In the digital marketing landscape, businesses are often confused about whether to invest in SEO or Google Ads to achieve their marketing goals.
While both SEO and Google Ads can help businesses improve their online visibility, there is a common misconception about the impact of Google Ads on SEO rankings.
In this article, we will explore the question “Does Google Ads Help SEO?” and compare the SEO with Google Ads in different situations.
Does Google Ads help SEO? (Direct Answer)
Google Ads campaigns do not directly help SEO, but they can certainly have an indirect positive impact on SEO.
When your website receives traffic from Google Ads campaigns, it can make more people aware of your brand on the internet.
The increased brand awareness can lead to more people mentioning the brand name in their own content and occasionally even providing outbound links to the website.
These factors can ultimately lead to improved SEO for the website.
But Google Ads does not have a direct impact on SEO because Google Ads and SEO are two different things.
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads is an online advertising platform made by Google.
It allows businesses to create targeted ads for their products/services on top of SERPs and the Google Ad Network.
Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) or cost-per-impression (CPM) basis, enabling advertisers to use various ad formats like:
- Text
- Image
- Video
- Shopping ads.
Google Ads allows for the creation and targeting of ads based on specific keywords and demographics.
Businesses can also optimize their ad campaigns for specific goals, such as increasing website traffic, generating leads, or increasing sales.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
Optimizing your website according to search engine guidelines so that search engines can understand your website and rank it on the relevant search terms in the SERP is called SEO.
The goal of SEO is to make it easier for search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo to crawl, understand, index, and rank a website’s content.
SEO involves these 2 factors:
- On-page
- Off-page
On-page optimization includes:
- Keywords
- Content
- H1, H2, H3, and further headings in content
- Meta title and descriptions
- Header tags
Off-page optimization includes:
- Backlinks
- Social media signals
SEO vs. Google Ads: What Is the Difference?
SEO and Google Ads are two different approaches for businesses to improve their online visibility.
SEO is an organic strategy that involves optimizing a website and its content to rank higher in search engine result pages to get relevant traffic.
Google Ads is a paid advertising platform that requires a budget and allows businesses to display ads at the top of search results pages or on other websites in the Google Display Network.
While both can be effective in attracting traffic to a website, they differ in terms of cost and targeting options.
Here is the side-by-side comparison between SEO and Google Ads.
| Comparison | SEO | Google Ads |
| Definition | The process of optimizing a website or web page to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords or search terms. | An advertising platform where advertisers bid on keywords to display ads at the top of the search results pages for those keywords. |
| Cost | Free, but requires time and effort to optimize website content and get relevant backlinks. | Paid, with advertisers setting a budget and bidding on keywords to display their ads. |
| Placement | Organic search results are the results that appear on a search engine’s results page without being paid for. | Paid search results are displayed at the top of the search results page above the organic results. |
| Clicks | Traffic is free and unlimited, but the click-through rate (CTR) depends on the ranking position of the website in the SERPs and the effectiveness of page title. | Advertisers pay for every click on their ads, but the CTR can be higher if the ad is well-targeted and relevant to the user’s search intent. |
| Results | Long-term strategy that takes time and effort to show results, but it can lead to a steady and sustainable flow of organic traffic to your website in the long run. | Results are immediate and measurable, with advertisers being able to track clicks, conversions, and ROI in real-time. |
| Maintenance | Ongoing optimization and time-by-time content updation are necessary in some cases to maintain and improve rankings and stay ahead of competitors. | Ongoing optimization and maintenance are necessary to maintain and improve the quality score of the ads and stay competitive in the bidding process. |
image source: https://designthinking.agency
How do SEO and Google Ads work together?
If your website’s page is SEO optimized, it means that the content, images, and design of that page are of high quality and are best for both SEO and user experience.
You can further improve the user experience of that page and then use it for Google Ads campaigns.
Here are some points that show how SEO and Google Ads can work well together:
- Keyword research is crucial for both Google Ads And SEO. You can use the same keywords for both Google Ads and SEO to target a more relevant audience.
- Before optimizing your website for SEO, you can test some keywords’ potential by running a Google Ads campaign. This will help you determine which keywords are more likely to get business-generating traffic. Then you can use them in your SEO strategy.
- If your page is already ranking high in Google search results for a specific keyword and traffic that keyword is converting into business revenue. You can use that keyword to run a Google Ads campaign and gain even more business using Google Ads.
Why doesn’t Google Ads influence SEO rankings?
Google Ads is a paid advertising platform, while SEO is a process of optimizing your website to rank higher in organic search results. Both are completely different strategies.
Google has repeatedly stated that running Google Ads campaigns does not directly influence organic search rankings.
This means that even if you are running successful Google Ads campaigns, it will not improve your website’s SEO rankings.
Is SEO better than Google Ads?
SEO and Google Ads are completely different things.
If your budget is high and you can wait for 1-3 years for your business to grow, then you should focus on SEO.
SEO takes time and budget, but its results are long-term. SEO is better for you
If your budget is low and you want instant results, then Google Ads is the best option for you.
Google Ads campaigns provide instant results but they are short-term.
If you want to use both Google Ads and SEO together, then you can read the paragraph above where I explained how Google Ads and SEO can work together.
Does running Google Ads campaigns help my website’s rankings in organic search?
No, Google Ads (formerly known as AdWords) does not have a direct impact on your website’s SEO rankings.
However, it can indirectly affect SEO by driving traffic to your website, which can increase your brand awareness resulting in gaining more brand mentions and natural backlinks.
Can Google Ads help me target specific keywords and phrases?
Yes, Google Ads allows you to target specific keywords (broad match and phrase match) through its keyword targeting options.
You can also use Google Ads to conduct keyword research and identify high-performing keywords that you can use further in your SEO strategy.
Does running Google Ads increase my website’s click-through rate (CTR)?
Yes, running Google Ads can increase your website’s CTR by placing your ads at the top of search results pages and making them more visible to users.
However, keep in mind that a high CTR alone does not necessarily mean better SEO.
Can Google Ads improve my website’s overall online visibility?
Yes, Google Ads can improve your website’s online visibility by placing your search ads at the top of search results pages and displaying them on relevant websites.
This increased visibility can lead to more website traffic and potential backlinks, which can indirectly impact SEO as well.
Is it necessary to run Google Ads to improve my website’s SEO?
No, running Google Ads is not necessary to improve your website’s SEO.
But in few cases, it can be useful for other SEO strategies, such as keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building.
Can Google Ads be used to target specific geographic locations?
Yes, Google Ads offers location targeting options that allow you to target specific geographic locations, such as countries, regions, cities, and even zip codes.
More on Google Ads:
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How to Set up Conversion Tracking In Google Ads?
How to Use Google Ads for Dropshipping?
How to Choose A Dental Google Ads Agency?