Date of publication:
12 Mar. 25How to Effectively Separate SEO and PPC Traffic for Maximum Benefit
If you had a magic button “Double sales,” would you press it every day? Many businesses think that PPC (pay-per-click advertising) is that same button. Invest a budget – get clients. But SEO? “That takes long…”. But here’s a paradox: when you don’t separate SEO and PPC, they start competing with each other, “eating up” the budget and reducing advertising efficiency.
One of the most notable failures is the case of Booking.com, when the company spent millions on branded search queries for years until they realized that people would still click on their organic results. As a result – lost budget and a complete review of the advertising strategy.
So how to properly balance between SEO and PPC? When is it not worth spending money on advertising, and when is it indispensable? In this article, we will analyze real cases, analytics, and a step-by-step plan so that every click brings maximum benefit.
SEO vs. PPC: What’s the Difference and Which is More Effective
Do you know what the most common mistake entrepreneurs make is? They pit SEO and PPC against each other like two boxers in a ring, forcing them to compete. “Which is better: organic traffic or paid advertising?” is a common question I hear almost every day. The answer is simple: they are not competitors, but partners.
SEO: A Marathon Won by the Patient
SEO is like opening a café in the city center. At first, people pass by without noticing you. But after months of proper promotion, quality content, and recommendations from clients, you become a local legend. Google begins to trust you, resulting in free, stable traffic. But there’s a catch: it’s slow. If you need sales here and now, SEO won’t help.
PPC: When You Need Customers Now and in Large Numbers
PPC is like placing an advertising banner right at the entrance of your café instead of waiting. Clients see you immediately, come in, and buy. It’s fast, effective, but expensive. Stop paying, and the traffic disappears.
The key difference: SEO provides long-term traffic but requires building. PPC delivers instant results but costs money.
It seems simple: SEO is for those willing to wait, PPC is for those wanting results today. But does it work in reality?
Spoiler: mixing these two channels incorrectly means you’ll just lose money. Booking.com spent millions on branded queries they could have received for free. Now you see why it’s important to separate SEO and PPC?
Read more about the difference between SEO and PPC in our article: “SEO and Contextual Advertising: What’s the Difference and What to Choose”
Why Incorrect Mixing of SEO and PPC Can Harm Your Business
Imagine the situation: you start an advertising campaign, spend $10,000 on PPC, and enjoy the traffic. But suddenly you notice that sales aren’t growing as expected. Worse — the organic traffic that was bringing conversions before suddenly ‘eats’ the budget. Familiar?
This is a typical scenario where SEO and PPC start competing rather than complementing each other. Let’s break down three main mistakes that cost businesses millions.
You’re Overpaying for Traffic You Could Get for Free
Another classic: a company pays for ads for queries where it already ranks high in organic search. It’s like paying for a taxi when you’re already standing at your front door.
Example: There are many cases where large companies spend millions on PPC for queries they already top in organic results. This strategy only leads to unjustified expenses.
What to do? Check if it’s worth paying for PPC on branded queries or keywords where the site already ranks high.
You’re Raising Client Costs for Yourself
When you advertise on the same queries as in organic, Google starts competing for user attention between your ad and your organic result. As a result, you might end up paying for the same client twice. The illusion of double payment arises because some users click the ad instead of the organic link. This reduces organic CTR but doesn’t mean you’re literally paying twice for the same user.
Example: Amazon often tested aggressive PPC on its brand queries. In the end, ad costs rose, and the conversion rate didn’t change. They simply bought the same users who would have clicked the organic result anyway.
What to do? Turn off ads for queries where organic already provides stable traffic, and leave PPC for competitive keywords.
How to Avoid These Mistakes
Here are some ideas to help you:
- Don’t pay for clicks that could have been gotten for free.
- Don’t run ads on the same queries that rank high in organic results.
How to properly separate traffic? Let’s go through a step-by-step strategy to help set up an ideal balance between SEO and PPC.
How to Properly Separate Traffic: Step-by-Step Strategy
So, you want to get the most out of SEO and PPC by using them together rather than competing? It’s not just possible, it’s necessary in modern marketing. Now it’s crucial to not only avoid mistakes but also derive maximum benefit from SEO and PPC. Let’s move from theory to practice. This step-by-step guide will be useful to you and help avoid errors.
Step 1: Segment Keywords Between SEO and PPC
Imagine you are on a battlefield — you need to allocate your forces so as not to waste resources where they already exist. To prevent SEO and PPC from competing for the same keywords, it’s important to clearly delineate where each channel will be most effective.
SEO:
- Use for queries where organic already gives good results. Long-tail and low-competition queries are your comfort zone.
- Informational queries are not only for content but also for those users who want to learn more but aren’t ready to buy yet.
PPC:
- This is for high-competition queries where organic hasn’t yet reached top positions or when you need to boost visibility.
- Suitable for promotions, seasonal campaigns, and moments when you need immediate attention.
Example:
- SEO: “HP laptop review”, “HP laptop comparison”, “how to choose a laptop”.
- PPC: “buy HP laptop”, “HP laptop price”, “HP laptop with free delivery”.
Tip: Remember about negative keywords in PPC! They help avoid spending on queries already covered by organic.
Step 2: Use Ads with Extensions
Instead of creating same-type ads for PPC and snippets for SEO, make them look different, like two different variations of the same style. Ad extensions allow you to add ‘highlights’ that make your paid ad stand out from the rest.
What we do:
- Use ad extensions: add specifications, links to subsections, or offers.
- Highlight special advantages: discounts, free delivery, or additional guarantees.
Example:
- SEO: standard headline and meta-description.
- PPC: “20% discount on HP laptops” or “Free delivery with purchase”.
Tip: The more the difference between SEO and PPC, the better. Remember, these channels shouldn’t ‘compete’ with each other.
Step 3: Set Up Retargeting Instead of Query Duplication
Let’s not spend money where results are already showing! If your site receives organic traffic, don’t launch PPC on the same queries. An excellent move is retargeting, to bring back users who have already visited your site.
What we do:
- Use retargeting for those users who added an item to the cart but didn’t complete the purchase. This allows you to redirect them back without doubling efforts.
- Run remarketing for those who visited the site through organic traffic.
Tip: Set up retargeting via Google Analytics for more accurate targeting. This allows you to work through different audience segments.
Step 4: Optimize Analytics and Attribution
To understand how SEO and PPC work together, you need accurate analytics. Remember, simply seeing how many people clicked isn’t enough. You need to see how channels work together to achieve the end goal.
What we do:
- Track traffic through Google Analytics to understand where your conversions come from.
- Use attribution models to see which channel really influences a user’s decision-making.
Tip: Test different attribution models to find the optimal one for your business. This allows for building a clear picture of how PPC and SEO work together.
In Summary, Everything Should Work as One Team
SEO and PPC are like two instruments which, when used correctly, can create an amazing result. Set them up properly, and they’ll work as one team, boosting brand visibility, attracting more clients, and generating more income. Like musicians in an orchestra — when each plays in their rightful place, it creates a true masterpiece!
Conclusion and Practical Recommendations
What’s important to remember? Firstly, SEO and PPC are not competitors but tools that should be properly combined. Secondly, PPC gives quick results but works as long as there is a budget. Meanwhile, SEO is a long-term game that provides free traffic. If you want to guarantee results, combine these: test PPC queries and transfer them to SEO, while supporting SEO queries with remarketing.
What to do right now:
- Check if PPC is ‘eating’ your organic traffic.
- Determine which queries work best in paid and free traffic.
- Launch remarketing to boost SEO promotion.
If you want to change your approach to promotion, consult specialists in the field. We know how to best utilize the best of both worlds: SEO and PPC and turn it into a powerful tool for business.
