SEO and PPC Working Together, Not SEO vs PPC
· Updated · Cole Stark · 7 min read
SEO and PPC working together means using each channel to make the other cheaper and smarter. Paid search shows you within days which searches and messages convert, SEO turns those searches into traffic you don't pay for per click, and one keyword map stops the two from competing. The SEO vs PPC question rarely has a single answer.
Below is how the two differ, why they end up in separate silos, where each helps the other, one myth worth dropping, and which to start with at a B2B startup.
SEO vs PPC: what's the difference?
Search engine optimization (SEO) earns your pages a place in the organic results, which cost nothing per click. Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) buys a place in the ads around them, and you pay each time someone clicks. Both are part of search engine marketing.
| SEO | PPC | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per click | None, though content and technical work cost time and money | You pay for every click |
| Speed | Months to rank | Live the day you launch |
| Durability | Keeps producing after the work is done | Stops when the budget stops |
| Control | Google decides what ranks and how the result looks | You choose the keywords, ad copy, landing page and budget |
| Targeting | Anyone searching the query | The query plus location, device, audience lists and schedule |
| Competitor terms | Hard to rank for a rival's brand name | Possible through competitor conquesting |
Paid traffic often converts better at first, because you control the landing page and the audience. Organic traffic gets cheaper over time, because a page that ranks keeps working. That difference is the case for running both.
Why SEO and PPC end up in silos
In many companies, the two channels report to different people or sit with different agencies. One vendor owns SEO, another runs the ads, and the client passes messages between them. Agency incentives can make it worse, since a team paid on a share of ad spend has little reason to point out that a page could rank for free.
The cost is wasted data. The ads team knows which searches convert, the SEO team knows which pages rank, and neither uses the other's.
How SEO and PPC working together pays off
Paid search tells SEO what converts
Google Ads' search terms report shows the actual searches that triggered your ads, with clicks and conversions. It's the best keyword research an SEO team can get, because it shows which searches turn into customers, not only which get volume. Feed the searches that convert into your keyword mapping, and build pages for them.
Ad copy works the same way. A headline that wins on click-through rate in ads is a strong candidate for a page title and meta description.
SEO shows paid where it can spend less
Google Ads' paid and organic report needs Search Console linked to your ads account. It shows queries where you appear in ads only, organic results only, or both. Organic-only queries are keyword ideas for your campaigns, and queries where you appear in both are worth testing with lower bids.
How much an ad adds when you already rank depends on your position. In a 2012 Google meta-analysis of 390 studies where advertisers paused their search ads, about 50% of ad clicks were incremental when the advertiser's organic result ranked first. The share rose to 82% at organic positions two to four, and 96% at five or lower. Ads still add clicks when you rank first, just fewer.
Landing pages and Quality Score
Google rates ads on Quality Score, a 1 to 10 diagnostic built from expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. Google says the score itself isn't an input in the ad auction, but it points at what to fix. A landing page that matches the search, loads fast and answers the question improves the landing page rating, and the same qualities help a page rank organically.
That doesn't mean one page always serves both. A short, focused paid landing page often converts best, while organic pages need enough substance to rank. Build each for its job, and share what you learn. My roundup of B2B landing page examples shows both kinds.
Remarketing to organic visitors
People who found you through organic search can see your ads later. Google's data segments for search ads let you adjust bids and ads for past visitors when they search again. For B2B buyers who research for weeks, that brings back people who already know you, which is usually cheaper than reaching new ones.
What PPC doesn't do for SEO
Paid ads don't improve your organic rankings. Google says it will "never accept payment to be included in search results or to be ranked higher" in them, and buying ads doesn't change that.
The links between the channels are indirect. Ads reach people who may later search your brand, link to you or remember you when they're ready to buy. Count those as a bonus, not a reason to buy ads.
How to integrate SEO and PPC
Getting SEO and PPC working together is mostly process:
- Keep one keyword map for both channels, so you know which searches each one covers and nothing falls between them.
- Review the search terms report monthly and add the queries that convert to the SEO plan.
- Test titles and messages in ads first, then use the winners on organic pages.
- Set a rule for targeting branded keywords: when it's worth paying for clicks you might get for free.
- Use paid search for competitor terms and new categories that organic can't reach yet.
- Report both channels in one view, by landing page and by customer, not in separate decks.
My guide to marketing effectiveness covers how to compare the two fairly, and a marketing measurement plan keeps the definitions the same across both.
SEO or PPC first at a B2B startup?
For most B2B startups, start PPC on a small set of high-intent searches while you build SEO. Paid gets you signups and data now. SEO takes months, but it lowers your cost per customer as pages start to rank.
Then shift the mix as organic grows. When a page ranks well for a query you're also paying for, test lowering the bid and watch total clicks and signups. Keep paid for what organic can't cover: competitor terms, new launches and searches where you can't rank yet.
My guides to B2B PPC, Google Ads for SaaS and SEO for SaaS startups cover each side. My guide to startup marketing strategy covers where both fit in the wider plan.
Get SEO and PPC working together
SEO and PPC working together beats running them as rival budgets. Let paid search find the searches and messages that convert, let SEO turn them into traffic you don't pay for, and keep one keyword map and one report across both. I run both channels for clients, so weigh this with that in mind. My paid search services and SEO and GEO services are built to work as one program.
SEO vs PPC FAQs
Does PPC help SEO rankings?
PPC doesn't help SEO rankings directly. Google says it never accepts payment to be included or ranked higher in its search results, and running ads doesn't change how your pages rank. Ads help SEO indirectly, by showing which searches and messages convert and by reaching people who may later search your brand or link to you.
Should you bid on keywords you already rank for?
You should test bidding on keywords you already rank for rather than assume either way. A 2012 Google analysis of 390 ad pause studies found about half of ad clicks were still incremental when the advertiser ranked first organically. Compare total clicks and signups with and without the ads before you decide.
Is SEO or PPC better for B2B?
Neither SEO nor PPC is better for B2B on its own. PPC brings signups quickly and is the reliable way onto competitor searches. SEO costs nothing per click and compounds over time. Most B2B startups do best starting with targeted paid search while building SEO, then shifting budget as organic pages rank.
What is the difference between SEO, PPC and SEM?
SEO earns unpaid placement in organic search results, PPC buys ad placement and charges for each click, and SEM, search engine marketing, is the umbrella term for both. Some people use SEM to mean paid search only, so check which meaning someone has in mind before comparing plans or budgets.
Can one person manage SEO and PPC?
One person can manage SEO and PPC at a startup, and it often helps, because the same person sees which searches convert and which pages rank. As spend and content volume grow, specialists usually take over each channel. Keep one keyword map and one report so the two stay connected.