Surely spending more on Google Ads will get you better placement in organic search also, right? That’s the claim that one Google sales representative allegedly made to a prospective client recently. But is it true that higher ad spend equals better organic results? Does your Ad spend Buy Better SEO?
Ever since Google Ads launched as AdWords on October 23, 2000, digital marketers have speculated that there must be a connection between dollars spent on pay-per-click (PPC) ads and performance in the free organic search results. Twenty-one years later, it’s still a common question that clients ask: “Can I buy better organic search performance by increasing my ad spend?”
The answer is, unequivocally: “No.”
Google Ads spend does not affect organic search performance in any way. Nor does participation in or purchase of any Google product from GSuite to the $150,000-per-year Google Analytics 360.
In Google’s words:
“While advertisers can pay more to be displayed higher in the advertising area, no one can buy better placement in the search results themselves.”– Google
“Search listings are free, and no one can pay for a better ranking, because Google is committed to keeping our search content useful and trustworthy. … Running a Google Ads campaign does not help your SEO rankings, despite some myths and claims.”– Google
To many, it seems like a logical connection: Giving Google more money should come with fringe benefits. But Google’s product isn’t search results, it’s the attention of human searchers. The search results are just bait to lure the searchers to Google so their attention can be sold to the highest Google Ads bidders.
Searchers will only continue to give their attention to Google freely if Google’s search results are relevant and unbiased. Therefore, it’s in Google’s best interest to keep a distinct separation between church (organic results) and state (paid results).
It’s such an important aspect of Google’s business model that Googlers in all roles are educated about that separation when they’re hired — including, in theory, the errant sales rep. – Read more
#BuyBetterSEO?
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