Search Engine Advertising (SEA) and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) are two of the driving forces behind your digital marketing strategy. However, all too often, we see that these two areas do not work together in the pursuit of higher growth rates. There are many overlooked benefits to creating synergy between organic and paid results in search. In this article, I will explore some of these opportunities, as well as offer general advice on how to combine SEA and SEO more effectively.
Basics of SEA & SEO
To cover the basics: SEA refers to your paid search results, while your SEO efforts are displayed through organic results over time, as illustrated here:
This example is very straightforward, as it is a brand search, meaning you MUST appear at the top in both paid and organic listings – it is included here simply to demonstrate the difference.
Your organic results theoretically cost nothing, and how highly Google chooses to rank your page depends – put simply – on Google’s assessment of your page’s relevance to the user’s search. As a result, it can take quite some time to build up the quality needed before Google prioritises your result in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page).
SEA consists of your paid results, enabling you to quickly generate traffic for carefully selected keywords. This is set up in Google Ads, where you pay Google per click for your ad to be displayed. The cost per click can vary significantly, as it depends on multiple factors.
Why is synergy between SEO and SEA so important?
Both channels can be developed under very different conditions, and depending on your business, may even be managed by different specialists. However, it is highly beneficial to have insight into both areas.
Google uses an important parameter that has a significant impact on the performance of both channels – relevance. To achieve optimal performance, your result must be relevant to the user, both through SEO and SEA. Therefore, insights from both disciplines can help you optimise both your paid and organic search.
As a SEA specialist, it is important to understand your landing pages and the keywords and phrases that generate organic traffic, as this can help you build better relevance in your paid ads. There are also advantages in the other direction. Through Google Ads, you can see specific data on keywords and ad phrases that convert well, which you can then use for SEO.
By being visible both organically and via paid search, you achieve a greater impact than if you are only visible in one area. Firstly, you occupy more space in the results, and the increased visibility gives users extra reassurance that your brand is present multiple times – suggesting it is the right site to visit for their query. For example, see this example for an iPhone case:
Read more about how to increase your visibility in the search results here: How to secure four positions on Google’s first page
Google Ads Quality Score
When you add keywords to your campaigns in Google Ads, each keyword receives a quality score, which defines how relevant your ad is to the keyword you want to be found for. The quality score has a significant impact on the price you end up paying for your clicks. This score is based on three parameters:
- Expected CTR
- Landing page experience
- Ad relevance
In relation to SEO, it is particularly the landing page experience where you can create greater synergy between organic and paid. As with SEO, the landing page experience is evaluated on content, text, speed, and more. In this way, your SEO efforts can help to reduce costs for Google Ads.
You may be wondering how much influence the quality score has on price.
The closest we get to an answer regarding cost savings on quality score is shown here:
The green figures in the illustration above show savings on your cost per click, while the black figures indicate the percentage increase in your cost per click. The quality score should be as high as possible, which, as described, is assessed based on the three parameters: expected CTR, landing page experience, and ad relevance.
However, these figures should be read with some caution, as later findings have emerged in this study – you can read more about them HERE
If you want to know more about the factors behind the quality score, you can read these two excellent articles from my colleagues:
Identify gaps in your SEA and SEO synergy through analysis
You now understand the importance of synergy between SEA and SEO. The next step is to identify where things are lacking and where improvements can be made. This is a relatively simple process, as Google has already stored this data for you.
You can export data from your Google Ads account to see which keywords you are prominent on organically, via paid results, and where you appear in both. All it takes is linking Google Search Console to your account. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to do this:
1. Log in to your Google Ads account
2. Go to Reports > Predefined reports > Basic > Paid & Organic report
3. Select the period you want to work with and download the Excel file
4. Open the file in Excel, highlight all the data and create a pivot table
- Click OK to accept the default settings
5. Fill out your table as follows:
6. You will now have the following setup:
You can further customise the setup as needed to make it clearer.
You can now see at the campaign level where you gain exposure in both paid and organic search, where you are only visible in paid, and where you are only visible organically. This allows you to identify which keywords you should optimise to maintain and improve the synergy between your SEA and SEO efforts.
You might think it is unnecessary to pay for a keyword if you already have a strong organic ranking. However, it is not advisable to pause your Google Ads campaigns, as you will lose visibility and the impact of appearing in as many positions as possible in the search results. Alternatively, you can consider lowering your bid slightly for keywords where you have a top ranking so that you still have two listings, but the paid result does not necessarily occupy the very top spot. Of course, this depends on your budget, competitors, and your market strategy.
Summary
There are some simple steps you can take to make paid and organic search work better together. Start with the basics and create overlap on the keywords where you see missing opportunities or potential. Then, delve deeper into the synergy, which over time will give you a higher CTR, lower click prices, strengthen your SEO, and most likely improve your conversion rate.
If you have questions about the impact of this approach or need assistance, you are always welcome to send us a message or call – contact WeMarket here!
