Drawing traffic via SEO and PPC

Note: This was originally posted in a discussion as part of a Boston University Metropolitan College graduate-level course in Innovative Marketing with Professor Jennifer Lee.

Fittingly, I pulled each of the following definitions from Google searches:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - the process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine.

Landing page Optimization (LPO) - the process of improving elements on a website to increase conversions.

Pay-per-click (PPC) - a model of internet marketing in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked.

Cost-per-impression (CPM) - the measure of cost that one will pay when their ad is shown per one thousand impressions.

These are all related to optimizing web presence by increasing web traffic and conversions. SEO, PPC and CPM drive traffic, while LPO drives conversions.

SEO organically drives web traffic through search engines by leveraging heavily searched keywords. To be successful, marketers must pick relevant keywords that relate to the brand or product(s) and make sure these words are properly represented on the website/landing page in the following ways -

• URL

• Title Tag of the page

• Header Tags in HTML Coding

• Main Content

• Image Alt Text and Name File

• Anchor Text

• Structured Data

Relevantly leveraging keywords increases the success of the SEO strategy, while also increasing the success of advertising through PPC and CPM. In advertising, the amount of clicks is increased by the amount of impressions - the more people see the ad, the more clicks you will get. Proper ad can design and use of keywords increases impressions, and a relevant landing page can minimize the bounce rate, further increasing ad effectiveness. The success of the ad has a nurturing effect. More impressions beget more clicks, and then the cycle repeats. Conversely, if the ad is unsuccessful, it can increase the overall cost per click.

While SEO, PPC and CPM all increase website traffic, LPO is not concerned with driving traffic, but rather with driving conversions. The SEO and PPC need to be justified by Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS), which requires customer conversions. The ultimate goal is to get customers to take action (e.g., buy), and this exactly what successful LPO accomplishes.

It is important to execute these strategies in a manner that continues to put “the customer at the heart of all online activities” (Chaffey & Smith, 2017). Further, as Scott (2013) writes “people want authenticity, not spin”. Using relevant keywords that directly relate to product(s) or service(s) draws customers that are genuinely interested, which is a win for all.

Further, research supports the importance of driving traffic through SEO. Tomasi & Li (2015) found that SEO had “substantial positive impacts on number of user visits to SME [Small to Medium Enterprises] websites, average duration of user visits, as well as the company's overall sales revenues.”

References

Chaffey, D., Smith, P. (2017). Digital Marketing Excellence: Planning, Optimizing and Integrating Online Marketing. New York City: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group. 5th Edition.

Scott, D. (2013). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. Fourth Edition.

Tomasi, S., Li, X. (2015, January 1). Influences of Search Engine Optimization on Performance of SMEs: A Qualitative Perceptive. Journal of Electronic Commerce in Organizations (JECO). Volume 13. Retrieved November 18, 2020 from: https://go-gale-com.ezproxy.bu.edu/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=mlin_b_bumml&id=GALE%7CA419777973&v=2.1&it=r&ugroup=outside