What’s The Difference Between Google Ads And SEO?

Why Search Engine Optimisation Is Important.

How Does Google Search advertising (Google Adwords) Work?

5 Reasons Why Google Ads And SEO Work Better Together

Final Thoughts

Why Search Engine Optimisation Is Important.

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Search Engine Optimisation or SEO improves the structure and content of your website in order to rank higher on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). The idea is, the more organic website traffic you gain, the higher rate of conversion.

SEO could be considered a popularity contest based on what Google and your audience deem valuable. To bump up your website’s ranking, it must have the right mix of keywords, quality content, site security, mobile compatibility, a fast page speed and an optimal user experience (UX).

In reality, it takes a combination of strategy, a hunger for staying current and a commitment to long-term goals to make an impact.

The competition is fierce, but don’t let a little hard work deter you from setting SEO targets that will enable your business to scale at pace. The key to achieving a high ranking is implementingSEO growth tactics, including keyword research, content marketing and back links among others.

What search terms is your audience typing into Google to find you? What keywords are your competitors ranking for? Are there topics relevant to your business that interest your audience? Creating unique, quality content based on this research is crucial to building a reputation as an expert in your field and a website worth clicking on.

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It's not just about single keywords.

Good luck ranking as number one for ‘coffee’. It's too broad, and too many high-authority websites have solidified their top ranking.

The low-hanging fruit is long-tail keywords, like ‘Sunshine Coast coffee supplier’.While the volume of searches may be smaller, you are more likely to rank when your audience types in this specific phrase. Know your niche and cater to it.

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How we search is making an impact.

With the likes of GoogleHome devices becoming a part of our daily lives, the rise of voice-activated search is imminent.

Research shows that 53% of Australian of smart speaker owners in Australia use their devices to search, not to mention those conducted with smartphones. As this technology continues to penetrate our everyday, natural human-like questions will become the norm in the Google vernacular. That's when your effort with long-tail keywords will really shine.

There is a stack of other tactics like link building, adding keywords to title tags and meta tags, and internal links that fall under technical SEO. While there are too many to cover here, they all play an important part in responding to how your audience searches and how your website ranks.

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Search intent case study: PeriCoach.

As an agency focused on growth, SEO research has played a large part in our content strategy for PeriCoach, a pelvic floor training device.

A lack of awareness of pelvic floor health and rehabilitation products meant their audience is primarily in the discovery phase. To capture broad searches and prospect the target audience we took two approaches to content.

Firstly, by regularly publishing blogs with related keywords that address related medical conditions and women’s health topics. Secondly by including transcripts of Q&A videos to strengthen the use of long-tail keywords with conversational style content.

Together, the content strategy is serving search audiences with educational and commercial intent and has proven to bolster their brand awareness in the process.

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Why you should care about SEO.

SEO is like taking Google out on a date. You’ve got to show it you’re a business of substance before it introduces you to its friends.

It’s a strategy that isn’t constrained by time or advertising dollars. The more effort you put into optimising your website for search, the more authority gained, the higher your website will rank.

SEO is a surefire way to build brand loyalty with a lower cost per acquisition than paid media. It’s a strategy that compounds over time - one that no business can afford to overlook.

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How Does Google Search advertising (Google Adwords) Work?

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Google Search advertising is built around a pay-per-click (PPC) platform. It enables businesses to place products or content in front of their target audience at the time they are most likely to engage.

Advertisers select targeted keywords, set audience constraints and bid to rank as sponsored search results. Outbid your competitors, and congratulations - your ad will appear. The beauty of it is, you only pay for it when your customer takes the bait and clicks through.

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Paid search ads are big game.

The shortcut to immediately find customers on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), Google Shopping, or local services can come at a cost.

Australian businesses spent over $7.86 billion on Search advertising in 2022 alone, with Google accounting for 89% of that spend. Crunch the numbers, and that’s $322.65 spent per Australian internet user.

Considering that’s only a portion of a brand’s advertising budget, it’s easy to see how acquisition costs can rack up quickly if your ads aren’t optimised for performance.

For businesses unfamiliar with the complex world of Google ads, search campaigns can be a minefield. That’s where help from a Google ads agency can save you a stack of money and time.

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eCommerce & Search case studies: CPAP Direct & DNC Direct.

At April Ford, we work with a number of eCommerce businesses operating in highly competitive spaces that rely heavily on Google Search ads to reach their audience.

One of which is CPAP Direct, the largest independent provider of CPAP equipment in Australia. Offering a specialised medical product means their informed audience is searching for specific products. Competing in this saturated health market means impression share is crucial.

To supercharge their GoogleAds, the strategy targets a range of relevant keywords to ensure the brand is a top search result. It actively targets customers that know what they want and are ready to purchase.

In doing so, we have achieved a 390% increase in monthly Google Ads conversion value since working with the brand, with Search Ads now being the top contributor to website sales (followed by SEO). The CPAP Direct team won’t be losing sleep over those figures.

Retaining the highest share of voice pays off, and another prime example of this is our work for DNC Direct.

As a supplier of workwear, their customers are motivated by product, price and convenience. By targeting relevant keywords such as the type of product and the brands they supply, their Google Ads strategy ensures their competitors don’t get a look in.

DNC Direct now appears as the absolute top position for a minimum of 76% of relevant searches and at top of the page for 94%. Google Ads is a revenue-generating machine for this brand, attributing to a 50% rise in revenue year on year with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Both of these sites have strong SEO, but the competition for need-right-now products or services means you must be in the top three search results to convert. So remember kids, impression share is king.

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Prepare for the future with smart Google Search strategies.

It might shock you to know that 15% of all daily Google searches have never been searched before. While it’s tempting to go after the high-volume keywords with Google ads, there are opportunities for new businesses to leverage new trends early.

As Google’s reach extends beyond traditional text search and further into visual or sound prompts (like humming that song stuck in your head), search is going to become even more intuitive. And, so too, must advertising.

Shopping, local business suggestions and YouTube video engagement are all reinforced by sponsored results. Ensuring your business is across these channels guarantees that no matter how much Google transforms customer search, your brand will be front and centre, eager for that click.

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Why you should care about Google Search ads.

Google Search is a measurable and adaptable advertising strategy that enables a brand to reach large audiences and scale.

Investing in a solid Google Search strategy can lead you to the data mother lode. One that instantly boosts website traffic, enables remarketing to past website visitors via the Google Display network or becomes the dataset your brand applies to programmatic advertising.

Unlike Meta advertising, it isn’t dependent on audiences. Being based on search and audience intent means Google ads are a futureproof strategy that can take your brand to the next stage of growth.

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5 Reasons Why Google Ads And SEO Work Better Together

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Google search advertising is your SEO strategy’s secret weapon. Here’s why.

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1. See results sooner

Don’t just wait around for SEO to gain traction. Add Google Search ads to your strategy to skip the queue and build trust sooner.

You’ve created a rich website experience, so you may as well convince more eyeballs to read, enquire and shop. Targeting the same keywords across both strategies is an invaluable way for both new and existing businesses to reach a larger audience quickly.

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2. Rapid testing and optimisation.

Google Search enables you to test keywords and optimise ads in real-time. It provides invaluable insight into what your audience does or does not respond to.

Using this data to inform your SEO strategy means the time and budget invested into creating content is more likely to generate a response. Take advantage of it to optimise your funnel, minimise risk and increase ROAS across your wider advertising strategy.

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3. Combat competitors.

Google ads allow you to target the keywords your audience is searching for but fall outside of your SEO strategy. For example, phrases like ‘cheap coffee’ or your competitor’s brand name which could negatively impact your brand if they appeared on your website.

It’s about showing up in every relevant search, no matter how left-of-field the keywords are from your brand guidelines. Gain the highest ad impressions and fend off competitors from your slice of market share.

This defence strategy also includes bidding on your own brand name. Because let’s face it, if you’re not ranking for it, someone else will.

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4. Drive brand recall.

Building rapport with your audience through SEO can take time, but it doesn’t have to. Google Search ads increase brand awareness by showing up as the recommended (sponsored) solution to your audience’s search. The more impressions, the more opportunities for engagement.

This increase in brand exposure over time will lead to higher brand recall - just make sure you back that up with high-quality content.

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5. Improved relevancy, higher conversion.

Your Google Search quality score is rated on how useful your ad and landing page is to someone searching for your keyword in comparison to your competitors. The higher the score, the more relevant Google deems your ad.

That’s why optimising for performance doesn’t stop at the ad - the SEO content of your website must be useful to your audience to generate results.

One of the best examples of this is our work for On Point Family Practice. As a practice that offers speciality services, they are targeting specific keywords as well as competing with other medical practices in the local area. This meant optimising both their ad account and website to be relevant for these audience segments.

Since launching the website over 12 months ago, we have achieved the absolute top position for a minimum of 97% of searches for our focus keywords. When this has translated to a 281% growth in conversions, the payoff of optimised relevancy speaks for itself.

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Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts.

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Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an organic, long-term strategy founded on building trust. Google Search ads are a paid strategy that generates trust through convenience.

a *chef's kiss*.

The amount of effort you put into SEO directly relates to the outcome you'll see. Mark our words. To get to the top, you've got to earn (and pay for) it.

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