SEO (search engine optimisation) earns free, organic listings in search results over time. PPC (pay-per-click advertising, such as Google Ads) buys placement at the top of results immediately, with a fee for every click. Both target the same searchers, so most businesses eventually ask which deserves more budget. To understand the organic side in full, start with what SEO is.
Quick comparison
- Speed: PPC works within hours. SEO usually takes three to six months or longer.
- Cost per click: PPC charges every click, from pennies to £50+ in legal and finance. SEO clicks are free, but content, links and expertise cost money.
- Longevity: PPC stops the moment you stop paying. SEO rankings keep working for months or years.
- Click share: most searchers click organic results; ads win more clicks on high-intent commercial queries.
- Control: PPC gives exact control over messaging, budget and targeting. SEO depends on Google’s algorithms.
- Trust: many users skip ads and trust organic results more.
When PPC makes sense
- New businesses or websites that need leads now.
- Short-term promotions, events and launches.
- Testing which keywords and messages convert before investing in SEO.
- Highly competitive terms where organic results are dominated by giants.
- Remarketing to previous visitors.
When SEO makes sense
- You want sustainable, compounding traffic.
- Your audience researches before buying, giving content room to influence them.
- Click costs in your niche are high, making each organic click more valuable.
- You want visibility in AI Overviews and AI assistants, which ads cannot buy.
Using SEO and PPC together
The strongest results usually come from both:
- Use PPC data to find high-converting keywords for SEO.
- Use organic rankings to reduce spend on terms where you rank first.
- Appear twice on page one for your most valuable terms.
- Retarget organic visitors with ads.
- Share learning about headlines and offers between teams.
Measuring the trade-off
Compare cost per acquisition and lifetime value across channels over 12 to 24 months, not just the first quarter. Track the right SEO KPIs so organic results are credited properly.
Frequently asked questions
Does running Google Ads improve SEO?
No. Ads spend has no effect on organic rankings.
Which is cheaper?
PPC is cheaper to start; SEO is usually cheaper per lead over the long term.
Related terms
See keyword research, local SEO and the SEO encyclopedia.
Mr. SEO
Mr. SEO is the webmaster at SEO TT - SEO tips and tricks, a publication about all things SEO related.