A successful online strategy consists of SEO (organic search) and paid search working together in harmony. While the different search tactics are aimed at targeting prospects at different stages of the user journey, when used together they can ensure a consistent message and buying journey all the way through to purchase.
Prospects will typically first come to you via organic traffic when they are in the research phase of their buying process, with paid search keywords more likely when prospects are closer to a decision. However, while SEO is the start of the journey, it is findings obtained through paid search which can help frame your SEO strategy.
Paid search can be a quick and easy way to help you choose the right terms to optimise your site for organically. By seeing what keywords are working for you (converting) on paid search, helps determine your organic keywords, alongside other factors like current rank, competition, cost on paid etc.
In addition, through analysing what ad copy works on paid search as well as demographic insights obtained via paid social activity, provides insight for your SEO content and keyword strategy.
With paid search having a more obvious cost to it (SEO is by no means free*), you may be tempted to think you can eliminate PPC spend when you rank in #1 for a search term. However, with paid ads often the first 3 results on a page, obtaining #1 organically means you are technically only in #4. Instead, if you are in the fortunate position of being #1, use the two to dominate search results for particularly effective keywords, to increase traffic and your perceived importance for the term (although do take care not to cannibalise your clicks, by paying when you need not).
SEO can help improve the success of your paid search efforts. The content you write for SEO will help improve the user journey for your paid traffic and ensure it stays on your site (and hopefully goes on to convert). In addition, where terms are too costly on paid search, organic can be the only way to appear in search results.
Your SEM strategy should be a long term commitment, and whilst paid can be a quicker way to boost clicks and ultimately leads for your business, the journey starts organically and so the two can and very much should work together in harmony.
Contact me today to get help and advice on your SEM strategy.
*I stress, SEO is by no means free, in fact it’s a highly skilled art which to do properly takes a lot of time and resources whether you manage it internally or outsource it.
Harriet Fletcher 
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