{"id":15119,"date":"2022-08-12T11:52:23","date_gmt":"2022-08-12T11:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/holistic-search-strategy\/456046\/"},"modified":"2022-08-12T11:52:23","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T11:52:23","slug":"6-steps-to-prioritize-natural-paid-search-in-a-holistic-search-strategy-via-sejournal-digital_future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=15119","title":{"rendered":"6 Steps To Prioritize Natural & Paid Search In A Holistic Search Strategy via @sejournal, @digital_future"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The synergy between paid search<\/a> (SEM) and natural or organic search<\/a> (SEO) remains a popular topic due to the many benefits a business can experience from their synergies.<\/p>\n

From leaning on organic results to offset paid search costs to using paid search targeting settings to tailoring results to distinct audiences, opportunities abound for organic and paid search synergy.<\/p>\n

Google\u2019s move this year to prioritize broad matches within paid search creates even more urgency for natural and paid search synergy.<\/p>\n

With less control over paid search results, there is a greater chance of paid search campaigns cannibalizing natural search efforts.<\/p>\n

Marketers who do not regularly review organic and paid traffic share side-by-side will be surprised to find that paid search has expanded to capture more traffic from new query results, which may not convert well and need to be exluded.<\/p>\n

With this shift in the paid search landscape, develop a holistic search strategy. Follow these six steps to ensure you address all new paid search implications for organic search.<\/p>\n

Before developing strategies for prioritizing natural and paid search efforts, it will be important to take several foundational steps and analyze how your site analytics trends.<\/p>\n

1. Restructure Your Paid Search Campaigns<\/h2>\n

First, ensure that your paid search campaigns have adopted the latest keyword best practices<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Specifically, restructure your efforts to leverage broad match paying close attention to negative keywords.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, your campaign will likely shrink in the number of groups and positive keywords.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the number of negatives should grow. Negative keywords<\/a> are more crucial than ever to prevent budget drain and ensure paid search ads show only in the desired circumstances.<\/p>\n

2. Establish New Performance Baselines<\/h2>\n

Before designing strategies for natural and paid synergy, it is essential to establish new performance baselines across paid and organic search.<\/p>\n

Gain Statistically Significant Data<\/h3>\n

With your paid search account restructured, ensure that you acquire statistically significant data across your campaigns to understand new performance dynamics. The longer your site\u2019s conversion cycle is, the longer this will take.<\/p>\n

However, it is well worth it. First, you will gain clean and reliable paid search data.<\/p>\n

Secondly, this calibration period will double as a reset time for organic search and for your organic presence to adjust.<\/p>\n

Keep Adjusting Your Paid Search Negatives<\/h3>\n

During the above calibration period, closely watch your paid search query reports for additional negative keywords to mine.<\/p>\n

Leveraging scripts<\/a> is highly recommended to automate at least some of the steps. Using negative keyword lists in shared libraries will help reduce heavy manual lifting.<\/p>\n

Monitor Change vs. Prior Baselines<\/h3>\n

Aside from the \u201cbefore and after comparison\u201d (i.e., comparison vs. the period preceding changes), look at the change vs. the same period a year ago, so you account for any seasonality.<\/p>\n

3. Use Multiple Success Metrics<\/h2>\n

Consider what metrics are important to monitor for comparison and will be most actionable for your team.<\/p>\n

If a KPI<\/a> is hard for your team to influence, it becomes secondary importance.<\/p>\n

Use a weighted, multiple metrics approach rather than pinning the analysis on any single success criteria.<\/p>\n