Advertorial

What types of ads can you use to reach your target audience and get the best results? One way to do this is by posting an advertorial. What is an advertorial and what are your options in this? We explain the concept to you.

What is an advertorial?

An advertorial is a form of advertisement that involves an editorial. It does not have to be an advertisement in print media, advertorials posted online are also common. An advertorial there is a combination of an advertisement and an editorial article.(1)

The forms of an advertorial

An advertorial looks like an informative article, but has a commercial message. In most cases, an advertorial praises a particular company or product. Several forms exist in this regard. Place an advertorial in the form of journalistic content, where a company has the primary interest. Another option is to post an image for highlighting a product, service or brand.

The purpose of an advertorial is almost always to sell a product or service. It is also possible to place an advertorial online in the form of a landing page or guest blog from other websites. This is how you bring attention to your product or service.

All types of advertorials listed

Type of AdvertorialExplanationValuable for
1. Traditional print advertorialThis is an advertisement in the form of an editorial in a print publication, such as a magazine or newspaper.Companies that target a specific, often older, demographic that still reads print media regularly.
2. Digital advertorialThis is an online article or blog post that mimics the style and format of the surrounding content, but is sponsored by a brand.Companies looking to expand their online presence and reach a broader, digital savvy audience.
3. Video advertorialThis is a sponsored video content piece often posted on social media or in-stream on video platforms.Companies looking to share their message in a visually appealing and engaging way, ideal for brands targeting a younger audience.
4. Sponsored social media postThis is an ad that looks like a regular social media post, often created in collaboration with influencers.Brands that want to associate with certain influencers or reach a specific social media audience.
5. Native advertisingThis is a subtle form of advertorial that mimics the look and feel of the platform on which it appears.Companies looking to deliver valuable, relevant content in a less intrusive ad experience.
6. Podcast advertorialThis is a sponsored message or story embedded in a podcast episode.Brands targeting the growing number of podcast listeners ideal for products or services related to the podcast’s topics.
All types of advertorials.

The impact of an advertorial on SEO

With the right use of an advertorial, you benefit from beneficial effects. An advertorial’s biggest goal is to sell a product or service: when successful, it has a positive impact on SEO. Consumers find your website more often and better. The findability of your website increases by using an advertorial.(2)

My advice

Using an advertorial certainly has benefits. However, it is important to know what your target audience is and what form best suits it. By setting the right tone and reaching the right audience, it is very possible to profit from your advertorial. Also choose the right platform, preferably a newspaper or blog that you know your target audience reads.

Resources

  1. Carmicheal, K. (2023, Jan. 17). What is an Advertorial? 8 Examples to Help You Write One. HubSpot. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/blog-versus-advertorial
  2. Shipman, J. (2024, April 10). Do ads affect your SEO? Snigel. https://snigel.com/blog/do-ads-affect-seo#:~:text=But%20when%20your%20ad%20campaigns,and%20promote%20greater%20brand%20awareness.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Advertorial?

An advertorial involves advertising in a particular editorial. It is basically a combination of a particular article and an advertisement with the purpose of promoting a particular product. This can be in print such as a magazine, for example, but often involves online articles.

What is the impact of Advertorial on SEO?

If you know how to make use of advertorials in the right way, there can be very beneficial benefits. It does affect your Site’s SEO. If you use an attractive advertorial, the findability of your site will increase and you will also attract more visitors, which in turn has beneficial effects on conversion.

Senior SEO-specialist

Ralf van Veen

Senior SEO-specialist
Five stars
My clients give me a 5.0 on Google out of 78 reviews

I have been working for 12 years as an independent SEO specialist for companies (in the Netherlands and abroad) that want to rank higher in Google in a sustainable manner. During this period I have consulted A-brands, set up large-scale international SEO campaigns and coached global development teams in the field of search engine optimization.

With this broad experience within SEO, I have developed the SEO course and helped hundreds of companies with improved findability in Google in a sustainable and transparent way. For this you can consult my portfolio, references and collaborations.

This article was originally published on 19 April 2024. The last update of this article was on 10 July 2024. The content of this page was written and approved by Ralf van Veen. Learn more about the creation of my articles in my editorial guidelines.