Online marketing encompasses many different aspects, and at times it can feel as though everything is merging together. This is precisely where real value creation for your business begins. When you can get all your channels working together and supporting each other, you achieve maximum return on investment.
There are two areas in particular that complement each other exceptionally well when communication and coordination across specialisms is in place – namely SEO and Google Ads. When you create synergy between SEO and Google Ads, there is significant value to be gained for both. In short, it benefits both your organic initiatives and the time and money you invest in paid advertising.
But how do you create synergy between SEO and Ads? That is exactly what I will discuss in this blog post – from an SEO point of view. If you would like to learn more about the differences between SEO and Ads and see the synergies from a Google Ads specialist’s perspective, I recommend reading my colleague Martin’s blog post here.
The fundamental differences between Google Ads and SEO
Before we dive into the synergies between SEO and Google Ads, it’s important to clarify the main differences between them.
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads is part of what we call PPC marketing – Pay Per Click. As the name suggests, you pay a set amount per click your ad receives on Google. This works as an auction where you bid on specific keywords. The highest bidder secures the best placement.
How high the price per click is depends largely on the level of competition for the chosen keyword – it is determined at the moment someone makes the actual search. That is why it is crucial to consider what a click is worth to you and to continuously adjust your bids up or down as needed.
For B2B companies, where a single click can potentially be worth DKK 100,000, paying DKK 100 per click may be acceptable. On the other hand, for a B2C business selling clothing, where a click has much lower value, a cost per click of DKK 100 would never be profitable.
Google Ads encompasses various ad types with different purposes, shown in different places across Google’s services. It is important to stay updated, as Google continuously makes changes to formats that can affect your current advertising on Google Ads. Most recently, Google introduced a new ad type, Performance Max, which my colleague Mark explores in depth here.
Would you like more B2B leads from Google Ads? Get an indispensable tip in this podcast episode.
What is SEO?
In short, SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimisation”. This term covers all the efforts made to optimise a website for search engines, with the goal of increasing traffic and sales through organic search results.
At WeMarket, we often describe SEO as a three-legged stool:
- Leg 1: Technical SEO
- Leg 2: On-page SEO
- Leg 3: Off-page SEO
If the stool loses even one leg, it becomes unstable and uncomfortable to sit on. If it loses two out of three legs, it is almost unusable. In other words: When working with SEO, it is important to continuously address all three “legs” to ensure you get the most out of your efforts. If you neglect one, you will not achieve maximum value for your investment.
Unlike Google Ads, which is paid advertising, SEO is what we call organic advertising – you do not pay per click or ad. If you take on SEO yourself, your only investment is the time you spend. Alternatively, you can invest in having an SEO specialist assist you. However, in either case, you do not pay a fee every time someone clicks a link to your website in Google.
SEO is relatively complex, and as you may have realised by now, it covers a wide range of areas. If you want to learn more about SEO, I recommend reading about why you should invest in SEO as well as our tips for an SEO-friendly website here.
The data foundation in Google Ads creates synergy with SEO
Google Ads offers a wealth of data for different purposes. For example, you can see which searches generate the most conversions – providing insight into what many in your target group are most interested in. You can also see which ad types and messages achieve the highest CTR, conversion rates, and much more.
Through your Google Ads data, you can check the quality of your ads – including Quality Score and Landing Page Experience. Both of these affect the price per click you pay Google for a given keyword. The higher the Quality Score and Landing Page Experience, the better your placements and click prices.
This data can give you an idea of where to focus in your SEO strategy. Especially for large websites with many category pages – such as e-commerce businesses – it can be difficult to know where to start prioritising your SEO efforts.
Structure your SEO strategy with Google Ads data
It makes sense to begin with the pages that generate the most conversions: Ensure that your landing pages are optimised for the keywords you are advertising on. This applies to the title tag, meta description, page content, H-tags, and similar elements. The faster Google recognises the connection between your Google ad and the landing page users are sent to, the better the page will perform.
Another good starting point for your SEO efforts is landing pages that are underperforming in Google Ads – meaning those with a poor landing page experience and low Quality Score. To improve the quality of these ads, and therefore achieve a better price per click, you should focus your SEO efforts on these landing pages. Effective collaboration between your Google Ads specialist and your SEO specialist is absolutely crucial!
Use Google Ads data in your keyword analysis
If you have previously worked with SEO, you have most likely heard of keyword analysis. Keyword analysis should always be carried out before you begin working on SEO.
It gives you an overview of which keywords “belong” to which landing pages, how tough the competition is for various keywords, and much more. This is also where you can identify duplicate pages – that is, pages with similar content or keywords and the same intent.
There are a variety of tools you can use for keyword analysis – some are free, others require payment. Personally, I always use at least Ahrefs, Google Search Console and Google Keyword Planner when conducting keyword analyses.
Gain valuable keyword insights with Google Keyword Planner
The latter is a free tool you will find in your Google Ads account. This programme is ideal for finding the most relevant keywords for your business, based on your services or products. By searching for a word or phrase, Google Keyword Planner will find new keywords you may not have considered, but which could be extremely valuable for your business.
Additionally, the tool provides insight into search volume – how many times per month specific terms are searched for – and how search trends have changed over time.
This is especially useful if you operate in a sector affected by seasonal fluctuations, but also because we now live in a world where everything changes much faster than before. As a result, you can gain a much clearer understanding of how your efforts are really performing compared to market trends and shifts.
Here, a synergy is created between SEO and Google Ads, giving you even deeper insight into how your target audience searches and how trends have evolved for certain keywords. This allows you to take a proactive approach when prioritising your SEO initiatives.
Summary
SEO and Google Ads are two areas within online marketing with great synergy potential. If you manage to harness and combine the strengths of each, it will be reflected both in your organic search results and in the quality of your paid advertising via Google.
This covers everything from leveraging the extensive data foundation in Google Ads, to structuring your SEO strategy, to using Google Keyword Planner to enhance your keyword analysis and uncover new opportunities with significant value for your business.
If you need help getting an overview of the synergies between Google Ads and SEO for your business, our SEO team is always ready to help you get started.
