PPC vs SEO Conversion Rates, Which Is Better For Conversion?

Picture this: You're tasked with boosting sales for a new product, and you must decide between investing in PPC ads or focusing on SEO. Both have perks—PPC offers immediate traffic, while SEO builds long-term credibility. But what about conversion rates? Which one truly drives the action you need, whether it’s a purchase, sign-up, or download? This is where understanding the SEO Conversion Funnel becomes crucial. This article will help you learn about PPC vs SEO conversion rates and determine which is better for SEO conversion Funnel.

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What Is PPC Conversion Rate?

People working - PPC vs SEO Conversion Rates

PPC conversion rate is the percentage of people who convert after clicking on your ads. Depending on your goals, a conversion may mean they purchase, complete a contact form, request a free trial, or take another desired action. A higher conversion rate means your campaign is driving results for your company.

Maximizing ROI: The Importance of Conversion Rates in PPC Advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a highly effective digital marketing method with an average return on investment (ROI) of $2 for every $1. It allows you to place ads at the top of search engine results pages, on social media sites, and on other websites.

One of the most important factors in a PPC campaign is the conversion rate—the percentage of customers who perform the desired action, such as making a purchase, after clicking on an ad. Your PPC conversion rate is closely related to how much money you make from your ads.

How To Calculate Your PPC Conversion Rate

Using a PPC conversion rate calculator is the easiest way to calculate your PPC conversion rate. When you use a PPC conversion rate calculator, you don’t have to do the math yourself, and you get fast, accurate results! You can also use the same PPC conversion rate formula that a calculator uses to do the calculations manually.

The PPC conversion rate formula is:

(Conversions/number of ad interactions) x 100 = conversion rate

So, if users clicked on your ad 100 times and 10 of them converted, your calculations would look like this:

(10 / 100) x 100 = 10%

What Is a Good Conversion Rate For PPC?

The average conversion rate for PPC is 2.35%, and the average conversion rate for Google Ads has increased 17%. For a good conversion rate, aim for a higher rate than the average. A good general number to aim for is about 10%.

For reference, the top 25% of advertisers on Google Ads have an average conversion rate of 11.45%. While these benchmarks can be helpful, it’s important to remember that the definition of a good conversion rate for PPC varies according to your industry, location, and numerous other factors.

What Is SEO Conversion Rate?

Person Working - PPC vs SEO Conversion Rates

An SEO conversion rate is the percentage of desired actions (conversions) taken when people visiting your website organically do something you want them to do versus those who simply stopped by your website and then moved on, uninspired to “convert” (take any of the actions you wish to).

For example, if 100 people land on your homepage page today and two buy a product before leaving (the only action you’re tracking), your SEO conversion rate is 2%. The desired action can refer to many different things.

Here are a few common examples:

Submitting a form
Clicks
Purchases
Sign-ups
Installs/downloads
Creating an account

What is Good Conversion Rate in SEO?

A good conversion rate can vary widely, with an average of 2.9%. What’s considered good depends on your specific business objectives and baseline metrics.

Multiple factors can affect what marketers consider a good SEO conversion rate:

Industry: Different industries have different conversion benchmarks.
The quality of web traffic: If your website attracts highly targeted audiences from search engines and your content is relevant to their search intent, your conversions will probably be higher.
Type of desired action: Simpler conversions, like signing up for a newsletter, can have higher conversion rates than high-value conversions, like making a purchase.

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PPC vs SEO Conversion Rates: How Do They Compare?

When comparing PPC (Pay-Per-Click) and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) conversion rates, it’s like looking at two sides of the same coin. Both are powerful tools in your marketing arsenal, but they function very differently, and their impact on conversions depends on your goals and strategy.

Let’s break it down.

PPC Conversion Rates: Quick and Targeted Wins

PPC conversion rates measure the number of people who take a desired action after clicking on your paid ad, like:

Making a purchase
Filling out a form
Signing up

On average, PPC campaigns see a 2.35% conversion rate, but top-performing advertisers hit 10% or more when their campaigns are dialed in.

Why do PPC campaigns often convert well? It comes down to precision. With PPC, you’re targeting people already searching for something specific, often with immediate intent. Think about someone Googling “same-day flower delivery.” If your ad pops up with a clear offer and a quick path to buy, they’re much more likely to convert than someone casually browsing.

The Perks of PPC:

Immediate Results: PPC puts your brand at the top of search results, often within hours. You don’t have to wait for months to see results.
Laser-Targeted Traffic: You can focus on specific audiences based on demographics, location, or even behavior, so the people clicking your ads are already highly relevant.
Great for High-Intent Actions: If your goal is to get users to buy, subscribe, or download something ASAP, PPC works wonders.

The Challenges

It’s Not Cheap: Competitive industries (like legal or tech) can have sky-high costs per click. If you’re not converting well, this can quickly eat through your budget.
Short-Lived Impact: PPC is pay-to-play. Stop paying, and the traffic disappears.

SEO Conversion Rates: The Slow and Steady Performer

SEO conversion rates track how often people who find your site organically through search engines take an action you want—whether that’s:

Signing up
Buying something
Reading another blog post

The average SEO conversion rate is slightly higher than PPC at 2.9%, but the key with SEO is that it builds over time.

With SEO, you’re attracting people who find you naturally because your content matches what they’re searching for. For example, if someone Googles “how to choose the right office chair” and your blog gives them the answers they need, they might stick around, trust your expertise, and eventually purchase.

Why SEO Shines

Long-Term Benefits: Once your pages rank, they can drive traffic and conversions without ongoing costs.
Credibility: Organic results are often perceived as more trustworthy. People know you didn’t pay to be there, so they’re more likely to trust your content.
Casts a Wider Net: SEO can attract users at every stage of the buying journey—not just those ready to buy but also those researching or exploring.

The Drawbacks

It Takes Time: Getting to page one of Google is a marathon, not a sprint. It might take months (or even longer) to see results.
Less Control: Unlike PPC, where you can target specific people, SEO depends on search algorithms and user behavior. It’s harder to control who lands on your site.

How Do PPC and SEO Stack Up on Conversion Rates?

Here’s where things get interesting.

PPC Often Wins for Immediate Conversions: If you’re looking to drive quick results—like getting leads for a new product launch—PPC can deliver because it captures high-intent traffic. The people clicking are already looking to act.
SEO is Better for Long-Term Results: SEO can generate steady traffic and conversions over time without ongoing ad spend. While it might convert lower than PPC for specific goals, its scalability and sustainability make it invaluable.
Cost Considerations: With PPC, you’re paying for every click, so while conversion rates might be higher, the cost per conversion can add up quickly. SEO takes an upfront investment (content creation, technical optimization, etc.), but once you rank, the traffic is free.

When To Use PPC & When To Use SEO

Person Using Laptop - PPC vs SEO Conversion Rates

Popular PPC advertising platforms include:

Google Ads (AdWords)
Bing Ads
Facebook’s advertising platform

Niche-specific PPC systems also abound. One good example is PlentyOfFish.com’s advertisement option, which works wonderfully with dating offers.

So, when should you use PPC marketing? Below are some circumstances when PPC would benefit an online business.

1. When immediate results are desired.

PPC will deliver results fast. Very fast! You can count the minutes before a rush of visitors cascades to your pages. This is because the moment your PPC campaign is approved (provided that your bids are high enough to merit priority placement), your ads will immediately be displayed for millions of people. The traffic will almost be instantaneous.

Hence, PPC works amazingly well with product launches, squeeze pages, CPA marketing, and affiliate marketing involving high-converting offers, joint venture (JV) projects, seasonal promotions, event-focused marketing, and analogous online business campaigns.

2. When highly targeted traffic is sought.

Unlike SEO, PPC marketing will allow you to narrow your prospects based on their demographic data. Many PPC platforms, like social media sites, will enable you to promote the people who can view your ad based on the following:

Age range
Gender
Income bracket
Education level
Marital status

Popular social media sites like Facebook also allow you to target people based on their hobbies. These make PPC a powerful way of reaching the narrow band of people your business needs and leading them to your web pages.

3. When promoting a time-sensitive offer.

Marketing products, services, or events with an expiration date is always a race against time. Often, the long gestation period of SEO campaigns would produce belated results. For these time-sensitive offers, the experience of PPC marketing would be perfect.

Promoting an offer that will end in 2 days? No problem. PPC can deliver the traffic you need in minutes.

4. When your website isn’t designed for SEO.

SEO requires content-rich websites that are regularly updated. This is the only way to:

Inform the search engines that your site is relevant
Remind the search engines to keep your site at the top of the pile

Some websites are designed for something else. Squeeze pages, for example, won’t have the required content to merit a second glance from Google. Traffic can be generated from PPC campaigns for websites such as this.

5. If you want to dominate search results for your keyword category.

PPC results are displayed above the organic search results. This prominent position means that, in many cases, as much as 50% of the search traffic goes to the top 3 sponsored links.

You’re conceding the loss of all those clicks to your competitors by being absent from PPC. If you’re serious about maximizing your click-share of available searches for keywords relevant to your business, you must engage in PPC! In these situations, you prefer one marketing method or the other.

When Is It Best To Use SEO?

We go to the other side of the SEO vs. PPC debate. SEO is essential for online businesses, as statistics show that 80% of the traffic generated for any website will come from search engines. The biggest search engine is undoubtedly Google, which garners more than 3.5 billion daily searches; hence, most SEO campaigns target this specific search engine.

So, when should you use SEO techniques over PPC? Below are some circumstances when SEO would prove highly beneficial for an online business.

1. When Consistent Results are Desired

SEO has a relatively long gestation period. Getting to the first page of search engine results won’t happen overnight or in a week. Getting to the top of the SERPs will take time. You will enjoy sustained traffic via SEO once your website gets there. Also, if you keep up with your SEO campaign, working to maintain and improve results, you can stay on top for a long time and reap long-term benefits.

2. When You Wish to Build an Authority Site

An authority website is an established resource center for a particular niche. It is the “go-to” website whenever members of that niche need certain information. Once it gets going, an authority website can generate lots of traffic based on URL recall alone.

The best way to establish an authoritative website is by sustainably generating traffic to your pages, eventually building up a reputation until it becomes popular enough to dominate its market. The only way to sustainably develop the traffic required is through clever content powered by thoughtful SEO planning.

3. When You Want to Increase the Value of Your Website

Websites are virtual real estate. If you plan to sell your website for a premium price, you must increase its value. Many factors can contribute to increasing its value. All of these fall in the realm of SEO. Among them are the following:

Amount of traffic generated
Consistency of traffic generated
Page rank
Search engine rankings over some time
Link popularity, and the like.

Keep in mind that SEO isn’t “Free Clicks.” It’s a tremendous amount of work to create and promote content, which takes a great deal of time and money.

The Benefits of Using PPC And SEO Together

People Discussing - PPC vs SEO Conversion Rates

Create Immediate Awareness With Long-Term Gain

PPC and SEO both aim to drive qualified traffic to your site. But PPC can deliver results right away. Once you launch a paid advertising campaign, your ads can be served immediately. This gives your brand or business immediate awareness and traffic. The results of SEO should be seen later. PPC can fill the gap while you wait for your organic search initiatives to catch up.

Increased Visibility in Search Results

Using SEO and PPC together boosts your brand’s visibility in search results. How does this work? If you optimize a website page for the keyword “CRM tools” and also target that same keyword with paid search ads, then your paid ad and your organic search result may show up at the same time — increasing your authority as well as chances of getting more traffic to your site.

Learn More About Your Audience

Using paid advertising allows you to learn more about your targeted audience. What makes them click? Which images and text are most effective? The data you collect from your PPC campaigns can be applied to your SEO work, improving your knowledge of search intent and consumer preferences to write more compelling copy based on your audience's search queries.

Act on Time-Sensitive Content

Whether you have seasonal products or time-sensitive events like webinars or conferences, you may need more time for SEO to get you the necessary visibility. That’s when you can call in PPC advertising to get in front of your audience immediately. At the same time, you can optimize those pages for on-demand viewing later.

Remarket to Traffic From Organic Search

Using PPC and SEO together allows you to use paid ads to remarket to traffic you brought in using SEO! Let’s say you have a website page regularly in the position of one spot in search results.

You drive a ton of traffic to that site via organic search, and now you can remarket to those same visitors using PPC. Since these visitors will already be familiar with your brand or business from visiting your website, the remarketing ads can be pretty effective at increasing conversions.

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Unlocking the Potential of Blog CTAs

Are you tired of the tedious process of setting up call-to-actions (CTAs) on your blog? Blog CTAs is here to make your life easier. This programmatic conversion rate optimization (CRO) tool allows you to effortlessly add blog-wide CTAs to your website, saving your engineering team time and effort.

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Enhancing the Reader Experience

Regarding blog CTAs, it's not just about increasing conversion rates - it's about enhancing the reader experience. By making it easier for readers to take action, you can improve their overall experience on your blog and increase the likelihood that they'll return.

Blog CTAs can help you achieve this by making it easy to add relevant, targeted CTAs throughout your content. Blog CTAs make it easy to guide them to the next step in their journey, whether:

You want to encourage readers to sign up for your newsletter
Download a resource
Schedule a consultation

Overcoming the Challenges of Blog CTAs

Implementing Blog CTAs can be a challenge, especially if you're using a content management system (CMS) like:

WordPress
Webflow
Ghost

These platforms often require manual setup and customization, which can be time-consuming and frustrating. Blog CTAs solves this problem by providing a simple, programmatic solution that makes adding CTAs to your blog easy.

With Blog CTAs, you can overcome the challenges of setting up blog-wide CTAs and start seeing results faster.

The Benefits of Blog CTAs

Adding CTAs to your blog can significantly impact your conversion rates and overall business performance. By making it easy for readers to take action, you can increase the likelihood that they'll convert into leads or customers.

Blog CTAs can help you achieve this by providing a simple, programmatic solution that makes adding relevant, targeted CTAs throughout your content easy. Blog CTAs can help you guide them to the next step in their journey, whether you want to encourage readers to:

Sign up for your newsletter
Download a resource
Schedule a consultation

The Future of Blog CTAs

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it's important to stay ahead of the curve by implementing the latest tools and strategies. Blog CTAs is one such tool that can help you enhance your blog's performance and drive better results.

By making it easy to add relevant, targeted CTAs to your content, Blog CTAs can help you capture more leads, increase your conversion rates, and improve your overall business performance. As you look to the future, consider how Blog CTAs can help you achieve your goals and stay ahead of the competition.

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