You might assume that search engine optimization (SEO) and programmatic advertising are two independent digital marketing strategies. But in fact, there are a lot of insights you can draw from your SEO efforts that can be leveraged to improve the performance of your programmatic campaigns.
Read on to learn from Melody Sinclair-Brooks, Marketing Manager at AgencyAnalytics, how SEO analytics ties into your programmatic campaigns.
What is SEO
SEO describes a set of practices that are used to improve the ranking of web content in organic search results. SEO is important because organic search is one of the most common ways that people find information, brands, services, and more. A strong SEO strategy will help to drive not only more traffic to your website, but quality traffic.
Another benefit of SEO is that it delivers valuable insights. Historical data can tell you which keywords are associated with your brand, and which perform best for your brand. For instance, you can leverage SEO analytics to pinpoint the top-performing keywords for your website, and use those to optimize your programmatic campaigns.
Strategies For Using SEO Analytics in Programmatic Campaigns
The first step to leveraging SEO and advertising together is to ensure you have access to the data you need. Set up client reporting so that you’re able to gather insights about your organic traffic efforts, like which keywords are earning high traffic, and which are underperforming.
Here are five different ways that SEO analytics will help you drive programmatic campaign performance.
1. Learn what content drives organic traffic.
With SEO analytics, gain insight into what keywords and topics are resonating with your target audience. For example, high-traffic keywords signal that users are searching those words or phrases before finding their way to your site.
Reviewing the content that is earning significant organic traffic, or ranking highly on a search engine results pages (SERP) provides you insight into which topics and content are engaging. This data is a valuable insight into which topics to focus on in your ad campaigns.
2. Discover your audience’s intent.
Understanding what users are searching for when it comes to your product or services can help inform your digital strategy. For example, a brand that sells zero-waste laundry detergent might find in their keyword planner that the phrase “eco-friendly detergent” draws higher traffic than “zero-waste detergent.”
This discovery suggests that consumers are searching more for eco-friendly products, and as a result, the brand can shift their product positioning within programmatic advertising campaigns to reflect that. This helps ensure your brand is speaking the same language as your target audience.
3. Leverage SEO data to inform your ad strategy.
SEO analytics can do more than just inform your programmatic strategy. Use SEO data to inform your programmatic campaigns, too! Add product or brand keywords that are performing organically as the priority focus of your programmatic ads.
For example, you can use high-performing keywords (or related ones) in your native or display ads to optimize performance. This is strategic because you want to avoid driving volume to a keyword that isn’t present in organic search results.
4. Repurpose keywords for your campaigns.
Contextual advertising leverages keywords and keyphrases to deliver highly-relevant ads to the right audience, at the right moment. There are various tactics available for contextual advertising.
Page Context AI drives campaign performance by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to place ads in the right context, expanding targeting to include highly relevant phrases related to the context. Another strategy is contextual keyword targeting, which puts you in control by allowing you to indicate the exact keywords you’d like your campaign to match with.
You can repurpose keywords and phrases that are performing organically for your contextual advertising campaigns. And, yes, the same can be said for pulling keyword insights from your PPC reporting tool. For added insights, monitor the performance of your programmatic campaigns by monitoring any increases in branded search terms during the time period that the campaign ran.
5. Retarget organic visitors.
Visitors to your website have already shown a level of affinity with your brand, products, or content. Capitalize on this and use programmatic advertising to continue that relationship and build unique programs based on where that organic visitor engaged with your website.
For example, if they read one of your informative blog posts, you can use campaigns to increase brand awareness and move users into the next phase of the funnel, such as a training webinar, a whitepaper, contests, or other high-value posts they may find interesting. You can also use product reminders, coupons, testimonials, and reactivate abandoned shopping carts to retarget users.
Drive Digital Advertising Results With SEO Analytics
In today’s increasingly digital world, SEO is an essential part of any marketing plan. Take full advantage of your SEO efforts by leveraging them to inform your programmatic strategy.
Reach out to your StackAdapt Representative to learn more about implementing an SEO informed programmatic strategy.
About the author: Melody Sinclair-Brooks, Marketing Manager at AgencyAnalytics. Melody is a marketer, writer, and startup consultant. She builds communication bridges through multichannel storytelling, strategic partnerships, advertising, and go-to-market strategy.
