Digital marketing can sometimes feel like a puzzle with too many pieces. Two of the most important pieces are SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and pay-per-click advertising. Many businesses think they need to choose between these two approaches, but the truth is they work best when used together.

At Echelon Media, we’ve found that combining SEO services with PPC campaigns creates better results than using either one alone. Let’s explore how these two strategies can work together to boost your marketing efforts and drive more traffic to your site.

What Are SEO and PPC?

Before we dive into how they work together, let’s quickly explain what each one is:

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) means improving your website so it appears higher in the free, organic search results on Google and other search engines. This includes using relevant keywords, creating quality content, and making your site easy to use. Good search engine optimization ensures people can find your products or services when they need them.

Pay-per-click (PPC) is paid advertising where you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. These are the sponsored results you see at the top of the search engine results page (SERP). Google Ads is the most common platform for running ad campaigns.

How Technical SEO Impacts User Experience

Before we look at how SEO and PPC work together, it’s worth understanding that technical SEO plays a huge role in how well your website performs. A mobile-friendly website that loads quickly provides a better user experience, which helps both your organic rankings and your PPC performance.

Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help you identify technical issues that might be holding your site back. Fixing these problems can improve your search rankings and make your PPC campaigns more effective by providing a better experience for visitors.

How SEO and PPC Work Together

1. Sharing Keyword Data and Search Terms

When you run a PPC campaign, you quickly learn which search terms bring in customers who actually buy things. This information is incredibly valuable for your SEO strategy.

For example, if your PPC data shows that people who use the search query “affordable blue trainers” are more likely to make a purchase than those searching for just “blue trainers,” you can focus your SEO efforts on ranking for that more specific term.

2. Testing Content Ideas and Meta Descriptions

Coming up with content for your SEO strategy can be challenging. PPC offers a quick way to test which messages connect with your audience.

You can create different ads with various headlines and descriptions, then see which ones get the most clicks. The winning messages can guide your SEO content strategy, helping you create blog posts, landing pages, and meta descriptions that you already know will interest your audience.

3. Dominating the Engine Results Page (SERP)

When you use both SEO and pay-per-click advertising, you can appear multiple times on the search results page. Your paid ad might show at the top, while your organic listing appears further down. According to research by Backlinko, appearing in multiple places increases trust and can lead to more clicks overall.

This approach is especially helpful when promoting special offers or new products. While you work on improving your organic rankings through link building and content creation (which takes time), you can use pay-per-click to ensure immediate visibility.

4. Protecting Your Brand and Boosting Conversion Rates

If you rank well for your brand name through search engine optimisation, you might wonder why you should also pay for ads for the same terms. The answer is simple: your competitors can bid on your brand name and appear above your organic listing.

By using both strategies, you can protect your brand and prevent competitors from stealing potential customers who are specifically looking for you. This combined approach often leads to higher conversion rates as users see your brand multiple times during their buying journey.

5. Providing Consistent Messages Across Channels

When your ads and your organic listings share similar messages, it reinforces your brand and builds trust with potential customers. This consistency helps people remember your business and what makes it special. The same principle applies to your social media content – keeping your message consistent across all platforms strengthens your brand identity.

Optimising Landing Pages for Both SEO and PPC

One area where SEO and pay-per-click truly complement each other is in the creation and optimisation of landing pages. A well-designed landing page can:

1. Rank well in organic search through good on-page SEO
2. Convert visitors from paid ads effectively
3. Load quickly and be mobile-friendly to satisfy both Google’s algorithms and user expectations

By focusing on creating high-quality landing pages that work for both organic and paid traffic, you’ll get more value from your marketing budget.

Real Results: SEO and PPC Working Together

Let’s look at what happens when businesses combine these approaches:

As you can see, using both strategies together produces better results across the board.

Getting Started with an Integrated Approach

If you’re currently using just one of these strategies, here’s how to begin integrating the other:

1. Start with a keyword analysis that covers both SEO and pay-per-click
2. Create consistent messaging across your ads and website content
3. Share data between teams managing different aspects of your digital marketing
4. Set clear goals for each channel, but also track how they work together
5. Test and adjust your approach based on results from Google Analytics

Common Challenges and Solutions

Many businesses struggle with managing both SEO and PPC effectively. Some common issues include:

• Limited budget: If your funds are tight, start with pay-per-click for immediate results while gradually building your SEO strategy.
• Lack of coordination: Make sure your marketing teams share information regularly.
• Different metrics: Create reports that show how both channels contribute to your overall goals.

Conclusion

SEO and pay-per-click aren’t rivals – they’re partners that can help your business grow faster when used together. At Echelon Media, we specialise in creating integrated digital marketing strategies that combine the long-term benefits of search engine optimisation with the immediate impact of pay-per-click advertising.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your existing marketing efforts, considering how these two powerful tools can work together will help you achieve better results for your products or services.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which should I invest in first: SEO or PPC?

If you need immediate results, start with pay-per-click while beginning to build your SEO foundation. If you’re planning for long-term growth and have time to wait for results, search engine optimisation might be your first priority.

2. How long does it take to see results from SEO compared to PPC?

Pay-per-click results can be seen almost immediately – as soon as your ads are approved and running. SEO typically takes 3-6 months before you notice significant improvements in rankings and traffic to your site.

3. Can I use the same keywords for both SEO and pay-per-click?

Yes, but you might use them differently. Highly competitive, expensive keywords might be difficult to rank for organically. Sometimes it makes sense to bid on terms where you already rank well organically, while other times you might use PPC to cover keywords where your organic ranking is lower.

4. How do I measure the success of combined SEO and PPC campaigns?

Look beyond individual channel metrics to overall business results like total conversions, revenue, and return on investment. Use Google Analytics to track how users interact with your site after arriving from different sources. Also track metrics like impression share (how often your brand appears in relevant searches across both paid and organic).