There really is no disputing this fact: a modern day business MUST have an online presence in order to grow. And to achieve that growth, you need to be paying attention to your SEO and PPC strategies. Those aren’t just buzzwords; they’re powerful tools that can make a huge impact on your business’s digital marketing success and overall revenue. SEO, search engine optimization, can get people flocking to your website, which means more eyes on your brand, products, and/or services, and ultimately more sales/subscriptions/clients. PPC, pay-per-click advertising, gives you fast growth, maximum agility when it comes to targeting certain audiences, and detailed metrics you can use to check how well your campaigns are performing. When implemented separately, it’s clear that these two strategies can be immensely effective. But what happens if you integrate SEO and PPC? Let’s explore that.
(I already know about SEO and PPC ROI. Skip to the good stuff.)
Measuring SEO ROI
Before you can get to integrating your SEO and PPC strategies, you should make sure that you’re properly measuring the results and performance of each strategy. After all, how are you supposed to know what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong? For SEO, these are the metrics that matter most:
- CLV (customer lifetime value)
- CTR (click-through rate)
- Conversion rate
- CPA (cost per acquisition) Calculate this with: Total SEO expenses ÷ conversions = CPA
- Organic visibility
- Keyword rankings
Tools like Google Analytics, SEMRush, and Moz are very helpful for keeping track of those metrics and how they affect your ROI. If those numbers aren’t where you want them to be, try giving your content a quality check and another round of optimization. Or try to secure a high-quality backlink from an authoritative website.
Calculating PPC ROI
Hone in on these metrics for tracking your PPC ROI:
- ROAS (return on ad spend)
- CPA (cost per acquisition)
- CPC (cost per click)
You can use tools like Google Ads and Google Analytics to measure and analyze the performance of your PPC campaigns. If you’re after improvement in this area, take a second look at your ad copy and creatives. Reconsider your audience targeting strategy. Most ads underperform because of lack of clarity. Who are you talking to? What exactly do you want them to do when they see your ad?
PPC vs SEO ROI
ROI is just ROI, right? Wrong. There’s a stark difference between revenue generated from SEO efforts and revenue generated from PPC efforts. PPC has higher costs, and gets fast results. SEO is more cost-effective, but it’s a long-term strategy that likely won’t see returns for months, at least. Why is it worth it? Because an SEO strategy doesn’t have a time limit for success after implementing. Paid traffic stops when you stop paying for it. SEO traffic can be eternal if you nurture it correctly.
