“SEO is dead.” Have you heard of that term? What about “PPC is too expensive”?
Both claims have been circulating the digital marketing world for quite some time, and while they are not correct, they point out the need for the importance of a new approach to search marketing; Integrated Search Marketing.
The best way to improve search engine visibility is to take an integrated approach. What exactly does that mean? Essentially, it means combining organic search efforts (SEO) with paid search efforts (SEM), establishing a cohesive, comprehensive search presence for your business or brand. This means strategically combining aspects like technical, on-page, and off-page SEO with content, PPC, a Google Business Profile, and more. In a new blog post from Clarity Digital, industry veteran Al Sefati shares some guidelines for developing an integrated search strategy. Check out this article for a full run-down of integrated search marketing best-practices.
Integrated Search Marketing Strategies: How Organic + Paid Brings Big Success
In May 2022, our CEO Al Sefati attended and spoke at a Digital Marketing event called DMO Advanced. Speaking on the topic of Integrated Search (presentation link), Sefati stressed the importance of having an integrated search marketing strategy (SEO + SEM), also highlighting a few specific strategies. In this post, we’d like to summarize some of his insights from the presentation, offering some general parameters for developing your own integrated search strategy.
What is Integrated Search Marketing?
Integrated search marketing is exactly what the name suggests: The integration of both organic and paid search efforts (SEO & SEM) to establish a cohesive, comprehensive search presence for your business or brand.
Typically, integrated search marketing will encompass a range of channels, including some or all of the following:
Organic Search (SEO)
- Technical SEO. Technical SEO is a catch-all term to denote back-end or technical issues that can affect a website’s performance; think site speed, sitemap, and site taxonomy.
- On-page SEO. A robust organic search strategy should always encompass on-page elements such as meta data, H1 tags, and keyword optimization.
- Content marketing and optimization. Posting regular blog content is essential for building an audience and for catering to Google’s insatiable algorithms. Additionally, it’s critical to have on-site content that is lengthy, substantive, keyword-rich, and optimized for a great user experience.
- Off-page SEO. There are a number of opportunities for effective off-page optimization, including link building, brand mention, and citation building.
- Local SEO. Any integrated search strategy should include a focus on consumers within the business’ geographic area. Effective local SEO typically focuses on Google Business Profile (aka GMB) creation and optimization, ratings and reviews, and the development of hyper local content.
Paid Search (SEM)
Paid search, also known as search engine marketing (SEM), may encompass any or all of the following:
- Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
- Local service ads
- Google Business Profile ads
- Search-based retargeting
Rather than isolating either of these main approaches, the successful marketer will use them together in a synchronized and harmonious way.
Why Integrated Search Marketing?
There are three primary reasons why integrated search is the best approach. These are the search engine results pages (SERPs), user behaviors, and Google updates. Let’s look at each of these factors one at a time.
SERPs
The SERPs are as unpredictable as ever. Also, it is very difficult for users to distinguish between paid and organic results… or maybe it is more accurate to say that most users don’t really care whether the content they’re seeing is organic or a paid promotion, so long as it’s connecting them with the product, service, or information they’re after.
User Behaviors
When searching Google, users (particularly transactional users) tend to:
- Want quick answers.
- Spend most of their time above the fold, scrolling down only if they can’t find what they want.
- Be more attracted to listings that stand out with pictures, attractive ad copy, and helpful metadata.
- Respond better to brands they know and trust.
The bottom line: Google wants to help its search engine users find what they are looking for conveniently and easily. Your SEO and SEM efforts can help achieve that goal, and in this regard, there is no conflict between organic and paid reach.
Google Updates
Google is owned by Alphabet, and they are a publicly traded company. As such, it stands to reason that Google will continue to:
- Prioritize users and their needs.
- Seek to boost profits.
- Improve their technology using AI or machine learning to enhance their products, which will keep SEOs and marketers guessing.
Strategies for SEO and SEM Integration
For all of these reasons, marketers benefit from combining the principles of SEO with the strategies of SEO. The question is how. Here are a few quick guidelines:
- Understand all stages of the customer’s journey and identify which channel fits those stages best.
- Ensure that SEO and SEM efforts are both aligned with business goals.
- Keep SEO and SEM teams in constant communication, avoiding redundancies and inefficiencies.
- Provide integrated/combined reporting to stakeholders within the organization.
With these guidelines, it’s possible to develop a truly harmonious approach that yields real results.
Clarity Digital is an Integrated Search & Digital Marketing Agency
At Clarity Digital, we’re proud to be a highly successful integrated search marketing company. We develop custom, integrated search strategies for clients ranging from small start-ups to international enterprises, consistently positioning our clients for improved visibility, greater engagement, and a competitive edge.
We’d love to talk more about creating and implementing an integrated search strategy for your team and are happy to work closely with your in-house CMO or marketing manager. To learn more, reach out to Clarity Digital today.
