Search engine optimization can be hard to navigate, especially when dealing with the added pressures of paying for ads. The success of search ads really depends on the situation. There are many factors to take into consideration before spending all your money on being the first ad. It is not an exact science and many will argue on the importance.
The ad
If trying to beat out competition for a top search, it is definitely important to produce ads in order to gain exposure and get a top spot. However, you don’t necessarily need to be the first ad on the page. It will definitely give you the most exposure but that does not mean it will produce the most clicks. For example, you could be the last ad on the page and still get the click because you had more incentive such as a deal in your meta description. You can pay a lot of money for an ad, but if you don’t make the title or meta description the best then it won’t be worthwhile. For example, If somebody searched for a camera and the 4th ad had a discount in the description, the user is going to want to click that instead of the top ad with no discount. You are paying by click so it is important to make it profitable. Just because you are paying more for an ad does not mean you are making the best profit even if you earn the more clicks. It is all about converting those clicks into business and making the price per click worth it.
Organic results
It is also key to try to be seen in a top spot in an ad as well as a top spot in organic results. This shows the searchers that the website is not only fully optimized but they were willing to invest in a top spot to catch your eye first. This top spot will put your company in the consumers head which is important but many consumers skip the ads on google to go straight to the organic searches. If the person sees your name again in the organic searches it is a really good sign and will most likely make a big impression on them.
The search
The importance of buying a top ad also depends on what the consumers are searching for. If they are searching for a company they already have in mind, then paying for the top spot isn’t necessarily as important as the users will still look for that page anyway. On the other hand users might just click the first result they see. In this case you would lose a customer and clicks because of it.
In Conclusion
Because of all these factors there really is no perfect answer. Paying for ads can be very important for business but it is not everything. There are so many other important steps that need to be taken to get the most out of your search engine optimization along with ads.