings.
All information on Google is clear, and upfront and prospects know which content is organic and which is advertised. It’s a win-win situation for both advertisers and internet users. Those who pay to have their ads displayed get a better chance at targeting their target audience. And, consumers are happy because the links aren’t masked to appear as organic search results.
- Paid Listings
Advertisers will bid on particular keywords and compete against other businesses to have their ads displayed for certain Google queries. The higher the search volume a keyword has, the more money an advertiser will have to pay each time a prospect clicks on its ad.
- Organic Listings
When it comes to organic listings, businesses don’t pay to have their links shown in Google’s search results. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean a high ranking comes without its costs. You have to invest a lot of time and effort to acquire a favorable position. And, keep in mind that SEO means more than just website optimisation. You also need to focus on link building, social media, and content creation if you want to increase your chances of reaching the coveted #1 position.
Will AdWords Help My SEO
As we’ve said it at the beginning of the article, paying Google doesn’t automatically comes with a spot at the top of the search engine results. The search engine giant has made it clear that there’s no direct connection between AdWords and SEO.
However, that’s not to say that one does not influence the other. Google can’t control all the factors that determine the ranking of a page, and sometimes AdWords can have an indirect influence on your SEO rankings.
For example, your AdWords campaign can help with your link building efforts. When you advertise on Google, you expose your business to potential customers and influencers. Some of them may find your content interesting enough to link back to it.
Because AdWords enables you to test the efficacy and performance of your keywords and landing pages, you can use this data to fine-tune your organic content. As such, you may see a decrease in your bounce rate since you know now what your audience wants.
What Can You Do
Don’t expect to share with you a secret formula that would take your website to the top of search results. It doesn’t exist. However, we will encourage you to focus on both SEO and AdWords advertising.
SEO is a long-term strategy that’s proven time and time again to be worthwhile. But, because it can take a lot of time to see significant results, you should pair your SEO strategy with AdWords advertising. That way, you get the best of both worlds: a spike in traffic and leads as well as a constant stream of prospects that connect and engage with your content regularly.
Over to You
The main thing to take away from this article is that AdWords won’t directly impact your SEO, but they should both exist in your marketing strategy. Paid search has the potential to increase traffic, but if you’re expecting to see a high rank without optimisation, then you’re in for some bad news.
SEO takes times, which is frustrating and the reason why many look for other solutions, though most soon discover that there are none. But a little patience goes a long way.
Now, if you would rather spend your time and energy focusing on other aspects of your business, then let Australian Internet Advertising take care of your SEO needs. From strategy development to website optimisation and content creation, we can ensure that your site will dominate the search engines.
