The pursuit of top-of-the-funnel visibility for locally-focused businesses often boils down to mastering two primary playing fields: the Ad section and the Maps section on the search engine results page. With a whopping 85% of the clicks possibly consisting of ad or map results, it’s crucial to establish a dominant presence in these areas. However, simply spraying and praying isn't going to work. A thoughtful, cohesive strategy that combines the strengths of local SEO and focused ad campaigns is the game plan that’s most likely to deliver the rewards you are after.

Thinking of this in terms of football, consider local SEO and organic efforts your 'running game'. Even though it’s a long-term grind with slower onset of results, once you gain traction, it offers prolonged benefits - setting the rhythm of the game, controlling the clock, and keeping the defense honest.

On the other hand, your ad campaigns (search ads, local service ads, or Google Maps ads) are your 'passing game'. Primed for speed and designed for quick results, its potential is incredible. However, mismanagement can lead to an unsustainable cost burden, like a long pass that leads to interception instead of a touchdown.

So, how can your 'running game' support your 'passing game' and vice versa?

The Power of Relevancy: Running Game Boosts the Passing Game

One way your SEO tactics can strengthen your ad strategy is through improving ad relevancy score, an indicator used by Google to understand the relevance of your ad to your chosen search terms. The more relevant your content (improved by proficient on-page SEO), the better your ad relevancy score. This means you can bid lower than your less-relevant competitors for the same search terms, making your ad strategy more cost-effective. This is a perfect illustration of how your consistent, grinding local SEO efforts (your running game) can amplify the effects of your quick-result ads (your passing game).

Faking the Run, Throwing the Pass: The Passing Game Aiding the Running Game

Conversely, your 'passing game' strategies can lend a hand to your 'running game'. For instance, your ad strategy that directs traffic to engaging articles or video content on your site can result in better user engagement (longer dwell times, lower bounce rates). Even though this traffic originates from a paid ad, Google recognizes these positive user engagement signals which can benefit your SEO rankings, thereby solidifying your running game.

In conclusion, in the game of local lead generation, it’s less about focusing on SEO or ad campaigns as separate entities and more about building a cohesive playbook where each strategy supports and enhances the other. Like a well-coached football team, your SEO and ad campaigns need to work together, opening up opportunities for each other and providing a holistic strategy that pushes your business to the top of the SERP rankings. The previously distinct lines between the 'running game' of SEO and the 'passing game' of targeted ads blur, and their interplay becomes an integral, strategic force of your digital marketing plan. Understanding this concept is key to outperforming the competition and achieving sustained growth for your local business. So, are you ready to revamp your playbook?