How do SEO and Adwords Work Together

Traditionally, most think of SEO and Ads as competitors on the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) but that couldn’t be further from the truth. After reading this article, my hope is that you will find out that the more you show up on a SERP the better chance you will have at getting that click. Instead of fighting over the spots on the results page, you can make sure that your potential customers see enough times that it makes too much sense to click on your website as opposed to the competitors. So, how do SEO and Adwords work together? Let us tell you. 

The Anatomy of a SERP

The anatomy of a SERP only helps SEO and Adwords work together. 

• The first results you see in a SERP are always the ads. Companies pay a premium to be seen first in the results. That doesn’t necessarily mean they get all the clicks. 2% is the average click-through rate for ads. 
• In non-branded, local searches, you will most likely see the map results next. Although how you rank in the maps has little to do with ads, there are some key points that say your SEO can help to show up in the maps. 
• After ads and maps, the next results to show up are SEO organic results. Showing up here is all SEO and why it’s so important to not neglect your SEO. 

If you’re doing things correctly, a potential customer or client has the opportunity to see your business 3 times on the SERP. 

How does SEO Work With Adwords

Now that you know the anatomy of a search engine results page, it’s time to see how it all comes together. Imagine looking for a place to fix your car in your area. So, you search, “Car Repair Shop _________.” Google then puts the results in front of you. The first result you see in the ads is Thompson Automotive. Since you’re one of the +90% of people that skip the ads you don’t click on it. Next, the map results. In the top 3 of the maps, you see Thompson Automotive again. If you haven’t clicked on anything yet, you scroll down to the organic results and see Thompson Automotive a third time. There’s a chance that you’re still not convinced that you should give Thompson Automotive, but it’s under 50%.

SEO and Adwords: A Match Made in Heaven

If you’re still not convinced that SEO and Adwords can work together, then think about a few of these statements. 

1. MOZ – “Dominating the organic and paid search results will greatly increase traffic and give the impression that you’re an established presence in a particular market.”
2. Hubspot – “Taking up the first organic spot for your target keyword is not enough anymore. There’s so much noise and clutter in Google’s result pages, that you need to occupy as much digital real estate as possible.”
3. Design Lockdown SEO – “SEO can be worth the effort to layer on top of AdWords. It’s another way to ensure that you get all the web traffic you possibly can.”

Now, not only do you know the value but you also know how SEO and Adwords work together. Interested in knowing more about how you can maximize your online presence? Contact Firestarter today.