Search Engine Optimization vs AdWords (SEO vs PPC) – That was the goal for this week’s show. We have a little bit of a rough start where Facebook started streaming before we were ready, and then a camera failed (which is why we have two), and the audio was much louder than expected.
None the less, it’s a live show and that’s how it goes sometimes! We could have restarted, but that’s just not how we do things. We charge on, and have a great conversation about Search Engine Optimization and how it compares to Pay-Per-Click and if one should be used over another.
Click the video below for the full segment, or use the jump points we’ve selected below to skip around the video as needed.
Video Jump Points
2:10 – Big Update from Google that we see on the charts, but Google did not confirm it.
4:00 – We see people blow the budget on PPC all the time, but there’s a right and wrong way to do AdWords
Check out some of our other blog articles related to PPC and AdWords
5:35 – SEO vs PPC – which one is better, when you can cancel, and which you need to keep
7:00 – when PPC is used in Conjunction with SEO you can dominate the rankings
7:30 – PPC does not influence SEO, or vice versa – with one caveat
8:30 – When should you start SEO or start PPC?
9:20 – PPC is great to figure out if a particular keyword is great to go after
11:00 – Don’t forget about Social Media, they can be a great resource for potential new visitors, along with Ads and Facebook Pixel for re-targeting or re-marketing
12:00 – If a business is seasonal, run your ads before or after the season and pay lower rates
13:50 – Not everything works on PPC. We ran a campaign for a whitepaper years ago, and based on Orgnaic Position today, we stopped our PPC
15:00 – Don’t copy and paste the same ad that a competitor might be running. Sometimes what they’re going after doesn’t yield any traffic.
15:50 – If everyone is targeting the same keyword in ads, you’re inflating the keyword price even if it doesn’t have quality traffic. Research your keywords and target other phrases rather than the most expensive ones. You can use “long tail keywords” and spend less, and get more traffic based on overall number of searches
19:40 – If you decide to outsource your Google AdWords management, make sure that you OWN the ads. Make the agency use YOUR account and they import the keywords or ads into your account. Assign them as an admin. You want to own things and not lose it all if you decide to cancel with them.
If You Outsource Your Ad Management
A lot of agencies will keep the adwords account in their name and you lose everything if you cancel. We are HUGE believers in give you the keys to the castle, so make sure everything is done in your name. There are agencies that charge a percentage based on what you spend at Google, or others that charge based on performance. In those cases you may not be able to fully “own” the ads or keyword research. Big Red SEO doesn’t operate that way, but there are places that do. So try to be the owner of your own data, afterall, you spent money on it. It can be used by the next agency or yourself, in the future. This is also true on Google Analytics.
22:46 – be sure to filter your own IP number in Google Analytics so you don’t inflate your numbers. And with Ads, don’t click on your own ads! There’s an area in Google Ads where you can test if your ads are working etc, but don’t search and click on your own ads.
24:40 – Determine what the purpose is of your Ads Campaign – conversions, branding, exposure etc.
25:27 – When is a good time to stop PPC? Conor’s best answer; when it’s no longer beneficial. If it’s not performing, stop your ads. Ad fatigue is a real thing.
27:30 – There are some industries where Ads are not even an option. Sometimes it depends on the search query, other times it’s the industry.
Join Us Each Week For A New Facebook Live
Every week, Conor & Kimberly have a Facebook Live that is open to everyone. We usually have a topic pre-planned, but we’re always open to new discussions during the broadcast!
If you have a topic that you’d like us to cover, drop us a note and we’ll do our best to get it added to the schedule!