Having worked with hundreds of clients and websites across multiple industries, we know there are so many moving parts that go into creating a successful marketing campaign or building a great website.
Amongst so many things, success can hinge on a seamless integration between marketing strategies and website/user experience. Thousands of visits can be sent to a website, but if that website cannot provide a seamless service to those users, they will simply go elsewhere.
Combining SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), PPC (Pay-Per-Click), and UX (User Experience) can create a trifecta that enhances both website visibility and user engagement. As mentioned, there are so many factors at play here, but the joined-up thinking of SEO, PPC and UX is something we have recently focused on for a particular client. Here's how aligning these three vital areas can lead to better performance, user satisfaction, and business growth.
1. The role of SEO and PPC in driving traffic
SEO and PPC play distinct roles in almost all digital strategies at Adido (we also know there has always been the age old question of SEO vs. PPC and you can read our view of that battle here). At the highest level, both are important channels to bring more visits to any website as search engines are the go-to destination for people actively seeking a product, a service or information.
- SEO focuses on optimising website content, structure, and technical elements to improve organic rankings. The aim is to match users with your website through keyword optimisation, high-quality content, and authoritative backlinks, which steadily grows traffic over a longer time period.
- PPC allows you to drive immediate, targeted traffic by bidding on keywords and displaying ads on search engines and platforms like Google. This is a faster way to generate clicks from defined audience segments.
2. The UX factor: Bridging SEO, PPC, and CRO
User experience (UX) is another crucial aspect that can often assist SEO and PPC. Why? Because no matter how good your organic ranking is, or how effective your PPC ads are, a poor user experience can deter those hard- won visitors from engaging with your website.
Here’s how UX can enhance each strategy:
- SEO & UX: Search engines such as Google can prioritise websites that provide a positive user experience. Factors like mobile-friendliness, fast load times, Core Web Vitals, and easy navigation all fall into the mix of SEO rankings. A well- optimised website not only boosts your rankings but also keeps users engaged, reducing the likelihood of them becoming frustrated and leaving the site.
- PPC & UX: PPC clicks might come under even more scrutiny, after all you are literally paying for that click. So once a user clicks through, the experience they encounter on your landing page can make or break the conversion, as highlight by our PPC Manager Maddie. Ensuring that your landing pages are user-friendly, with relevant content and a clear call to action, boosts your PPC performance by lowering cost per conversion and increasing Quality Score in platforms like Google Ads. In some cases, specific PPC landing pages are created which tend to be more streamlined to drive the user to complete an action. UX on these pages is vital too.
3. Don’t forget CRO (Conversion rate optimisation)
Another piece in this puzzle is CRO which, while not necessarily part of UX, is closely linked to it, with the overall goal being to improve web performance
Conversion Rate Optimisation involves analysing user behaviour on your site to remove barriers that might prevent them from taking a desired action—whether it’s making a purchase, filling out a form, or signing up for a newsletter. By optimising your website's design, content, and flow, CRO improves the chances that visitors will complete a conversion.
Common CRO tactics include:
- Streamlining the checkout process
- Enhancing call-to-action buttons
- Reducing page load times
4. Putting UX into practice
Working with SPL Villas, implementing SEO and PPC strategies, it became evident very quickly that further investment in UX could really benefit their conversion rate.
SPL Villas are a specialist luxury villa provider who use their in-depth understanding of what makes the perfect family villa holiday to help customers find their dream escape, offering more than 1,500 properties across 100 destinations.
PPC ads have been refined to ensure we are bringing in the right traffic. Destinations were optimised, with keyword rankings increasing for the targeted locations. So, traffic was consistently increasing, however, bookings were not following suit.
A full UX audit was implemented to understand where on the site users might be struggling. The audit included looking at the follow areas:
- Site consistency
- Error messages
- Broken links and images
- User flow and customer journey issues
- Outdated content
- Usability and accessibility issues
- User control and freedom
The UX audit detailed in more than 30 pages of findings that while there was not one major issue hampering the booking flow, it was multiple small details that were adding up to more than the sum of their parts.
SPL Villas were keen to implement as many changes as possible, notable highlights included:
- A brand new checkout flow, including new additions such as a seat selector for when flights were included,
- A reworked design of the villa page itself,
- Verified reviews within the booking flow with the aim being
,to answer any outstanding questions within the booking flow and stopping users from hitting any snags at the final stages of the booking process. - Did conversion rates improve? Following the implementation of the numerous UX recommendations, enquiry conversion rates have increased by 46%.
So, with the right PPC traffic, organically optimised content and a new booking flow in place, we could start to measure changes.
5. Measuring success
To ensure your combined SEO, PPC, and UX strategies are enhancing the user experience and driving results, we needed to answer the following questions:
- Was there organic and paid traffic growth? SEO and PPC efforts have increased traffic overall site traffic and page views.
- Was there an increase in user engagement? Engaged sessions have increased by 14% following the implementation of the UX recommendations.
Conclusion
Like so many things in digital, UX never stands still, and it needs to be a constant item on any marketer’s agenda. Combining SEO, PPC, and UX is the key to success. Integrating these strategies, can help ensure that a website is not only easy to find but also easier to use, leading to higher conversion rates, better ROI, and ultimately, a superior experience for users.
