I was in a meeting the other day with a client, looking at potential keywords for their website.
As we went through a shortlist of possibilities, a few suggestions currently being used for a paid ads campaign came up.
‘Would it help our organic ranking if we optimised this page for keywords we’re using for Google Ads?’
An excellent question.
And one that I did my best to answer succinctly: ‘possibly’.
Having elaborated somewhat, it did get me thinking about the impact paid ads can have on a site’s organic performance.
Can Google Ads help ranking, traffic and impressions?
OK, so let’s start at the beginning.
Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords, is an online advertising platform developed by Google.
It allows businesses to create ads that will appear on the top of the search results page or other websites.
Advertisers bid on specific keywords, and Google will show their ads to people who search for those keywords or visit websites related to them.
Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform, meaning advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their ad.
The platform offers various targeting options, including location, device, demographics and interests, allowing businesses to reach their target audience effectively.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is the practice of optimising a website to improve its ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) organically.
The goal of SEO is to increase the visibility of a website in search engine results and drive more traffic to it.
SEO involves various techniques, including:
If you're interested, we have listed the six most important SEO tips, which should help explain some of the main processes involved.
It’s worth knowing that SEO requires continuous optimisation and monitoring to ensure optimal performance.
The ultimate goal is to increase website traffic and visibility, leading to increased business leads and sales.
Right, now that the definitions are out of the way, let's get to the nitty gritty.
There is some evidence that Google Ads can be a ranking factor in SEO.
Here are a few reasons why:
While the evidence for Google Ads as a ranking factor is not definitive, many experts believe that Google Ads can help improve website visibility, CTR, and keyword targeting, ultimately leading to improved organic ranking.
However, it is important to note that Google has publicly stated that running Google Ads does not directly affect a website's organic ranking.
Yeah, I know.
I mean, that’s quite definitive, right?
Aside from Google’s statement, there is also other evidence that running Google Ads won’t be a direct ranking factor in SEO.
1. Google Ads and organic search results are separate entities. Paid search results (Google Ads) are labelled as such and are displayed separately from organic search results. The ranking algorithm for paid search results also differs from the algorithm for organic search results.
2. Running Google Ads can be an effective way to drive traffic to a website, but it comes at a cost. While paid search can yield immediate results, organic optimisation can be a more cost-effective way to improve a website's visibility and drive traffic in the long run.
The question of whether using Google Ads will help a website rank organically is a complex one.
Potentially, running Google Ads can indirectly impact a website's organic ranking by increasing visibility and click-through rates (CTR).
But these are not the only factors that affect a website’s organic ranking on search engines.
According to Google, organic search results are determined by various factors, such as content relevance, website authority, and user experience.
Oh, and of course, Google itself has stated that running Google Ads does not directly affect a website's organic ranking.
So, while your site may see an increase in traffic and impressions from Google Ads, there is no guarantee that this will directly impact its overall organic rankings.
Used together in conjunction, Google Ads and effective organic SEO can both - independently - help fix more eyeballs on your site.
That's the ultimate goal of any website owner.
If you would like help with either strategy, contact Orca Online today to see how we can help.V
