Google Organic and Paid Search Ads Work Together

Google organic and paid search work together search strategy

Last Updated on June 28, 2023 by Rick Rys

A unique search strategy is Google organic and paid search ads working together. Research shows an increased click-thru-rate (CTR) and conversion rates than traditional organic search behavior. Read on with exclusive guest search professional Brenna Karbel on combining organic (SEO) and paid search from Google Ads.

Quick Preface: The following is a guest post from Brenna Karbel. Brenna is a search professional and shares her vision on the benefits of conducting successful paid (Google Ads) and organic search (SEO) campaigns together.

Enter Brenna Karbel on Google Organic and Paid Search Together

There are many benefits that an advertiser would see when they combine both paid and organic search.

More: What’s the difference between organic search and paid search?

Three ways PPC (pay per click) helps your organic search results, according to our friends at searchengineland:

  • You can quickly test landing pages, headlines, and templates
  • You can get rapid feedback.
  • You can get immediate traffic on specific keywords.

Testing Landing Pages, Headlines, and Templates in Google Ads

PPC (Google Ads) makes it possible to test landing pages, headlines, and templates without hurting your organic traffic.

When an advertiser can learn what is most effective and achieves better CTR (click-thru rate) and more conversions, everyone wins. An advertiser not using PPC would be reluctant to handle these types of tests in fear that they would damage the hard-earned organic ratings.

Keyword Performance Feedback

Advertisers using PPC can get immediate results on how keywords are performing. When an advertiser makes changes to ad text through analytics, we can see exactly how the changes are performing.

Gaining Immediate Search Traffic with Google Ads Paid Search

One frustration that many advertisers share is they want increased traffic for specific keywords. With PPC, advertisers are bidding for particular terms. The ability to appear in the search results in the top three positions is quicker to achieve using PPC.

More: We Hate Advertising. Love SEO

Why Bid On My Branded Keyword Terms?

SEO organic and Google Ads paid search results for 800-Flowers
800-Flowers has to protect their own brand and bid on paid search for their own keywords. This protects their brand from competition. Google Ads listing in first position ahead of organic SEO.

Brand Infringement/Protecting Your Space with Paid Search

If you don’t bid on your branded keyword terms – your competitors will. Look at 1-800-Flowers. If they weren’t bidding on their brand, then two other ads would have taken up that ad space, according to our friends at searchenginewatch.

Search Situation-Based User Behavior

Though many people may never click on Google paid search ads and only click organic, other people are the opposite, or situation-based.

The evolution of universal search is changing the SERP (search engine results page) into more of a menu. There are videos, tweets, paid search, organic search, local business ads, images, news, etc.

With all these options, it’s critical that your brand is an option on this menu. Paid search is a guaranteed way to get placement.

Impact on Brand Awareness

Many studies have demonstrated an increase in brand awareness when both paid and organic search listings appear together in top spots. Consumers think highly of brands that they see more frequently.

They identify with traditional advertising methodology. The more times a consumer is exposed to the brand, the better in any form or medium.

Google Conducted a Study on Organic and Paid Search Together: Surprising Click-thru Rates

Google organic and paid search work together in search results
Google search engine results page showing organic and paid search results together showing increased click-thru rates (CTR). Google organic search results appear in green box, while paid search, Google Ads, results appear in orange box.

A new Google study examining the impact of organic listings on ad click, incrementality finds that the click-through rates (CTR) of ads with associated organic search results are higher and that the CTR increased the higher the organic result was positioned. (See image above)

Specifically, they found that 66 percent of ad clicks occurred without an associated organic result on the page, it is worth turning that on its head; this means 34 percent of paid search clicks happen with an organic result by the same advertiser on a page.

If ranking on the first page organically in these instances can help ad performance as well, that’s something to consider.

Google Organic Search is Best with SEO Content

Google search engine page on smartphone
Effective SEO means your website is found in Google and your website has high organic search rankings with Google search results. Mobile Google search page on October 2020.

How do you get found in the organic search results?

The techniques that help your website get higher rankings in organic search results is known as “search engine optimization” or SEO.

With excellent search engine optimization, more people, who are looking for your service or product, will find you more often.

More: Read our SEO strategy with Google

SEO is a very complicated and technical process that we will save for another day, but I will tell you that 30% of SEO results from on-page factors and 70% from off-page factors.

Unless you have a massive budget for advertising, an organic search strategy will be better for your organization in the longer run. Evergreen content will continue to provide you with quality traffic for years to come, returning ROI every month.

Another consideration to emphasize organic search results is that roughly 3 out of 4 search visitors will click-thru organic listings in search engine results pages – SERP.

Have you experimented with organic and paid search campaigns working together?

If you are interested in talking to us about a new digital project,
please send us a message or call us direct at (248) 974-8866.

Talk to Us

About Syreo

Syreo is an SEO Consultant based in Detroit, Michigan. Syreo’s search engine optimization | SEO experts work with Fortune 500 businesses throughout the United States including Detroit and New York City. Syreo consults companies to increase revenue organically, through thoughtful digital marketing tactics and the expert use of search engine optimization | SEO. Syreo understands how to bridge the gap between the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) and the CIO (Chief Information Officer), bringing data, science, and technology to life through creative storytelling that all stakeholders can understand and embrace. Syreo understands the importance of visual design that generates great user experience (UX) that converts into marketing goals through web analytics.

Rick Rys
SEO Expert | Digital Marketing Scientist | I assist Fortune 500 companies to increase revenue organically, through creative digital marketing tactics and the strategic use of search engine optimization (SEO). Based in Detroit, Michigan, I work with brands in New York, Los Angeles, and Detroit. My marketing philosophy originated from my experience at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY) and Stanford University Online (Stanford, CA).

Share This

Copy Link to Clipboard

Copy
Syreo helps Spin AUD https://spinaud.site/ optimize its website and apps for mobile devices, providing a seamless user experience across all platforms. This is important for retaining players who prefer to use smartphones and tablets to access casino games.