You already know having an online presence for your business is absolutely essential. With literally millions of people using search engines to find products and services, that’s where you need to be to stay competitive.
SEO and Google Ads are the bread and butter of your digital marketing strategy, and what will maximize your lead generation, eventually getting you a steady stream of branded search results. Yet, you can’t just put a few keywords in your website and put a few Google Ads out there and hope for the best. SEO and Google Ads each have their advantages and disadvantages that, when made to strategically work together, can create a highly effective strategy.
What is the Difference Between SEO and Google Ads?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages for specific keywords and phrases. It is a long-game strategy that involves various techniques like optimizing your website’s content, building backlinks, improving site speed, and using targeted keywords.
Google Ads is an advertising platform that allows your business to run ads on Google’s search results pages (SERPs). The ads come up in a high position in SERPs, making them more likely to get clicks.
Each has its pros and cons, but you need to use both SEO and Google Ads simultaneously if you want to achieve these 5 goals.
1. Increased Visibility and Traffic
With SEO, your website can rank higher in SERPs for relevant keywords, making it easier for potential customers to find you online. Similarly, with Google Ads, your ads will be displayed on SERPs for targeted keywords, increasing your visibility and driving more traffic to your website.
When your website and landing pages consistently appear on Google searches, your brand becomes more familiar to prospective clients. Your content could show up as answers to questions seeking out information, automatically building trust with that client, or match their search query with targeted keywords. Over time, this trust and reliability helps lead to a sale.
2. Better ROI
Compared to traditional marketing methods, with a combination of SEO and Google Ads, you’re going to see higher profitability. With SEO, you’re not paying for ad space, but rather optimizing your website to rank higher in SERPs organically. With Google Ads, you only pay when someone clicks your ad, making it a cost-effective advertising solution.
3. Trust and Credibility
When your website ranks higher in SERPs, or when your ads are displayed on Google’s search results pages, it immediately increases your brand’s visibility and credibility. People trust these search results, which now often include reviews to build your reputation even further. Through your content directed at these search queries, you are making your brand the prime location for the information the prospective client needs.
4. Targeted Marketing
Both SEO and Google Ads allow you to target specific keywords or phrases that are relevant to your business. This means you can reach your target audience more effectively and increase the chances of converting them into customers.
Google Ads specifically enables you to target the exact audience your product is designed for. By narrowing down the audience by location, demographic, and even the device they are on, you can ensure the people clicking through to your site are actually potential buyers.
On the other hand, SEO organically engages customers in the early stages of a sales journey, and can be made to target a more general audience, as the Google Ad campaign might be focused on a specific product your business offers. Together, they will reach the customer at different points of the journey.
5. Insights and Analytics
Using a blend of SEO and Google Ads allows you to track and measure results in a more comprehensive way. With Google Analytics, you can track website traffic, user behavior, and other metrics to help you make informed decisions about your marketing strategies. You can consistently analyze the information gained over time and after time-bound campaigns to refine your efforts going forward.
When people search for your business name or a related keyword, you want your website or ads to appear at the top of results pages, helping you to stand out from your competitors. By using SEO and Google Ads together in your strategy, you will attract more customers and grow your business. If you are ready to invest in SEO and Google Ads and take your business to the next level, reach out here.
