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The benefits of Search Synergy: a combined SEO and PPC strategy

By beth o'grady

Summit

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April 21, 2021 | 5 min read

Today’s search landscape is more saturated than ever, so what are the best ways to compete in such a busy online space? We all know that having a thorough SEO and PPC strategy is essential, but if your strategies aren’t synergised, you could be losing out on benefits.

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Summit’s ‘Voice of the Customer’ survey revealed that 60% of participants use Google to research products, compared to just 30% that use online enterprise Amazon. This alone emphasises the importance of a strong search landscape presence, making sure your brand is taking up space and increasing awareness – ultimately turning into conversions and brand advocacy.

A synergised strategy for both paid and organic search can result in some truly beneficial opportunities that may have otherwise been missed if done separately. PPC and SEO might be two very different takes on digital marketing, but the benefits of using insights and strategies from both are too good to miss. Take a look at some of those benefits below.

Share insights across channels to get the best results

Opting for a combined organic search and paid search strategy results in the ability to easily share insights between the channels. At Summit, we utilise channel specific data and insights to inform our overall strategy. This can work in multiple ways, from using specific tools to inform planning for other channels to finding opportunities in one channel by using tactics from another (for example, using search query reports – SQRs – to identify new SEO queries).

Get the most out of your strategy by testing and learning

Initiatives in one channel can cause ripples in performance for another. By testing this approach and measuring results across multiple channels, we promote holistic growth of our client’s business.

For example, SEO specialists can ensure technical recommendations and content optimisations have been implemented to pages that paid specialists have flagged as underperforming from a quality score perspective. This could help to reduce CPCs, therefore spending more efficiently. This a very reactive way of working, meaning nobody in the team misses a trick when it comes to new opportunities to improve performance.

A flexible and holistic approach

From budget flexibility to a consolidated audience strategy, a flexible approach to performance marketing channels is one that will provide more success in an ever-changing online landscape.

Budget flexibility

Working with both paid and organic search specialists together means having access to a cross-channel budget view. This allows for savings on cost, as the team can focus their efforts where performance can be driven depending on the greatest return. When working with separate agencies, or separate teams, this option is not always a possibility.

Audience strategy

Having a team of both PPC and SEO specialists results in a consistent understanding of your audience, branding and tone. This can improve many things, including using data from PPC creative messaging to test the best results for meta content optimisation. It also means the team have a solid view of the full customer journey and can work together to get the best results for your customers as well as your brand.

Cross-channel knowledge and expertise

Creating a Search Synergy strategy means that those working on the overall strategy gain knowledge of all relevant channels. With specialists in each area who all have knowledge of, and feed into, the combined strategy, you will ultimately get more out of your digital initiatives. This strengthens the team and ensures that every person in the team, no matter which channel they specialise in, is working to the same overarching goal for their client.

At Summit, our teams are structured into client delivery groups, rather than by speciality. This has been strategically structured so that there is:

  • Ease for cross-channel communication
  • Room to increase support at peak times
  • The ability to be reactive to industry changes or trends
  • A strong focus on the overall goals for the client, rather than objectives solely for each channel

There are even more benefits to having a combined paid and organic search strategy, and you can find out more about them, as well as how they can be implemented, at our next webinar, “Searching for Synergy: How to win at PPC and SEO in 2021 (and beyond)”. Sign up here to secure your place.

Beth O’Grady is client strategy manager at Summit.

Marketing

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