Stop Squeezing Paid Search—Start Building a Bigger Funnel
In a hyper-competitive digital space, it’s tempting to put all your focus (and budget) into paid search. After all, it delivers high intent traffic and measurable conversions. But here’s the catch: relying solely on the bottom of the funnel can actually limit your growth.
At Harper Digital, we’ve seen firsthand how brands that invest in upper-funnel activity build stronger pipelines and achieve better bottom-line results. Businesses that consistently nurture visibility beyond direct-response channels develop brand trust, outpace competitors, and maintain healthier cost-per-acquisition over time. Let’s explore why it’s time to think bigger than just search ads.
Paid Search Is Powerful, But It Has Limits
There’s no denying that paid search is effective. When someone types in a service or product you offer, it’s a golden opportunity to convert. But here’s the thing—if you’re only speaking to customers who are already in-market, you’re missing the vast majority who aren’t quite there yet.
It’s estimated that only 5% of your potential audience is ready to buy right now. That leaves 95% who need to be influenced, educated, and introduced to your brand first. The cost of competing in search continues to rise year after year. As more businesses pile into the same space, your cost-per-click goes up and your margins shrink. This is what we call a race to the bottom.
Build Demand, Don’t Just Capture It
Top-of-funnel marketing is about planting seeds before the harvest. By running campaigns that focus on awareness and interest—through platforms like YouTube, Meta, or programmatic display—you begin influencing customer decisions long before they hit Google.
It’s not about fluff; it’s about strategic brand building. When someone has seen your video ad, read a helpful blog post, or engaged with your brand socially, they’re significantly more likely to choose you later. This makes your paid search campaigns more efficient too, because your audience is already primed.
Top-of-funnel efforts help you shape the narrative around your brand and stand out before price or feature comparisons begin. It’s a long-term investment in demand generation that pays back at every stage of the buyer journey.
Data Doesn’t Lie: Funnel Balance Wins
At Harper Digital, we’ve seen client after client benefit from shifting a portion of their budget toward awareness-building. From video storytelling campaigns that increased direct traffic to educational content strategies that drove organic search growth, the outcome is clear: brands that show up early win later.
Clients who embrace full-funnel marketing often report not only more leads, but better quality leads—people who are more informed, aligned with brand values, and ready to act. As your brand presence grows, your lead generation costs drop, and your competitive edge sharpens.
