Nacho Martín (Publiup): «Both SEO and Google Ads should be the cornerstone of any digital project»
When talking about digital marketing, two of the great pillars that usually appear in the conversation are the SEO and the Google advertising. Both have the potential of Attract qualified trafficbut they require different approaches, well thought out strategies and, above all, a clear vision of the business. At what time does it agree to invest in SEO? When is it better to bet on Google Ads? How to combine them to get the most out of an ecommerce?
To solve these doubts, we talk to Nacho MartínCEO and founder of Publiupan agency specialized in web design, SEO positioning and campaigns in Google Ads, which has just been recognized – once again – as Google Partner Premier. With years of experience advising SMEs and online stores, Nacho shares a very practical vision on how to focus smokeless visibility strategies and real results.
Interview with Nacho Martín, CEO and founder of Publiup
Nacho, tell us a little of you. How was Publiup born and what led you to specialize in Google Ads and SEO?
I came from the telecommunications/computer science sector and in 2010 when I founded the company, my initial goal was to provide hosting services for my clients' websites.
Soon customers began to Sue positioning services and in 2011 We start working with Google Ads and SEOthat same year we become Google Partners. Our business changing priority and specialized in digital marketing.
From the hand of Google's specialists we quickly evolve and begin to acquire Google Ads and then SEO customers, to combine the complete strategy.
With the arrival of “Responsive”, We were in need of expanding the services of our agency to provide web design services. This adaptation capacity has been key to reaching where we are today, recognized as one of the 109 to improve agencies specialized in Google Ads.
Looking back, what would you say that it was the biggest challenge when the agency launched, and how did you overcome it?
Without a doubt, our biggest challenge was get different from the rest of marketing agencies. Digital marketing is a very polarized sector in which, if you want to grow, you can not do the same as the rest, so we set ourselves from the beginning a method and work strategy based on the real specialization of each member of the company's departments. I think it has worked for us, proof of this is that we grow in business volume every year and most importantly, which we are again Google Partner Premier this 2025.
From your experience, how has the world of digital marketing changed since you started until today?
One of the biggest changes we are facing, not today, but for more a year, is the arrival of the Artificial intelligence.
We have gone through changes such as Responsive, Mobile-Firs or Consent Mode, but the irruption of AI I think is the most radical change of all. Thanks to artificial intelligence we are capable of Improve process management with automation They help us make more time, or evaluate and understand large volumes of data at some times that a year ago seemed impossible.
On your website you speak of Google Ads and SEO as two key pillars. For those who are starting: when does it make sense to bet on a SEO strategy and when for Google Ads?
This is a very complex question to answer, because It depends on many factors such as What product or service you are offeringto What a public, What profit margins… But if you ask me why it makes sense to bet, I have it clear: for both.
Both SEO and Google Ads should be the cornerstone of any digital projectsince it is not useful to have the best website that has been designed, if then customers are not able to reach it and see what services you offer.
Many times it is thought to do SEO is just “position keywords.” From your experience, what are the most common mistakes you see in the SEO strategies of SMEs or ecommerce?
I would say that “Position keywords” is the objectivebut the most important thing is to identify which keywords should be positioned.
The most common mistakes that I find when a customer arrives at our agency is that he thinks that just by publishing on the blog or creating the descriptions of his products with a lot of text, SEO is already doing.
Obviously, and more in recent years with the competition that exists, many aspects must be worked to achieve the desired results.
Another casuistic that we find is when a client has been in another agency, and his first sentence is: “I was doing SEO with another agency and had no results …”. To summarize the most common mistakes, they are lack of knowledge of all aspects that SEO includes and the lack of patience or poor expectations management.
How do you approach from Publiup the combination of technical SEO and content? Any advice for those who are reviewing his blog and doesn't know where to start?
Technical SEO and content should not be seen as separate things, but as two pillars that complement each other. The first is the technical SEO, since without this part it will be impossible for our content to position itself. But then quality content must be generated and with intention, and maintain a SEO structure.
And most importantly: constant review. It is not something that is done once and lasts a lifetime, it must be analyzed frequently, since a web page is alive and in constant evolution.
Regarding basic advice for a blog, it would be to review the structure of HS, the internal linked and that the content is differential and quality.
As for Google Ads, what has changed the most in recent years? Do you think that automation and artificial intelligence are helping … or complicating things?
Many things have changed. Us We have managing Google ADS campaigns almost since the SEM was bornbut what I can tell you is that Now it is much harder to manage campaigns If you do not have solid knowledge and a background managing this type of campaigns.
Now it may seem easier to manage a campaign on Google Ads – and it can be – but taking out the optimal performance is more complicated now than before. Because one thing is to manage a Google Ads account and a very different one is to obtain performance. That is why it is important to have a specialized agency that helps you in the day to obtain profitability.
If an online store tells you: “I want to invest in Google Ads but I don't have much budget,” where would you recommend starting to have real impact?
Very simple. We would do a study and we would say to the client What is the minimum you have to invest so that your campaigns are profitable.
A client whose campaigns do not generate return is not profitable for the client or for the agency, and You always have to be honest with customers. If you want to do something that, by budget, is not going to generate an effective return, the best thing we can do as professionals is to inform you of reality, and perhaps Google Ads is not your tool.
How do you explain to a client that sometimes the results in SEO take and that not everything is immediate? How do you manage those expectations?
Making clear before signing the agreement that SEO is not magicmuch less is something that is seen from one day to another.
To work with us, all parties have to be clear about what are the objectives and clarify expectations. It must be reported that it will be a long job and that implies many factors.
What tools cannot be missing in your day to day as a digital marketing professional?
For starting summarizing: Without a doubt, analytical tools. Measure, analyze and defeat.
Today there are endless tools to carry out the day to day of digital marketing. For me, the essentials are GA4, Search Console, Google Trends, Looker Studio, Google Ads Scripts And, payment, Ahrefs, Semrush either Screaming Frog.
We use other tools for concrete measurement tasks, project management, customer management, automation … but I think this type of tools must be very adapted to the way of working of the agency, so I do not dare to recommend any.
If you had to bet on a marketing trend that will mark 2025, what would it be?
I think, for the moment we are, Everything will be directed towards the advances of artificial intelligencewith a more humanized AI that helps generate better content and enhance voice searches.
I think he AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) This is going to be the trend in organic positioning of this year, which everyone is going to talk about. Working so that the websites of our customers will come out in the first positions of tools such as Chatgpt is already the present in our agency, but I think it will soon be the client who demands it.
To close, what advice would you give to someone who is now riding their online store and does not know where to start in digital marketing?
The first thing is that you have professionals. Mounting an online store may seem – and maybe it is simpler than setting up a physical store, but it should not lack an investment.
I always give an example that a physical store has expenses such as light, water, rent, cleaning service, labeling, posters, insurance … because in an online store we have other expenses such as web maintenance, SEO, sem, social networks, hosting … and it is important to dedicate the necessary budget to each of the items, because if not, your business will be difficult to take off.
My advice is to lose the fear of investing in your business. If you start with a solid and well planned strategy from the beginning, you will save time, money and the results will arrive before.
And what better for what to have an agency like Publiup? 😉
