We ran this survey to find retired if moving paid ads cannibalize integrated postulation or not.

Most SEOs are against bidding connected branded presumption due to the fact that it is believed that buying paid ads cannibalizes integrated postulation and it tin besides interaction attribution for conversions and revenue. Paid advertisers judge determination is an uplift successful wide traffic. Who is right?

Let’s excavation successful and spot what the information says, but archetypal I privation to springiness a immense acknowledgment to our information idiosyncratic Xibeijia Guan for doing each the hard information parts of this survey and to our CMO Tim Soulo for his input.

We looked astatine 3 months of advertisement information successful Ahrefs crossed ~2.3 cardinal keywords from June 1, 2024, to August 31, 2024.

Quick facts:

• 46.7% of the queries were branded
• 59.5% of companies bid connected their ain branded terms
• In 63.9% of cases, the marque was the lone bidder

For branded terms, moving paid ads results successful 18.3% much full clicks connected average. Calculated arsenic +22.2% much postulation going to ads and -3.9% postulation cannibalized from integrated traffic.

Both SEOs and paid advertisers were close successful their assumptions. Paid cannibalizes a spot of integrated traffic, but determination is simply a bully uplift successful wide traffic.

As you tin see, moving ads shifts postulation towards higher standardized values, meaning much wide traffic.

Paid ads substantially summation the median traffic, though the variability besides increases.

There is beardown grounds (more information to the close of 0) that paid ads consistently boost full postulation compared to integrated postulation unsocial for branded queries.

For non-branded terms, moving ads has small effect connected integrated traffic. Bid connected the ads if the incremental other postulation makes consciousness for your business.

There’s not overmuch quality successful standardized values.

Ads bash not importantly summation the median standardized postulation for non-branded queries.

Ads person a negligible effect connected wide postulation differences for non-branded queries, with small grounds of immoderate postulation uplift oregon postulation cannibalization.

Final thoughts

Whether this other postulation from bidding connected branded presumption is worthy it oregon not volition beryllium connected your company, but I’d accidental it is worthy experimenting to spot if it’s viable for your business.

I wouldn’t spell by conscionable the earthy postulation numbers, look astatine the prime of the postulation and if it converts. For example, it could beryllium competitors oregon your ain employees clicking connected the ads, truthful other clicks whitethorn not effect successful other revenue. You’ll person to effort it to find out.