Introduction
When SEO and PPC teams work in isolation, they often track different metrics that don’t tell the complete story of search marketing performance. But when these teams align on shared metrics, they unlock powerful insights that drive better decision-making and ROI.
In our previous article on why SEO and PPC teams need shared standards, we explored the importance of collaboration. Now, let’s dive into the specific metrics both teams should monitor together.
1. Total Search Visibility Share
This metric combines your organic rankings and paid ad positions to show your overall presence in search results. It’s calculated by measuring what percentage of total available impressions (both paid and organic) your brand captures for target keywords.
Why it matters: You might rank #1 organically but still lose visibility if competitors dominate the paid results above you. Tracking combined visibility helps you understand your true SERP dominance.
How to track: Use SEMrush or Ahrefs to track organic visibility, combine with Google Ads impression share data, and create a unified dashboard.
2. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Across Channels
Calculate the total cost of acquiring a customer from search, including both PPC spend and SEO costs (content creation, tools, personnel).
Why it matters: SEO often appears “free” but has real costs. PPC shows immediate costs. Understanding the true CAC for each channel helps you allocate budget more effectively.
Formula: (Total SEO costs + Total PPC spend) ÷ Total customers acquired from search
3. Keyword Overlap and Cannibalization Rate
Measure how many keywords you’re targeting with both paid ads and organic efforts, and whether you’re bidding on terms where you already rank well organically.
Why it matters: Bidding on keywords where you rank #1 organically might be wasteful, or it might be strategic for SERP domination. This metric helps you decide.
Action step: Create a shared keyword matrix showing organic position, paid position, CPC, and conversion rate for all target terms.
4. Click-Through Rate (CTR) Comparison
Compare CTR between organic results and paid ads for the same keywords to understand which format resonates better with your audience.
Why it matters: If your paid ads have significantly higher CTR, your organic titles and meta descriptions might need improvement. If organic CTR is higher, you might be overpaying for clicks.
Insight: Use high-performing ad copy to inform your organic meta descriptions, and vice versa.
5. Conversion Rate by Channel and Keyword
Track conversion rates separately for SEO and PPC traffic, broken down by individual keywords.
Why it matters: Some keywords convert better through organic search (higher trust), while others convert better through paid ads (more targeted). Understanding these patterns helps optimize both channels.
Pro tip: Keywords with high PPC conversion rates but low organic rankings are prime targets for SEO investment.
6. Search Traffic Value
Calculate the total value of your organic traffic by multiplying organic clicks by the average CPC you’d pay for those same clicks in PPC.
Why it matters: This metric helps justify SEO investment by showing the “saved” advertising cost. It also helps prioritize which organic rankings to defend or improve.
Formula: Organic clicks × Average CPC for those keywords = Search Traffic Value
7. Market Share of Voice
Measure your brand’s share of total search visibility compared to competitors across both paid and organic results.
Why it matters: You might dominate organically but lose overall visibility if competitors outspend you on PPC. This metric shows your true competitive position.
Tools: SEMrush Market Explorer or Ahrefs Competitive Analysis combined with Google Ads Auction Insights.
8. Quality Score and Organic Click-Through Rate Correlation
Compare your PPC Quality Scores with organic CTR for the same keywords.
Why it matters: Low Quality Scores often indicate the same problems that hurt organic performance: poor relevance, weak ad copy, or bad landing page experience.
Action item: When Quality Score drops, audit both your ads and your organic listings for that keyword.
9. Lifetime Value (LTV) by Acquisition Channel
Track the long-term value of customers acquired through SEO versus PPC.
Why it matters: SEO-acquired customers might have higher LTV due to increased trust, justifying higher SEO investment despite slower results. Or PPC might deliver higher-value customers due to better targeting.
Insight: This metric helps you optimize for long-term profit, not just immediate conversions.
10. Combined ROI and ROAS
Calculate return on investment across both channels combined, not just individually.
Why it matters: Optimizing each channel separately might miss opportunities. For example, spending more on PPC to defend high-value keywords while SEO builds rankings might yield better combined ROI.
Formula: (Total revenue from search – Total search marketing costs) ÷ Total search marketing costs × 100
Creating Your Unified Dashboard
To track these metrics effectively:
Use integrated tools: Connect Google Analytics, Google Ads, Search Console, and your SEO platform into tools like Google Data Studio, Tableau, or Looker.
Schedule regular reviews: Weekly tactical meetings to review performance, monthly strategic reviews to adjust direction.
Assign joint ownership: Make both teams responsible for hitting combined targets, not just individual channel goals.
Document insights: Create a shared knowledge base where both teams record learnings, test results, and optimization ideas.
Conclusion
The metrics you measure determine the results you achieve. By tracking these 10 essential metrics together, your SEO and PPC teams can break down silos, identify optimization opportunities, and drive better results for your business.
Remember: the goal isn’t just to track more metrics—it’s to track the right metrics that reveal the full picture of your search marketing performance and guide smarter decisions.
Start with 2-3 of these metrics that align with your biggest business goals, then expand your dashboard as collaboration deepens. The insights you’ll gain will more than justify the effort.