Dumb SEO Questions

(Entry was posted by Johny Lim on this post in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 10/05/2013).

Will Google AdWords help your website to rank top based on organic search?

I often heard if you advertise on Google AdWords, it will help your website to rank top based on organic search, is this statement true ?
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YOUR ANSWERS

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

  • Ranu Jain: No, Google says so and so we do but I have seen a drastic change in my site's ranking when I was running the PPC campaign.
  • Matt Raynes: I agree Dave, but I've heard it said again and again now and even asked a similar question.  ;It may help but only in an indirect fashion - better bounce rate and relevancy....  ;Though, one day it'll probably be the only way to perform well on Google!
  • Frank Rodríguez: +Johny Lim ;there is continued vicious talk that you rank low in order to be sucked into adwords & be visible. Plus those same evil tongues say that "treatment wise" it is not the same to be a Walmart than to be a small niche website . Do you believe what people say? ... amazing ;
  • William Gomes: No it won't officially. However perhaps, if you are spending MILLIONS with them per month I wouldn't be surprised if your account manager couldn't influence something.

    But if you're asking the question then your not then, the answer to your question is no ;)
  • Jim Munro: I know a guy who does spend millions a month, William, and he gets no favours for it. It's well-known that Search and Adwords are two separated silos within the Googleplex.

    I am not an expert but from watching sites that we look after organically that also utilise Adwords PPC (that guy), I think that there might be branding benefits from being at bottom position PPC and top position organically and they seem to click the second placement (organic) more often than the paid ad. I have no idea why that is but it happens in our small niches.
  • William Gomes: +Jim Munro ;yes but perhaps for example if you're a huge site say BMW (when they got penalized) or InterFlora having an account manager or something probably helped? Or at least meant they cared slightly more?

    I also had senior guy at a large international agency the other day tell me that they weren't too bothered about (not provided) as they had spoken to Google about something or other. Could've been BS but still.
  • Johny Lim: Tq so much for of all your input. Generally it's a Yes & No answer. +Ranu Jain don't mind telling me when was the last time you had the PPC campaign ? Was the ads expenditure huge ?
  • Ranu Jain: It was 2 months back but didn't spend much. ;

    I am starting the campaign soon. This time I am doing it for another niche. Will definitely share my experience once I am done with it.
  • William Gomes: +Johny Lim personally I'd say no. Correlation is not causation. Also once you start an adwords campaign it might be that you also start doing more on your actual site that might increase your rankings. :-) 
  • Johny Lim: +Dave Elliott +Ranu Jain +Matt Raynes +Frank Rodríguez +William Gomes +Jim Munro tq so much for all of your input. You all made wonderful comments.....
  • Jim Munro: +William Gomes ; - I am not certain because I only pay for adwords, I do not run them, but I do not think (not provided) has ever been nor will be an issue for Adwords buyers.

    Google's stance on this gives the term, "hyprocrisy", a whole new depth of meaning.
  • William Gomes: +Jim Munro ;Oh no I didn't mean adwords I mean I questioned him on what he thought of not provided for organic and he suggested he might be in the process of sorting something out with Google so he didn't really see it as a problem.
  • Jim Munro: I wonder what he is on? :)
  • Micah Fisher-Kirshner: Directly? No.

    However, if you are in the view that traffic can impact how you rank, then any traffic, not just traffic from paid search, can help impact your organic rankings.
  • Ovidiu Burduja: I don't think so, organic results don't influence sponsored ads nor the other way around.
  • W.E. Jonk: From the expert panel in this weeks SEO Questions hangout on air on 01:22:25 into the YouTube video: https://dumbseoquestions.com/q/will_google_adwords_help_your_website_to_rank_top_based_on_organic_search

View original question in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 10/05/2013).

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