Your practice might have strong visibility and page ranking on Google and other search engines, but you might notice a competitor’s listing that appears in the shaded box at the very top of the page. Sometimes those competitors have not been in business very long and yet they are listed ahead of you! How can this be?
These listing are Google AdWords or Pay-Per-Click advertisements.
We often have clients asking about Google Pay-Per-Click (AdWords) and how it differs from Organic Search Engine Optimization.
Pay-Per-Click listings will show in the “Ads” section of the Google search results at the top of the page and along the right-hand side. The only way to appear in these locations is to pay Google for the advertisement. Order of appearance in this section is dependent on a bidding process, which takes into account the amount you are willing to spend for a keyword and your “quality score”. Google determines quality score based on the relevancy of the advertisement and the page within your website that is linked to the ad. Every time a user clicks on your advertisement, you pay a bid price to Google. Pay-per-click can be very effective for targeting key words for specific procedures in competitive markets. However, your ad will only be shown for as long as you are willing to paying for it.
Organic Search Engine Optimization focuses on positioning in the main search results in Google. Relevance and authority according to Google’s algorithm determines ranking. An organic campaign works to increase your overall visibility across relevant search terms by making your website Google friendly and increasing your authority across the web. This process takes time, but has long lasting effectiveness. In addition, studies have shown that 70% of users will click in the “organic” search results over pay-per-click advertising.
Many practices implement multiple internet marketing strategies that include both organic and pay-per-click campaigns. It is important that these campaigns work together in synergy and not compete against each other. Ideally, a Google Pay-per-Click campaign can compliment your visibility for search terms that a maturing organic campaign has not yet ranked highly for
PBHS doesn’t just offer website design services. We also offer campaigns dedicated to the management of both Pay-Per-Click Advertisements and Organic Search Engine Optimization. For more information, contact us today or 1-800-840-5383.