Turning Off Paid Search: Does it Help or Hurt Organic Traffic?
If you’ve ever considered pausing your branded paid search campaigns to save on ad spend, you’re not alone. Many companies wonder if they can rely solely on their organic rankings—especially when they already hold the top spot in search results for their own name.
A recent analysis from SEO Clarity investigated this question, with revealing results.
The Test: Turning Off Paid Search on Branded Terms
The scenario is straightforward: if your brand already ranks #1 organically for your company name, why pay for that same position?
The test showed that organic traffic did increase when paid search was paused, but not enough to completely make up for the drop in total traffic. This matters for several reasons:
- Branded ads protect your visibility. Without them, competitors can run ads on your name and take that top position.
- Search results contain many elements. If your brand name is generic or similar to others, users might see unrelated content.
- Using both paid and organic listings strengthens results. A dual presence builds credibility and increases click-through rates.
What This Means for Your Strategy
If your brand dominates organic results, testing a pause on branded paid search might seem reasonable—but monitor the results carefully. Consider running a short-term test to track any changes in:
- Total branded search traffic
- Conversions from search
- Competitor ad placements
Even if you recover some clicks organically, the combination of SEO and PPC often delivers better overall results—particularly for users who recognize your name but aren’t fully convinced yet.
Final Takeaway
SEO and PPC work best when they complement each other. While paid search requires budget, its role in protecting your brand presence and maintaining search visibility is significant. Testing is valuable for optimization, but completely eliminating paid search could impact your bottom line.
