Truth or Time Waster? November Edition…
Article by: Jack Bird • 2 November 2020
Each month we’ll be de-busting a common marketing myth to find out whether they are in fact TRUE or a TIME WASTER.
This month’s question:
“Users just skip past Google Ads and only use organic search results.“
This is in fact a Time Waster.
Of course, people don’t skip past Google Ads, in some circumstances they FAR outperform organic search results.
BUT, it’s not quite as simple as that …
Which is better? Google Ads? Or Organic Search (SEO)?
Overall, organic search actually get’s a higher volume of clicks …
But clicks on paid search listings beat organic clicks by nearly a 2:1 margin for keywords with high commercial intent. In other words, 64.6% of people click on Google Ads when they are looking to buy an item online!
Here’s what Google say:
“SEO is a traditional cornerstone of successful online marketing, because it gives your business the best chance of being found – even if the optimisation process takes a while to get right. Google Ads lets you reach customers more immediately, no matter how large or small your business is, and also lets you customize your campaign on the fly, but it’s worth considering that both SEO and PPC ads can help in different ways.”
So, what should you be doing?
The answer, of-course, depends on your business, it’s aims, and your marketing budget … but certain types of Google search simply work better for paid ads than others. And it’s fair to say that Google Ads categorically don’t get skipped past.
Again, we can take Google’s lead: “Using SEO and Google Ads together may give you the best chance of bringing traffic to your site in the short term, and enhancing your business’s presence online for long-term success.”
But, for eCommerce businesses, we should again consider the intent of the search – if you sell toasters and someone searches “buy toaster” – 2/3 of people will click a Google Ad before buying. So it might be time to start cranking up the ad budget!
Alternatively, have a chat with our Digital Growth Experts to find out how our PPC team could help maximise the leads and sales you get to your website.
- https://ads.google.com/home/resources/seo-vs-ppc/