How to Take Full Advantage of Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click

Many Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts will tell you that their way is the only way. That free, organic traffic to your website brings the highest return on investment.

But then you’ll hear advertisers who advocate the use of AdWords, banners, and similar Pay Per Click (PPC) tactics. They’ll point out that such campaigns only cost what they’re worth. If your website is new, PPC can help you make up for lost time and bring qualified leads to your website immediately. It’s a powerful argument against the lengthy process of Search Engine Optimization.

But the truth requires a broader view. This isn’t an either-or situation. To get the most profitable results from the online segment of your business, it’s usually best to incorporate both Pay Per Click campaigns and natural Search Engine Optimization. When used wisely, these two techniques can support and enhance each other and provide a higher aggregate ROI.

The Short View of Pay Per Click

Most SEO strategies take time. Simply the fact of being around longer than a competing website gives you favored status in the search engines. And it takes time to add content, build a reputation, establish your niche and cultivate inbound links.

Because of this, internet marketers will often use PPC to goose their position on the sponsored section of search engine results pages, in the hopes of getting enough traffic to turn a profit in the months it takes to build a respectable level of organic SEO.

But savvy internet marketers don’t stop with this tactic. Pay Per Click campaigns can also help build and support your Search Engine Optimization campaign.

The secret to this is in the way you manage traffic once users arrive at your website. Most ads are simply meant to make a sale. But once a motivated buyer visits your site, you can do a lot to ensure they’ll return to your site in the future.

Often websites let users “opt in” to receive a newsletter or download a white paper. The site may have a forum, blog or other interactive feature. If you regularly add valuable content to your website, and you make sure your customers are aware of this, they’ll come back for more. Using a 'set it and forget it' attitude will relegate you to the search engine round file.

Likewise, simply placing a banner ad can have an organic “branding” effect. When users go to their favorite blog every day, and they see your ad on a regular basis, they’re gradually going to think of your site when they need something related to your business.

In other words, don’t limit yourself to thinking that a banner ad is a one-shot tactic. It won’t cost you anything to try getting more mileage from every click, so you might as well develop a long-term strategy that supports your SEO.

The Long View of SEO

If you’ve implemented a Search Engine Optimization campaign with the hopes of a payoff half a year later, you might miss out on some immediate benefits. SEO can enhance your online marketing campaigns almost from day one.

This is true because content, code, and a presence on other websites are all important parts of Search Engine Optimization, and they can be used to enhance sales as well.

For example, consider the power of links. Every time another website links back to your site, you’re getting a subtle endorsement from that site. Users who trust and respect the linking site will extend that trust to you, and search engines trust it as well. When these users decide to visit your site, you’re no longer a pure stranger.

Likewise with the articles, news releases, blogs, and forum postings that are often a big part of SEO. If you do your job right, almost everything you do for Search Engine Optimization can be tied to your pay per click campaigns and you can drive targeted visitors to your new content using paid search.

The ultimate reward comes when you get the highly-treasured “double link.” This happens when your ad shows up on a site where you’ve posted content. Users see your site in the content, and somewhere on the same page they see a paid advertisement for your site. This results in an exponentially higher Click Throuch Rate.

Another version of this is when your paid Google, Yahoo! or MSN ad shows up on a search engine results page that also has your site as part of the natural search results. About 20% of users don’t know the difference between natural and sponsored links, so having both simultaneously is the holy grail of internet marketing.

Even the title tags, and the name of your website itself, can have benefits beyond your search engine status. “VintageAutoParts.com” looks more credible and relevant than “HarrysGarage.com.”

Tying It Together With Landing Pages

A landing page is a page targeted to a specific product or service offering. It contains minimal distractions and a strong call to action. The goal of a landing page is to get the website visitor to complete a certain action, such as subscribing to a newsletter, filling out a contact form, or signing up for a special offer.

You may want to create a unique landing page for each keyword group. For example if you have a website selling clothing, you would want to create a landing page focused on womens shoes. This landing page would have graphics, text and a specific call to action targeted only at women shopping for shoes.

It’s All About Connections

If you want a useful mantra for Search Engine Optimization, it’s “everything is connected.” You should constantly think of ways to use PPC campaigns to enhance your online image. And look at how Search Engine Optimization strategies can help bring more sales and conversions as a long term strategy.

Businesses should use every tool available to gain more customers and increase their profits. Anyone who wastes time arguing over which tool is better has missed the whole point.

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