My Google Ads Are Cannibalising My Organic SEO Rankings

Running Google Ads on keywords where you already rank organically creates a debate about whether you are paying for traffic you would get for free. The reality is more nuanced and depends on your specific situation.

You are not alone in this.

You rank well organically for several important keywords. You also run Google Ads on those same keywords. You are wondering if you are paying for traffic that would come to you for free through your organic listing. Your budget is limited and you want to make sure every dollar is working as hard as possible.

Here is what is actually going on.

Research on this topic consistently shows that paid and organic listings in the same search result do not fully cannibalise each other. When you appear in both the paid ads and the organic results your total click share from that search result page is higher than with organic alone. However you do pay for some clicks that would have gone to your organic listing if the ad was not there.

The thing most people miss.

The decision to run ads on keywords you already rank for organically depends on your competitive environment and your conversion rate comparison. If competitors run ads that appear above your organic listing, your ads protect your position and visibility. If you rank number one organically with no competing ads above you, the incremental value of ads is lower.

The fix that actually works.

Analyse your search impression share data to understand how often your ads show versus how often your organic listing shows. Compare the conversion rate of paid traffic versus organic traffic on the same keywords. In most competitive local service markets maintaining paid presence even on strong organic keywords is justified because competitors will fill that ad space if you vacate it.

What this looks like when it works.

Use the data available to make an evidence-based decision rather than assuming one way or the other.

How I can help you.

My name is Eshchar Givoni. I am a Google Ads specialist and I work exclusively with local service businesses. I have been doing this for seven years. I manage a maximum of 20 clients at any one time and I manage every single campaign personally. There are no junior account managers, no handoffs, and no templates. When you work with me you talk directly to the person making decisions about your campaign every day.

You start with a $500 trial campaign. That is 14 days of a live, fully managed Google Ads campaign. You see real results before you commit to anything more. If it works, we continue. If it does not deliver, you have lost only the trial cost. That is how confident I am in the process.

Ready to fix this?

If this article described your situation, the next step is simple. WhatsApp me directly right now and tell me what is happening with your campaign. I will give you an honest assessment within 24 hours at no cost. Or if you are ready to start, apply for your $500 trial campaign here. I read every application personally and respond within 24 hours.