Many people think of paid search and organic search engine optimization (SEO) as an either/or choice. In reality, there are ways that the two can work together to produce better results.
One area in which paid search excels is testing. Results are both fast and precise. Marketers can leverage their paid search results to improve their search engine optimization and conversions. For instance:
More Productive Keywords
It’s hard to optimize your web site for every possible keyword, but with paid search, you can test as many keywords as your budget allows. You’ll learn not only which produce the most traffic, but also which convert best. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll know which are the highest value keywords to target for search engine optimization.
More Effective Copy
Paid search allows you to test one ad vs. another, one headline vs. another, or one concept vs. another. A-B tests take just a minute to implement and deliver results fast.
When you’re optimizing your site for organic search, keep in mind what you’ve learned from your paid search copy tests. Stronger copy can usually be incorporated while still maintaining high search engine rankings.
Stronger Landing Pages
Paid search also allows you to test one landing page vs. another, so you can determine which one converts better. Marry what you learn from landing page testing with your search engine optimization efforts, and you’ll get high organic rankings plus strong conversions.
Of course, paid search can be a moneymaker in its own right, but that’s just one way to use it. If you rely on it as a research tool to learn which keywords are most important to optimize for, you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck. Then you can work the remaining keywords with paid search using a lower budget. That way, you’ll have the best of both worlds.
