Last Updated: 14 August 2025

How SEO and PPC can Work Together to Accelerate Results

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How SEO and PPC can Work Together to Accelerate Results
Matt EvansWritten ByMatt Evans

Matt is our SEO Manager, and in his career spanning 14 years, he has worked across multiple forms of marketing & lead generation, using leading industry tools, cutting edge strategies and multiple teams.

Getting the top spot on SERPs feels like winning big in today’s digital world. It’s hardly surprising that companies are fighting for that valuable real estate when more than 70% of transactions begin with a Google search. So the question arises does PPC help SEO?

It’s no secret ranking organically has become more competitive. But using PPC in SEO marketing strategy can come to your aid. So fasten your seatbelts and prepare to discover how SEO affects PPC. 

Both PPC and SEO are pivotal tools aimed at enhancing brand visibility and augmenting website traffic. While PPC involves paid advertisements that appear alongside search results, SEO focuses on optimising website content and structure to rank higher organically in search engine results. 

In my experience, I’ve found that PPC can deliver immediate results and target specific demographics, while SEO fosters long-term sustainability and credibility. Integrating PPC and SEO together can amplify your efforts.Let’s explore some PPC and SEO strategies that you can use to improve your website, increase your leads, and boost your revenue.

How do SEO and PPC work together to improve your website?

1. PPC lets you test new keywords for SEO:

SEO has long-term benefits which surpass PPC but optimising for search engines frequently requires a lot of effort, money, and research. Through SEO, you may identify too many relevant keywords for which content can be created and which will lead to traffic in the future. But there is a limit to the number of topics you can create considering budget, resources and other challenges. 

Consider this: if your team can produce between 4 to 8 pages of content per month, and you identify 200 topics based on SEO keywords research it will probably take you 2 to 3 years before you create all the content you need. 

Consequently, a strategic question arises: Which of these topics should we prioritise to capitalise on SEO benefits most effectively? And how does SEO affect PPC?

Using PPC is one method to “test” a keyword’s suitability for SEO.

Pick all the keywords that can increase conversions (i.e., a keyword that is highly related to your offerings) and buy PPC advertising for it. See how your website performs for every keyword and if you are getting a good conversion rate. 

For some keywords your PPC efforts will be successful, so it’s best to create topics for these first, and for unsuccessful results, you might want to stay away from SEO for the time being and optimise later.

2. Utilise Google’s Personalised Search to your Advantage:

Google personalises search results based on a user’s past searches to deliver the most relevant information. This means that even if your website ranks organically for your target keywords, you might still miss out on potential customers.

For instance, if someone often searches for “running shoes,” Google might show them ads for sports stores selling shoes when they search for that term. So, if you’re selling running shoes, it’s smart to advertise there to catch those potential customers. To know how you can utilise this technique, speak to our experts and exclude specific audience segments from your Google Ads targeting.

Where does SEO fit into this equation? Or how do SEO and PPC work together?

SEO specialists play a pivotal role by enhancing content quality and ensuring the website is technically error-free which will boost organic rankings. While ads target specific, conversion-prone audiences, SEO efforts ensure broader visibility and accessibility. 

Additionally, having a solid content strategy is crucial to generate increased traffic and establish topical authority within your niche. By strategically combining SEO strategies with targeted advertising campaigns, businesses can achieve a holistic approach to online visibility and engagement.

3. PPC helps you recover missed search engine clicks:

Sometimes, even the best keywords can’t get your website to the top of search results.  This is where PPC comes in. PPC lets you run targeted ads that appear alongside search results.  This helps you reach potential customers who might miss your website otherwise, even if they’re searching for what you offer. Think of it like a bridge connecting your website with potential customers who might not find you organically.

4. PPC’s remarketing campaigns allow you to reach previous visitors:

Great SEO gets people to your website, but what if they don’t buy right away?

That’s where remarketing shines. Imagine showing these interested users friendly reminders on other websites they visit, nudging them to come back and finish their purchase.

Think of SEO and remarketing as a team effort: SEO attracts visitors, and remarketing gently reminds them about your product or service, giving them another chance to convert.  This way, you don’t lose potential customers who might have simply got distracted when buying from your site.

5. PPC and SEO give you more data for smarter decision-making:

Lastly, you may use PPC and SEO strategy together to your advantage by having access to a wealth of data that will help you make decisions. Comparable KPIs from your PPC and SEO efforts can be looked at including:

  1. Click through rate
  2. Bounce and exit rates
  3. Time on site
  4. Conversion rate
  5. Deeper Keyword Insights

With this information, you will gather which terms drive the greatest traffic to your website and, consequently, the least number of leads or purchases. This will assist you in making more informed selections regarding your marketing. PPC and SEO can provide you with this information individually. But if you combine SEO with PPC, you’ll receive twice as much information, enabling you to make even more informed choices.

6. PPC and SEO give you more data for smarter decision-making:

Using SEO to improve your website increases the chances that it will rank on Google for one or more keywords you are targeting. However, if you pay for PPC advertisements for the same keyword, your ad will show up close to the top of the results page when someone searches for that term.

As a result, your brand will dominate the search results, and you will have a better chance of obtaining those crucial clicks if you integrate both SEO and PPC for a specific keyword.

SEO and PPC are not rivals; they’re teammates. By implementing a comprehensive strategy that utilises both tactics, you’ll achieve a powerful online presence, attract more qualified leads, and ultimately drive business growth.

Why Relying Solely on PPC Can Hinder Your Brand’s Growth

Struggling to decide between SEO vs PPC? Well, many companies fall into the trap of depending just on paid search to drive traffic to their websites. Even though PPC might be useful for meeting current demand, its drawbacks may prevent brands from growing over time. 

The following justifies why you should not use PPC as your sole marketing tactic:

  • PPC has a restricted range; as opposed to sponsored advertisements, organic search garners a far higher percentage of clicks. According to studies, up to 73% of internet traffic appears in organic rankings. This means that if you only concentrate on PPC, you are missing out on a huge potential audience.
  • Unsustainable cost: PPC needs ongoing funding to stay visible. PPC prices can saturate and become unsustainable as you grow ad spend, in contrast to organic search, which creates traffic without requiring continual expenditure.
  • PPC meets the demand for existing searches rather than creating new ones. However, it doesn’t actively generate fresh interest in your brand. This limits your options to the current group of interested people, which is detrimental to long-term development.

Thus, how do SEO and PPC work together? With SEO, you can draw a larger audience without having to continuously pay for advertising by ranking organically on search engine results pages (SERPs). Research indicates that organic search might result in noteworthy expansion; certain companies have reported a 120% yearly surge in the visibility of their optimised content.

For this reason, you should combine PPC and SEO. Once your organic rankings are strong, consider reducing or stopping your PPC advertising to see how it affects your return on advertising spend (ROAS). By PPC and SEO working together, you may overcome PPC’s restrictions and discover organic search’s potential for long-term growth.

 

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