On the search results page, which has a higher click-through rate: organic or ads?
*(The original article in Japanese was written by Megumi Kono, the Brand Innovation Lead Senior Consultant of the Ayudante’s Brand Innovation Hub. This article was translated by Gantuya Saruulbold.)
Recently, the changes in Google’s search results pages (SERPs) have been remarkable. Not only for those involved in SEO but also for those working in advertising, SERPs are an inseparable and, in a sense, competitive battleground. I came across a case study that illustrates how a particular keyword is performing in that space, and I’d like to share it with you.
Analysis of keywords displayed on the search results page (SERPs)
This time, we analyzed the keywords displayed on Google’s SERPs. Google provides an analysis tool called Search Console, which was formerly known as “Webmaster Tools.” It allows you to see which keywords brought users to which pages from the search screen and also shows keyword rankings—making it an essential tool for anyone involved in SEO.
By merging data from Search Console with the search term report from Google Ads, we conducted a dual analysis of keywords that appeared on SERPs from both the SEO and advertising perspectives.
The target of this analysis was an e-commerce site, and we analyzed several million keywords. Using keyword data from the past six months, we conducted the analysis through a diagnostic tool called SERPsMAX. Manually analyzing millions of keywords would be quite difficult, but with this tool, we were able to grasp the current state of SERPs without issue.
Also, note that this analysis excluded branded keywords and focused solely on general keywords. These keywords were classified into four groups, and the results are presented accordingly.
Analysis results of keywords on SERPs
First, please take a look at the following figure.
The axis for classifying the four groups is based on keywords that are ranked highly, and we analyzed them separately for organic (SEO) and paid (ads) listings.
The theme of this column is the click-through rate (CTR) on SERPs. So first, what does the CTR situation look like?
While exact figures are not disclosed and the values are rounded—making them a bit hard to interpret—the results show that in every group, the CTR for search ads is higher than that of SEO.
Looking back over 10 years ago, SERPs were not as rich as they are today; they displayed results very simply, with ads followed by organic listings. I remember that even though SEO listings appeared below ads, their CTRs were higher. No matter how much you tried to improve ad CTR, it couldn’t surpass SEO… That was the norm back then. So I feel a small sense of surprise now that we’re seeing cases where ad CTRs are actually higher.
I’d also like to focus on the differences in CTR among these four groups.
Group A consists of keywords that rank highly in both SEO and ads, and it showed the highest CTR. Although the number of keywords is small, they are made up of non-branded terms that rank well, suggesting that they are closely related to the core theme of the website. As expected, keywords that rank high in both SEO and ads tend to have high CTRs.
Group B includes keywords that rank high in SEO but not in ads. In this group, the CTR for SEO is high, while the CTR for ads is low. Among all SEO groups, this one has the second-highest CTR, while it ranks third in ad CTR. The number of keywords is moderately large, and although the SEO rankings are strong (and therefore achieve high CTRs), the ads do not perform as well.
Group C is the opposite of Group B: keywords that rank high in ads but not in SEO. In this group, the SEO CTR is low, while the ad CTR is high. There are relatively few keywords here—possibly because these are terms primarily targeted by paid ads—but even in this group, the side with the higher ranking (ads) yields the higher CTR.
Finally, Group D contains keywords that do not rank highly in either SEO or ads. This group accounts for roughly 77% of all keywords analyzed. CTR is low across the board for both SEO and ads. Since we’re dealing with keyword volumes in the millions, it’s not feasible to check each one individually, but from both an SEO and advertising standpoint, this group has a lot of potential for growth and improvement.
So far, the focus has been on CTR, and overall, the clear takeaway is: the higher the ranking, the higher the CTR.
Many may think, “Isn’t that obvious?”—but seeing the data laid out confirms and reinforces that understanding.
One more point: this analysis also included ad cost, number of conversions, and conversion value from search ads. That allowed us to evaluate ad performance by group as well.
ROAS is highest in Group A, where keywords rank highly in both SEO and ads, while the cost data is highest in Group C, where only ads rank highly. Through this kind of perspective—which may have never been considered before, or perhaps considered but never analyzed—data reveals a variety of insights. However, data is just data. It’s important to interpret it within the context of its background and circumstances, and to conduct analysis, form hypotheses, and plan accordingly.
Points to Keep in Mind When Interpreting Analytical Results Data
This analysis showed that the CTR for ads is higher than that for SEO. However, let’s think critically—this is just one example. Different results could easily emerge depending on the site, industry, or advertising activity. Even for the same site, results may vary depending on the time period analyzed.
Additionally, SEO results are displayed whenever relevant searches occur, whereas ads are not guaranteed to appear due to bidding strategies and budget constraints. These factors could also contribute to the differences in CTR.
In any case, there’s no doubt that this is a highly interesting and useful dataset. However, we must also keep in mind that it may represent a temporary snapshot, not a universal or enduring truth.
Understanding both SEO and Advertising to Strategize the Next Move
When I first looked at this analytical data, what intrigued me most was the CTR, but I discovered many other insights as well. Up until now, I had analyzed elements like top ad placements and impression share from the advertising perspective, and considered trends in CTR and CVR. However, I had never conducted an analysis from the perspective of the SERPs themselves. By understanding both SEO and advertising data in tandem, I now realize there are multiple potential strategies for the next step.
For example, when discussing SEO and advertising together, the focus is often on keyword cannibalization to reduce ad spending. However, by thoroughly understanding the analysis results, we can reconsider whether keyword overlap is something to avoid—or whether we should restructure our advertising strategy to maximize revenue.
SEO and ads appear on the same SERPs. Both serve as entry points to your site, and business begins when visitors enter through those entry points. However, SERPs are changing at an intense pace, and SEO specifications and ad delivery systems are also changing relentlessly. In this environment, relying solely on data from one source may no longer lead to effective next steps.Understanding how your company’s information is displayed on SERPs and the role it plays is crucial. By considering the roles of SEO and ads together, you can build a stronger strategy on SERPs. That’s what I believe.
Understanding how your company’s information is displayed on SERPs—and the role that each plays—enables you to build a more robust strategy. I believe that only by evaluating SEO and advertising together can we truly strengthen our competitive approach on the SERPs.
