SEO or PPC? Don’t Guess — Get the Mix That Actually Works

Hey there,

Budget planning. Not the sexiest part of marketing, I know — but it’s essential if you want results without regrets.

Especially when it comes to SEO and PPC, where the former is a long game and the latter is a performance faucet. Both are powerful. But only when you know how to balance them.

Let’s break down how to build a smart, realistic, executive-proof SEO + PPC mix for the second half of 2025.

💰 First, What Are You Really Paying For?

PPC is instant visibility. You’re paying for placement — clicks, impressions, leads. Fast.

You know your CPC. You know your budget. That means you can forecast performance (more or less) and scale quickly.

SEO, on the other hand, is slow magic. You’re paying for relevat content, technical upgrades, links, and structure.

It’s not instant, and the results aren’t linear. But once it kicks in, it compounds — and your cost per lead starts dropping like a rock.

Quick take:

• PPC = rental property. Pay to play.
  

• SEO = building equity. Slower to start, a bigger payoff later.
  

🎯 Align Spend With Business Goals (Not Just Gut Feelings)

Here’s the deal:

• If you need traffic now, PPC should comprise the majority of your short-term plan.
  

• If you're building for next quarter or next year, SEO deserves serious love.
  

Launching something new? Paid search and social = speed.

Trying to reduce CAC? SEO builds long-term efficiency.

Many brands start with 70/30 PPC/SEO or 60/40, then rebalance once SEO gains momentum. Just make sure you don’t expect SEO to do PPC’s job. That’s how you get awkward QBRs.

🤖 Why SEO Just Got Tougher — But Still Worth It

Thanks to AI Overviews, featured snippets, and “People Also Ask” boxes, organic traffic is shrinking — even when you’re ranking. That doesn’t mean SEO is dying. It means SEO has to evolve.

Your SEO budget today needs to cover:

• Structured content targeting answer boxes & AI
  

• Schema and page speed improvements
  

• Entity-based content planning
  

• Multimedia content (AI loves images & video)
  

• Ongoing updates to aging content
  

Ask your SEO team what they’re doing to adapt — and if they shrug, get a new SEO team.

🧮 Budget Planning By The Numbers

Let’s say you’ve got $100K/year to work with:

• $80K to PPC might earn you ~25,000 clicks and 500 conversions (at $3.20 CPC, 2% CVR)
  

• $20K to SEO could cover 4 killer pieces/month, technical audits, and link outreach
  

You’ll see PPC traction in weeks. You’ll see SEO traction in months. But long-term, SEO gives you durable traffic that doesn't depend on spend.

Best strategy? Use PPC to get fast results while SEO ramps. Then shift the mix as performance changes.

📢 Speaking of the C-Suite...

Executives don’t care about your marketing philosophy. They care about outcomes.

So tell them this:

PPC is a faucet. SEO is a well. Both bring value — just on different timelines.

When making your case, include:

• Expected CPA and ROAS
  

• Traffic forecasts for both channels
  

• Timelines (month-to-month vs. quarter-to-quarter)
  

• A side-by-side model: 50/50 vs. 70/30
  

Use data. Use charts. Stay calm when the CFO says, “But can’t we just boost a post?”

🧠 The Metrics That Matter (And How to Talk About Them)

PPC:

• ROAS
  

• CPA
  

• Impression share
  

• Conversion rate
  

SEO:

• Organic traffic
  

• Keyword rankings
  

• Page engagement
  

• Assisted conversions
  

And no, don’t just talk about rankings. Talk about what those rankings do.

Like how your top organic blog post drives 20% of total lead volume — for free.

📈 When to Shift the Budget

Budget splits aren’t set in stone. 

Here’s when to adjust:

• CPCs go up but conversion tanks? Ease back on paid.
  

• Organic visibility improves? Lean into SEO and lower CAC.
  

• Your campaign cycles shift? Adjust the mix.
  

Set quarterly review checkpoints. That way you’re leading with performance, not guessing with gut.

❌ Budget Mistakes to Avoid

• Going all-in on SEO with no paid support = long ramp, no fuel.
  

• Burning through PPC with zero long-term content = traffic treadmill.
  

• Ignoring CRO and post-click performance = wasted budget either way.
  

Balance is everything. Even great traffic means nothing without great conversion paths.

Final Take: Don’t Choose Sides. Choose Strategy.

The right mix isn’t 50/50. It’s your 50/50.

Use data to guide it. Use your goals to define it. Use common sense to refine it.

Want help building the right SEO/PPC mix? Or content that ranks and earns clicks in the age of AI search?

📢 In Other News…

🚫 YouTube Tightens Monetization Rules (Starts July 15)

YouTube will start flagging “mass-produced” and “repetitive” content. Channels publishing near-duplicate videos may lose Partner status.

Nobody knows yet what YouTube means by “repetitive” — but if you’re running AI-generated clips or auto-uploads, now’s the time to rethink your strategy.

🔍 12.6% of People Also Ask Results Are Now AI-Generated

Mark Williams-Cook analyzed 8.4M Google results and found that 12.6% of “People Also Ask” answers come from AI — not publishers.

The opportunity?

Create content that actually solves the full user intent. Google’s AI is filling in where we’re falling short.

Looking for more in-depth strategies and exclusive content?

Check out my Gumroad page for courses, guides, and tools that can help take your digital marketing to the next level. Whether you're looking to master SEO, influencer marketing, or content strategies, I've got resources to get you there. Plus, you'll find some free content to help you get started right away!

Visit my Gumroad page and explore everything I have to offer!

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To your content marketing success,
Shane Barker