Does Google favor advertisers by providing a ranking advantage in organic search results for people who use paid advertising?
This is a topic that has been debated for many years.
Let’s take a look at why people think this is true — and whether Google Ads can really help you rank higher in organic search.
Disclaimer: Google ads as a ranking factor
This stems from a continuous Distrust of Google Mega CorporationIt shows that if you spend money in one department (Google Ads in this case), you will benefit in another department (search).
Evidence of Google ads as a ranking factor
Every once in a while, SEO experts will pop up to share anecdotal evidence about ranking drops related to Google Ads activity (see examples in the next section).
But this is the fact-there is no evidence of causality, and the plural of anecdotes is not data.
In early 2021, a member of the search marketing community posted a series of tweets accusing Google of not only using advertising campaign spending to influence organic search rankings, but also trying to blackmail business owners through this approach.
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In it, she wrote:
“I’m not sure what to do with the fact that Google just cleaned up one of our customers. Essentially, they were told to spend more on paid advertising to improve organic searches for brand names.*”
Unsurprisingly, chaos ensued. Those who have confidence in Google Ads/organic rankings cheer for the proof. SEO professionals are waving their proverbial fists on Twitter.
Google lied to us again!
Others think this is impossible. The intent of the sales representative information is lost in the translation.
Upon questioning, she insisted that this was not a misinformation, and the Google Ads sales representative even sent a written confirmation that increased advertising spending would improve the brand’s natural ranking.
Is Google caught by the smoking gun and accepting money in exchange for ranking?
Evidence against using Google Ads as a ranking factor
Google’s Danny Sullivan heard the above conversation and unequivocally denied any connection between the two:
This is not surprising, because Google has long believed that there is no connection between advertising and organic search.
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Matt Cutts uses one 2014 video, Which characterizes the conspiracy theory that continues to insist that Google Ads (adWords at the time) has any relationship with organic search performance:
“…There are many SEO myths. Therefore, one of the most important words we hear often is, “If you buy an ad, you will get a higher ranking on Google. “Then there is an opposite conspiracy theory, which is “If you don’t buy ads, you will rank better on Google.” “
We kind of felt that we should bring these two conspiracy camps together and let them go all out. Then no matter who comes out of that room, we can expose the conspiracy theory. “
He said that another conspiracy theory is that Google changed its algorithm to try to get people to buy ads.
“We want to return very good search results to users and make them happy so that they will keep coming back. Basically that’s it.”
Recently, John Mueller talked about this topic at a party during Google office hours.
One viewer said that when they started running Google Ads, they noticed a drop in the ranking of certain keywords, and when they stopped advertising, their ranking returned.
“…These systems are completely independent on our side. The ranking in advertising and the ranking in search are completely independent systems, and there is basically no real connection.
…So the ranking changes you see there seem to have nothing to do with advertising. “
Google Ads as a ranking factor: our judgment
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Google is a huge organization, fully capable of separating these two departments.
More importantly, allowing ad spending to influence natural ranking will definitely lead to less useful results and poor user experience. It will offset everything Google is trying to do with search.
You may not believe everything Google says.
But in this case, I believe that in the past 20 years, if you can simply get the first place in the organic search rankings through advertising, we will see more and more concrete evidence.
This is clear: Google will not use Google Ads as a search ranking signal.
What else is true at Google: The layout of the Google search engine results page (SERP) clearly emphasizes advertising (traditional text, shopping, hotels, etc.).
Therefore, although buying ads is not a natural search ranking factor, Google’s ads will definitely affect the visibility and position of your website on the SERP.
Featured image: Paul Bobita
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