Your SEO and PPC Teams Are Sitting on Each Other's Gold
Here's what happens at most companies: the SEO team researches keywords. The PPC team researches keywords. They never compare notes.
The result? Wasted budget, missed opportunities, and two teams competing for the same clicks instead of covering more ground together.
Your Google Ads account contains conversion data that SEO teams would kill for. Your organic rankings represent free clicks that PPC budgets could redirect elsewhere. When these channels work in isolation, you're leaving money on the table.
In this guide, you'll learn how to build a unified keyword strategy that makes SEO and PPC work together. We'll cover sharing data between teams, identifying high-converting keywords for both channels, avoiding internal competition, and measuring combined performance.
Companies that integrate SEO and PPC see better results from both. Here's how to do it.
Why Coordinate SEO and PPC Keyword Research?
SEO and PPC have the same goal: get the right people to your website from search results. Yet most companies treat them as completely separate disciplines.
The Hidden Costs of Siloed Keyword Research
When SEO and PPC teams don't communicate:
Duplicated effort: Both teams research the same keywords independently, wasting hours on work the other team already did.
Missed insights: PPC data reveals which keywords actually convert, but SEO teams never see it. SEO rankings show where you're getting free clicks, but PPC keeps bidding on those terms anyway.
Internal competition: Your paid ad and organic listing compete for the same click. Sometimes this makes sense. Often it just inflates your cost per acquisition.
Inconsistent messaging: A searcher sees one message in your ad and a different one on your organic listing. This creates confusion and reduces trust.
The Benefits of a Unified Approach
When SEO and PPC share keyword intelligence:
Better keyword prioritization: PPC conversion data tells SEO which keywords are worth the content investment. High-converting paid keywords become high-priority organic targets.
Smarter budget allocation: When you rank #1 organically, you might reduce PPC spend on that term. When organic rankings are weak, PPC fills the gap.
Complete SERP coverage: Strategic presence in both paid and organic results increases total clicks and reinforces brand credibility.
Faster testing: PPC can test new keywords quickly. Winners become SEO targets. Losers get dropped before wasting content resources.
Step 1: Share Keyword Data Between Teams
The first step is simple but rarely done: get your SEO and PPC teams looking at the same data.
Export Your Google Ads Search Terms Report
The Search Terms report shows exactly what people typed before clicking your ads. This is gold for SEO.
How to access it:
1. Open Google Ads
2. Go to Insights and Reports → Search Terms
3. Set your date range (90 days minimum for meaningful data)
4. Export to spreadsheet
Here's what the Search Terms report looks like:
| Search term | Clicks | Impr. | CTR | Conv. | Conv. rate | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| crm for real estate agents | 847 | 12,450 | 6.8% | 68 | 8.0% | $2,541 |
| best crm software small business | 1,234 | 28,900 | 4.3% | 42 | 3.4% | $4,812 |
| crm with email integration | 523 | 8,120 | 6.4% | 31 | 5.9% | $1,892 |
| simple crm free | 2,156 | 45,230 | 4.8% | 8 | 0.4% | $3,234 |
What to look for:
- High-converting terms: Keywords with strong conversion rates, regardless of volume
- High-volume terms: Keywords driving lots of clicks, even with moderate conversion rates
- Unexpected queries: Search terms you hadn't considered that are performing well
Share Your SEO Keyword Data with PPC
Your SEO keyword research contains opportunities PPC might miss.
What to share:
- Keywords you're targeting with content
- Keywords where you rank positions 1-3 (potential PPC reduction opportunities)
- Keywords where you rank 11-20 (pages 2-3, PPC can cover while SEO improves)
- Question keywords and long-tail variations
If you use BrightKeyword for keyword research, export your clusters with search volume and CPC data. This gives PPC teams immediate visibility into organic opportunities with commercial value attached.
Create a Shared Keyword Database
Build a central spreadsheet or database that both teams can access:
| Keyword | Organic Rank | Organic Traffic | PPC Clicks | PPC Conv. | CPC | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| project management software | #8 | 450/mo | 1,200/mo | 45 | $12.50 | SEO Priority |
| best project management tools | #3 | 890/mo | 300/mo | 12 | $8.20 | Review PPC |
| project management for agencies | — | 0 | 150/mo | 8 | $15.00 | New Content |
This shared view reveals opportunities neither team would see alone.
Step 2: Use PPC Conversion Data to Guide SEO
PPC campaigns generate conversion data fast. Use this data to make smarter SEO investments.
Identify High-Converting Keywords for Organic Targeting
Not all keywords convert equally. PPC data reveals which ones actually drive business results.
The process:
- Pull keywords with 10+ conversions from your PPC campaigns
- Check your organic rankings for each (use Google Search Console or a rank tracker)
- Prioritize SEO content for high-converters where you don't rank well
Example:
Your PPC data shows "CRM for real estate agents" converts at 8%, much higher than your average 2%. You check organic rankings and find you're not on page one. This keyword jumps to the top of your content calendar.
Skip Keywords That Don't Convert
The flip side: if a keyword drives paid clicks but no conversions, think twice before investing SEO resources.
Red flags from PPC data:
- High click volume, zero conversions over 90+ days
- High bounce rates from the landing page
- Very short time on site after click
These signals suggest the keyword attracts the wrong audience. SEO content targeting these terms will likely underperform too.
Use Quality Score Insights
Google Ads Quality Score reflects how well your landing page matches the keyword. Low Quality Scores indicate a mismatch between what users want and what your page delivers.
If a keyword has low Quality Score despite a good landing page, the search intent might be different than you assumed. Research the SERP before creating SEO content. Our guide on common keyword research mistakes covers intent mismatches in detail.
Step 3: Use SEO Data to Optimize PPC
SEO insights can make your paid campaigns more efficient.
Find High-Volume Keywords Worth Testing in PPC
Your SEO keyword research surfaces opportunities that PPC teams might miss.
Look for:
- Keywords with commercial intent that you're not currently bidding on
- Question keywords where the answer leads to your product
- Competitor comparison terms ("X vs Y")
Use PPC to test these before committing SEO resources. A quick 2-week campaign reveals conversion potential without months of content creation.
Reduce Bids Where Organic Dominates
When you rank #1 organically for a keyword, do you still need to pay for ads?
It depends:
| Scenario | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Brand keyword, competitor ads showing | Keep bidding to protect brand |
| Non-brand, you're #1 with featured snippet | Test reducing/pausing PPC |
| Non-brand, heavy ad competition above organic | Keep bidding for visibility |
| Informational query, low commercial intent | Often safe to rely on organic |
Run experiments: pause PPC for specific keywords, measure total traffic change. Sometimes organic absorbs most of the clicks. Sometimes you lose more than expected. Data beats assumptions.
Use Organic Content to Improve Quality Scores
Your SEO content can serve as PPC landing pages. Strong content improves Quality Score, which lowers your cost per click.
How to leverage this:
1. Identify high-performing blog posts (high traffic, low bounce rate)
2. Test using these as PPC landing pages for related keywords
3. Monitor Quality Score changes
4. For commercial keywords, create dedicated landing pages informed by what works in your organic content
Step 4: Avoid Internal Competition and Wasted Spend
SEO and PPC can accidentally work against each other. Here's how to prevent that.
The Cannibalization Question
Should you bid on keywords where you already rank #1 organically?
Arguments for bidding:
- Competitors might bid on your brand terms
- Two listings (ad + organic) increase total clicks
- Ads allow controlled messaging and CTAs
- Some users prefer clicking ads
Arguments against:
- Organic already captures most clicks for free
- Paying for clicks you'd get anyway wastes budget
- Budget could target keywords where you don't rank
The right answer: Test it. Run brand and top-ranking keyword experiments. Measure total conversions (paid + organic) with ads on versus ads off. The data will tell you.
Use Negative Keywords Strategically
Negative keywords in PPC prevent your ads from showing for certain searches. Use them to avoid waste:
Add as negatives:
- Keywords where you rank #1 and testing shows organic absorbs clicks
- Informational queries with very low conversion rates
- Keywords clearly outside your target audience
Don't negative:
- High-commercial-intent keywords, even if you rank well organically
- Brand terms where competitors bid
- Keywords early in the buyer journey that you want to capture
Coordinate Landing Pages
When someone searches a keyword and sees both your ad and organic listing, they should get a consistent experience regardless of which they click.
Alignment checklist:
- Same core value proposition
- Consistent terminology and messaging
- Similar visual design and branding
- CTAs that make sense for the search intent
Inconsistency confuses users and erodes trust. If your ad promises "free trial" but your organic listing leads to a pricing page, you're creating friction.
Step 5: Align on Search Intent and Landing Pages
Both SEO and PPC succeed when content matches what searchers actually want. Alignment starts with shared intent analysis.
Create Unified Keyword Profiles
For every important keyword, document:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Keyword | The search term |
| Intent | Informational, commercial, transactional, navigational |
| Searcher goal | What the person wants to accomplish |
| Best content format | Blog post, comparison page, product page, tool |
| Key messages | Value props that resonate for this search |
| CTA | Appropriate next step for this intent |
Both SEO content creators and PPC ad writers should reference these profiles. The result: consistent, intent-matched experiences across channels.
Match Content to Funnel Stage
Different keywords represent different buyer journey stages. Your content (paid and organic) should match:
Top of funnel (awareness):
- Keywords: "what is", "how to", problem descriptions
- Content: Educational blog posts, guides
- PPC role: Usually lower priority unless building awareness campaigns
Middle of funnel (consideration):
- Keywords: "best", "vs", "comparison", "reviews"
- Content: Comparison pages, buying guides, case studies
- PPC role: Important for capturing evaluating buyers
Bottom of funnel (decision):
- Keywords: Product names, "pricing", "demo", "free trial"
- Content: Product pages, pricing pages, sign-up flows
- PPC role: High priority, protect these terms
For more on mapping keywords to content types, see our guide on turning keywords into a content calendar.
Step 6: Monitor Combined Performance
Unified strategy requires unified measurement. Track SEO and PPC together, not in separate reports.
Build a Combined Dashboard
Create a report that shows both channels side by side for your target keywords:
Metrics to include:
- Organic impressions and clicks (from Search Console)
- Paid impressions and clicks (from Google Ads)
- Combined click share (your total clicks vs. available clicks)
- Conversion rate by channel
- Cost per conversion (PPC) vs. content cost (SEO)
- Revenue or leads by keyword and channel
Tools that help:
- Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) connecting both data sources
- Spreadsheet combining exports from each platform
- Enterprise SEO tools with PPC integration
Track Keyword Performance Over Time
For priority keywords, monitor trends:
Organic improving:
- Consider reducing PPC spend gradually
- Watch for total traffic drops
- Reallocate budget to keywords where organic is weak
Organic declining:
- Investigate why (algorithm change? competitor content?)
- Increase PPC to maintain visibility
- Plan content updates
PPC costs rising:
- Prioritize SEO investment for these keywords
- High CPC keywords often justify content creation costs
Hold Regular Cross-Team Reviews
Schedule monthly or quarterly meetings where SEO and PPC teams review:
- What's working: Keywords performing well in both channels
- Opportunities: High-converting PPC terms without organic presence (SEO priorities)
- Efficiency gains: Keywords where one channel can take over from the other
- New tests: Keywords to experiment with across channels
These reviews keep both teams aligned and prevent strategy drift.
Example: The Unified Keyword Strategy in Action
Let's walk through how this works for a real keyword.
The Keyword: "best CRM software"
Starting point:
- Organic rank: Position 12 (page 2)
- Organic traffic: 85 clicks/month
- PPC spend: $3,400/month
- PPC clicks: 420/month
- PPC conversions: 18 (4.3% conversion rate)
- CPC: $8.10
The Analysis
High CPC signals commercial value. Strong PPC conversion rate confirms it. But you're paying for every click while sitting on page 2 organically.
The Strategy
- SEO priority: Create a best-in-class comparison article targeting "best CRM software"
- PPC maintains coverage: Keep bidding while organic improves
- Content informs ads: Use conversion data to guide which CRMs to highlight, what features matter, what CTAs work
- Monitor weekly: Track organic ranking progress
Six Months Later
- Organic rank: Position 3
- Organic traffic: 1,200 clicks/month (14x increase)
- PPC spend: Reduced to $1,500/month
- PPC clicks: 180/month (targeting different variations now)
- Total conversions: 62 (48 organic + 14 paid)
- Net savings: $1,900/month in PPC with 3.4x more conversions
The SEO investment paid for itself. PPC budget shifted to keywords where organic still needs work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should SEO and PPC teams report to the same manager?
Not necessarily, but they need structured communication. Regular joint meetings, shared dashboards, and a unified keyword database matter more than org structure. Some companies create a "search" team combining both. Others keep them separate but mandate collaboration.
How do I convince my PPC team to share data with SEO?
Show them the benefit. PPC teams care about conversion rates and cost efficiency. Explain how SEO can take over high-cost keywords, freeing budget for new opportunities. Frame it as expanding their impact, not taking their territory.
What if my PPC and SEO target different geographic markets?
Create separate unified strategies for each market. The principles remain the same, but keyword performance varies by region. A keyword that converts well in the US might perform differently in the UK.
How long before SEO can replace PPC for a keyword?
Depends on competition and your current authority. For low-competition keywords, 2-4 months. For competitive terms, 6-12 months or longer. PPC provides coverage during the gap. Learn more in our guide on keyword research for new websites.
Should I use the same landing page for PPC and organic?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. For informational queries, your blog post can serve both. For commercial queries, PPC often benefits from dedicated landing pages optimized for conversion. Test both approaches.
What's the most important metric for unified search performance?
Total conversions from search (paid + organic) relative to total search spend (PPC cost + content creation cost). This shows your overall search marketing efficiency regardless of channel.
Can I automate the data sharing between SEO and PPC?
Partially. Tools like Google Data Studio can pull from both Search Console and Google Ads. Some enterprise platforms offer deeper integration. But strategic analysis and decision-making still require human judgment.
Start Coordinating Your SEO and PPC Today
SEO and PPC are better together. When they share data, you make smarter decisions about where to invest. When they coordinate strategy, you cover more ground without wasting budget. When they measure together, you see the true picture of search performance.
Here's your action plan:
- This week: Export your Google Ads Search Terms report and share it with your SEO team (or review it yourself if you handle both)
- This month: Identify 5 high-converting PPC keywords where you don't rank organically. Add them to your content calendar
- Ongoing: Build a shared keyword database and schedule monthly cross-channel reviews
The companies winning at search marketing don't treat SEO and PPC as separate silos. They treat them as two parts of the same strategy.
Use BrightKeyword to research keywords with both organic and paid metrics in one view. See search volume alongside CPC data, so you can prioritize keywords that make sense for both channels.
Your SEO and PPC teams are sitting on each other's gold. It's time they started sharing.