We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”.
It’s true in online advertising, too.
Integrating paid search and display advertising campaigns will deliver more revenue than
executing just one type of campaign. In fact, a study found that about 50% of all internet users
react to a display ad by doing a search related to the brand described in the ad, and 14% of
users make a purchase after conducting the search.
The numbers justify the investment.
Businesses should use a multi-channel strategy when executing their online advertising to make
the most of their advertising dollars. In just a moment you’ll discover how you can effectively use
paid search and display advertising together.
First, here’s a refresher on these different types of online advertising:
Paid Search
Paid search allows you to place text ads above the organic listings in search engine results.
These ads appear whenever a search query matches the advertiser’s chosen keywords. Paid
search uses the pay-per-click advertising model, where advertisers bid on the keywords they
want and only pay when their ad is clicked.
Display Advertising
Display advertising appears next to content on news sites, blogs and other targeted niche sites
across the internet. Display ads are graphical advertising that can include logos, images and
rich media. Rather than targeting specific keywords, display advertising can zero in on your
ideal audience based on geography, demographic and behavior.
Benefits of Using Paid Search and Display Advertising Together
There are many benefits to combining advertising channels. Search and display are a hard duo
to beat, and here’s why:
● Display Advertising Can Increase Brand and Product Searches
Repeated exposure to display advertising drives consumers to search your brand. A ComScore
study found keyword searches for the brand increased by an average of 94% for consumers
exposed to a display ad. And not only do brand searches increase, product searches increase
as well. If you’re launching a new product, display advertising can help generate buzz and
boost searches for the release.
● Build Awareness With Display and Drive Conversions With Paid Search
If you are trying to expand your reach and get in front of your target audience, display
advertising is the best way to make your brand known and trusted. When consumers know what
they want and are ready to buy, they use the search engines. Don’t miss a unique opportunity to
convert this captive audience into customer by using paid search ads.
● Data From Both Channels Can Inform Your Overall Online Advertising Strategy
As an online advertiser, you have leverage because you’re sitting on a treasure trove of data.
For example, the keywords, behavior, interests, dislikes, geographical location and gender of
your target audience. Display advertising and paid search are rich in data. The best part is, you
can take what you learn from one channel and apply them in another channel.
How to Integrate Paid Search and Display Advertising
If you would like to boost your marketing ROI, then here are five tips to help you integrate these
two advertising channels:
1. Plan Your Integrated Strategy
Think about what you’re trying to accomplish with your marketing campaign. Each advertising
channel can be used in creative ways to help you achieve a unified marketing goal. When
integrated effectively at this stage, they enable you to achieve greater overall ROI. The key is to
outline your overarching campaign goals, then align specific display and paid search execution
in a united workflow towards those goals.
2. Cover Your Marketing Funnel
When you set up your advertising campaigns, structure it to sufficiently cover your marketing
funnel. Cover the top of the funnel by driving brand awareness and expanding your reach with
display ads. In addition, address the middle to lower part of the funnel with your paid search
campaign.
3. Provide a Consistent User Experience
Consistent messaging throughout an online marketing campaign typically produces higher
conversion rates. Make sure the theme of your paid search campaign aligns with your display
campaign. Check that the messaging of the display campaign and the language of the copy
match the keywords you’ve chosen for paid search. And close the loop by designing the landing
pages of your paid search campaign to be aligned with those of your display campaign.
4. Use Paid Search and Display Remarketing
Remarketing is great for getting previous web visitors back to your website. Advertising
platforms like Google Adwords enable you to target defined audiences of searchers through
follow-on display advertising. This means you can target display ads and re-engage searchers
who click on your paid search ads.
5. Track and Analyze Across Channels
Track across channels and analyze the results of your search and display campaigns
holistically. Analyzing your online advertising channels separately can lead to misinformed
decisions. Establishing attribution models to track paid search, display and other channels is
critical to drawing the proper insights of what’s actually working and how it fits into your overall
marketing mix.
Final Thoughts
Paid search and display are effective advertising channels in their own right. But they become
even more powerful when combined. Consider integrating paid search and display advertising,
especially if your competitors aren’t. You’ll experience a higher response rate and greater return
on investment using a multi-channel strategy.