This week, #ContentChat was joined by Matt Mason from PointIt Digital Marketing to discuss how to use paid search to amplify your public relations and content efforts.
In the effort to stay within 140 characters, many of the chat participants used some potentially unfamiliar acronyms. Here’s a cheat sheet:
- SEO: Search Engine Optimization. Refers to optimizing your online content for search engines.
- SEM: Search Engine Marketing. Refers to paid advertising on search platforms.
- PPC: Pay Per Click. Refers to paid advertising whose cost is based on paying only for those who click through on your ad. Matt uses it in the chat to refer to all types of paid search.
- SERP: Search Engine Results Page. Typically, people are using this when talking about being on page one of Google search for a given keyword.
To be reminded about upcoming chats and get a sneak peek at the questions, like and follow our Content Chat Facebook page.
Q1: How does search marketing fit into public relations and content marketing?
A1-1: Paid Search can highlight your content and help control your PR message. #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A1-2: Maybe you have a fresh blog, white paper, or case study, Paid Search can ensure your message is at the top of the SERP #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A1. Search marketing is a backbone of content marketing, obviously. #contentchat
— Ted Bauer (@tedbauer2003) June 5, 2017
A perfect compliment to SEO rankings that haven’t quite made it to the top! #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) June 5, 2017
a1 If you want your content to be found #SEO is the Best way! #contentchat
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) June 5, 2017
A1: a direct, proactive method for targeting your content to specific markets and demographics #contentchat
— Phil Barnes (@Barnes_Phil) June 5, 2017
A1. SEM can help you target better, and tools like @semrush can even help you pitch clients better. #contentchat
— Ted Bauer (@tedbauer2003) June 5, 2017
This is a fair point, but you need PPC in the short term while your SEO strategy percolates. #ContentChat https://t.co/VEk4Xi2m3u
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
also, I will be using PPC as an abbreviation for Paid Search so that I can stay within character limits 🙂 #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A1.
It’s about
optimizing
content & all brand related
efforts for search.Search = the start
of your customer journey!#ContentChat pic.twitter.com/IVeLdjomJD— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) June 5, 2017
A1a: #PPC is a great amplifier for PR-worthy & great editorial #content. Easy to target & quickly reaches your target audience. #contentchat https://t.co/mIuMyUy8ZV
— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) June 5, 2017
you also need to take into account your quality score for your PPC campaign to be effective, ties right into your SEO efforts #contentchat
— Phil Barnes (@Barnes_Phil) June 5, 2017
Search marketing is really important for guiding people to your content. Content without an audience is nothing #ContentChat
— Marketing Strategies (@MktngStrategy) June 5, 2017
A1: Whether you pay to appear on the SERP or create content for organic results – your goal is likely to further your reach! #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) June 5, 2017
A1: Putting a little $ into great content can push message in front of wider audience than your earned efforts obtain alone. #ContentChat
— Alan Fleming (@alan_fleming) June 5, 2017
Funnel strategy FTW. #contentchat https://t.co/J7EySmNaPx
— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) June 5, 2017
A1 The research that goes into search marketing helps inspire content & find the best PR outlets for your brand/goals/content #contentchat https://t.co/emlZyUVraP
— Krystal Blais 🔥 (@krystalblais) June 5, 2017
I agree. So if you can use SEO + SEM to make the brand you are representing show up before it’s competitors. That’s a win. #contentchat
— Tali Lekorenos (@typicallytali) June 5, 2017
Q2: What are the public relations benefits of investing in paid search?
A2: From a PR perspective, paid search allows you to be on top and control your message. You own the real estate. #ContentChat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A2: Highly trackable lead sources and customer journey! #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) June 5, 2017
A2: It is crucial to be the loudest voice in shaping your brand. #PPC goes a long way to help that!#contentchat
— James Haagenson (@ProgrammaticJim) June 5, 2017
A2: My non-profit benefits from PPC specifically with our recruitment efforts – more foster parents, staff, students… #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) June 5, 2017
A2 Paid search relies more on trained experts to gain content traffic. Of course, you need referrals to vet their expertise. #ContentChat
— Jim Katzaman (@JKatzaman) June 5, 2017
A2. It can help get PR content in front of the right audience. #contentchat
— Ted Bauer (@tedbauer2003) June 5, 2017
A2: PPC is also HIGHLY measurable. You can see the user experience through the funnel. #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A2 #contentchat Get qualified traffic and faster than SEO efforts that take some time to show significant results
— Bruce Deschamps (@brucedesch) June 5, 2017
A2. A lot of times, the PR content is most important to the higher-ups (old school mentality). So it’s a quick way to please. #contentchat
— Ted Bauer (@tedbauer2003) June 5, 2017
A2: the same as any marketing effort when done right. Reach, influence, engagement and brand awareness. Have some goals defined #contentchat
— Phil Barnes (@Barnes_Phil) June 5, 2017
A2.b: You’re trying to reach people that haven’t heard of you or may not know much about you. Pay to get in front of them! #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) June 5, 2017
A2: If it’s a new crisis, specifically, you’re wrestling back control. PPC puts you right at the top while wriggling it back. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/GaFWKVaXhy
— Jeff Reno(e) 🎙 (@Renoe) June 5, 2017
A2: SO MANY TO COUNT. It’s called storytelling. To get results, you need an audience. Where are they? Online. Need help? Paid. #contentchat pic.twitter.com/QRZIhWHAAM
— Shawn Paul Wood (@ShawnPaulWood) June 5, 2017
A2: Paid assists PR by getting the message in front of those not even looking for you. Can also push news you want seen to top. #ContentChat
— Alan Fleming (@alan_fleming) June 5, 2017
A2. Crisis management would be another good play here. Because it can get you to the top of the discourse. #contentchat
— Ted Bauer (@tedbauer2003) June 5, 2017
A2: Instant traffic, from the right people asking the questions your content answers. Boost the conversation. #contentchat https://t.co/neGz8XGGY0
— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) June 5, 2017
A2.
Brand awareness
Reputation management
Reach
Traffic
Customer acquisition#ContentChat pic.twitter.com/7JxEgOmrpE— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) June 5, 2017
A2 #contentchat paid search can also generate new inbound links so improve your SEO performance too
— Bruce Deschamps (@brucedesch) June 5, 2017
I don’t think anyone FULLY understands how they work together lol digital efforts are always changing & each field is different #contentchat
— Krystal Blais 🔥 (@krystalblais) June 5, 2017
Q3: How does paid search help with damage control?
A3. Gets the damage control element in front of the people who view it as damaging ASAP. #contentchat
— Ted Bauer (@tedbauer2003) June 5, 2017
A3 -Use SEO/SEM to highlight company values 4 all to see during damage control – resurface the good and bury the bad. #contentchat
— Tali Lekorenos (@typicallytali) June 5, 2017
A3: If you have the story people are looking for on top of everyone else’s, you’ll be able to resolve rumors quicker. #contentchat
— T. Shakirah Dawud (@ShakirahDawud) June 5, 2017
a3 PPC to support quickly moving public relations incidents (aka: social & reputation monitoring/management #contentchat
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) June 5, 2017
A3: It allows you to go after keywords that you don’t control in order to try and manage the conversations being had. #contentchat pic.twitter.com/VmtNJiYOTg
— Jeff Reno(e) 🎙 (@Renoe) June 5, 2017
Q3 1 of the perks of PPC is having full control of your brand’s message & bidding so its the 1st thing users see when searching #contentchat
— Natalie Barreda (@nataliebarreda) June 5, 2017
A3: #PPC let’s marketers & PR dept’s quickly get their responses in front of people – ahead of misinformation. #contentchat https://t.co/GYmfKLqrCH
— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) June 5, 2017
A3: PPC allows you to control the message and prevent competition from swooping in and taking advantage of the situation. #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A3: You can promote your voice above the bad press in the SERP; you can also promote how you’re fixing the situation you’re in. #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) June 5, 2017
A3. Manage those conversations! Target audiences! #contentchat
— Ted Bauer (@tedbauer2003) June 5, 2017
A3b: Leveraging #PPC let’s you control the narrative. Everyone (even media folks) Google 1st. #contentchat
— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) June 5, 2017
A3: United missed a huge opportunity last month. They could have owned the SERP, but instead it was all negative. #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
I agree. You can also help control + facilitate the conversation has it’s happening. Be part of the bad press/convo + pivot it. #contentchat https://t.co/kgLy6CN8Jz
— Tali Lekorenos (@typicallytali) June 5, 2017
A3: we’ll talk about this more later, but Wells Fargo owned the space on a ton of searches around “wells fargo fraud” #ContentChat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A3 #contentchat Use negative keywords in paid search helps brands control the targeting too.
— Bruce Deschamps (@brucedesch) June 5, 2017
A3 Paid social helps w/ targeting. Social can get message to masses, paid can get it to subsets. #ContentChat
— Shannon Mouton Gray (@ShannonRenee) June 5, 2017
I agree. It’s so useful to stay ahead of the convo. You can also target specific press + influencers to change the convo. #contentchat
— Tali Lekorenos (@typicallytali) June 5, 2017
A3: SEM is just one of many content direction channels. Focus first on your message (content) then on getting peeps to it #contentchat
— Phil Barnes (@Barnes_Phil) June 5, 2017
A3: The reality is, SEO isn’t agile enough for negative press. Think of it as a marathon runner. PPC is Usain Bolt. #ContentChat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A3: negative keywords around negative press aren’t helpful. You want your strategy to take on all searches. #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A3 Using paid can ensure your messages stay high up on search engines; you can use analytics to test reach & engagement #ContentChat
— Shannon Mouton Gray (@ShannonRenee) June 5, 2017
Q4: What are the impacts of PPC for PR and content on SEO?
A4: Allows you to take up more space on the SERP. You can have the top Paid Spot and Organic spot, ensuring maximum visibility #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A4: SEO can take time to build. PPC allows you to control the top spot while your SEO strategy develops, i.e blogs #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A well-done campaign increases awareness and can result in articles and boost your SEO performance A4 #contentchat
— Bruce Deschamps (@brucedesch) June 5, 2017
a4 The Impact is DRIVING qualified traffic to the content & PPC should support the overall SEO – for greater impact! #contentchat
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) June 5, 2017
A4. On-page optimize and optimize in other spots. Own your keywords. Be historical. Revisit your content. Audit! #contentchat
— Ted Bauer (@tedbauer2003) June 5, 2017
A4: Totally! A lot of our clients have seen an incremental lift in revenue by having SEO/PPC in top positions #contentchat
— Brenna Teichen (@PPC_ster) June 5, 2017
A4: Use conversion analytics! Defining your goals and ROI measures should be apart of your plan and help plan your budget #contentchat
— Phil Barnes (@Barnes_Phil) June 5, 2017
A4. PPC can hit a target (please a boss) much faster in PR than content will benefit SEO (takes a bit) #contentchat
— Ted Bauer (@tedbauer2003) June 5, 2017
Most paid social comes w/ advanced analytics, which gives all kinds of delicious info about your audience. #ContentChat
— Shannon Mouton Gray (@ShannonRenee) June 5, 2017
A4: Using #PPC to get people engaging & linking to your top fresh content makes it more likely to live long in organic search. #ContentChat
— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) June 5, 2017
A4: Paid to PR = short term. Content to SEO = Long term #ContentChat #OrganicVsPaid
— Jeff Reno(e) 🎙 (@Renoe) June 5, 2017
In this case we’re typically talking crisis. So all queries over a certain $ threshold are valuable. #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
Can aid in the building of your brand/content.Can be small. That’s the beauty. I have clients that spend less than $1K a month. #ContentChat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
Q5: What other PPC techniques can be used to get fast results?
A5: In crisis, sitelinks on your branded/evergreen campaigns to link to a blog, charitable page, etc. #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A5: Increase your bids for ad spot on Google, even .25 cents can edge your competitor out (in small budgets land). #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) June 5, 2017
A5: Google’ssimilar audiences, you can expand your reach to people who look like people who have completed your desired action #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A5) Be sure to utilize retargeting! Can really make a difference in the ROI of your campaign! #ppc #roi #contentchat
— Conversion 💸 Corner (@ConvertCorner) June 5, 2017
a5 BID HIGH – also use sitelinks, callout extensions, structured snippets & keep AdGroups tight. #contentchat
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) June 5, 2017
A5.2: Simple, yet overlooked – the title of your ad should put your business name SECOND never first (1/2) #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) June 5, 2017
A5: As my girl @nataliebarreda always says, remarketing to sure up the bottom of the funnel! #contentchat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
#contentchat A5 Giveaways, Discounts. Also Click on competitors ads. Make them pay some. Bwwaahhh! I’m naughty. https://t.co/2kUClyh5oj
— Barbara Henslee (@BarHenslee) June 5, 2017
A5 Paid social is good for testing. I tend to trust these results over organic. #ContentChat
— Shannon Mouton Gray (@ShannonRenee) June 5, 2017
Q5 Like @MattMasonPPC said, similar audiences, use GDN to blast users, even expand using in-market audiences (avail in search) #contentchat
— Natalie Barreda (@nataliebarreda) June 5, 2017
A5: learn about quality scores and how they effecr SEM. They impact bids, ad placement and ads are shown for your keywords #contentchat
— Phil Barnes (@Barnes_Phil) June 5, 2017
A5: A/B testing is so important to PPC success. Test headlines/copy/click throughs, etc. #contentchat pic.twitter.com/7blkZCDUgc
— Jeff Reno(e) 🎙 (@Renoe) June 5, 2017
A5 #contentchat split your ad groups by audiences, do A/B testing during your campaign and optimize your bids on best performing ads.
— Bruce Deschamps (@brucedesch) June 5, 2017
A5.2b: We read left to right
Fast Cleaning Service | QuickCleaners
better than
QuickCleaners | Fast Cleaning Service
(2/2) #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) June 5, 2017
The best part of paid social: it’s relatively inexpensive. You can test, analyze, refine, repeat & so for pennies. #ContentChat
— Shannon Mouton Gray (@ShannonRenee) June 5, 2017
A5 PPC “buy now” etc quick links on social media & testing your market size and new opportunities across platforms and borders #contentchat
— Maria Tereza Dickson (@terezadickson) June 5, 2017
Q6: If you implement PPC for PR and content amplification what results can you expect?
A6: Depends on vertical. However, typically speaking, when PPC and SEO are combined, we see an average of 30% more web traffic. #ContentChat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
A6 #contentchat New inbound links, qualified leads, temporary increase in website traffic, increase in brand mentions,…
— Bruce Deschamps (@brucedesch) June 5, 2017
A6: Changing consumer behavior is a mean ask but if your PR goal isn’t to change what’s between the ears, what are you doing? #COntentChat pic.twitter.com/JRtFGy9yE8
— Jeff Reno(e) 🎙 (@Renoe) June 5, 2017
#contentchat. More traffic to site, more calls and conversions. IF it all aligns. https://t.co/dS5KV6W7ox
— Barbara Henslee (@BarHenslee) June 5, 2017
A6 Assuming you’re using best practices-you should see an increase in traffic to your site, depending on the size of your niche #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) June 5, 2017
A6: an all-channel holistic approach on getting your message in front of the right people faster #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) June 5, 2017
Q7: What are some companies that use a PPC strategy for PR?
A7: PayPal owned the #1 spot on “PayPal” sucks for a long time. We mentioned Wells Fargo earlier. #ContentChat
— Matt Mason (@MattMasonPPC) June 5, 2017
#contentchat. A7 Some big ones: Apple, Microsoft, and of course…Google! https://t.co/RSG1JWkpep
— Barbara Henslee (@BarHenslee) June 5, 2017
A7 #contentchat check out @Google Adwords Success stories. They have loads of interesting case studies.
— Bruce Deschamps (@brucedesch) June 5, 2017
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