AdWords impacting free Google rankings

Is it true that spending on AdWords will impact your 'free' Google rankings

[BigVarsity185]

I'm sorry if this has already been explored here, but I couldn't find it:

Recently someone told me they read an article in some magazine that said that in order to rank well in Google, you have to be a big spender in AdWords.

Could this be true?

Wouldn't this severly damage the integrity of Google's search results, and ultimately their 'best in industry' customer satisfaction rating?

Thanks for your input.

[Later2]

Welcome BV 185
By my standards (one guy working out of the spare room) I am a big spender on Google Adwords and it makes no discernable difference to my Google ranking. In fact, I wonder if it doesn't prejudice my ranking as if I had a high organic listing I wouldn't spend so much on adwords. I spend about £1,000 c$1,800 per month.

[Jack_Hughes]

from where I'm sitting it isn't true. we ranked quite happily before our PPC campaign on google and we still rank quite happily now we do have a PPC campaign.

[Syzygy]

In a word "No".

Search WebmasterWorld for: adwords +serps (or, rankings).

There are many threads where this issue has been clarified...

And, welcome to WebmasterWorld, BigVarsity185.

Syzygy

[diamondgrl]

The one positive SERP result can be if you offer a uniquely useful resource and generate some organic buzz around the site after an advertising campaign.
Then people will be linking to you spontaneously because they find what you have is cool.

If you're just another shoe sales company, well, forget about any positive result in the SERPs from advertising.