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Search behavior is changing fast, and marketing strategies need to evolve just as quickly. In 2025, rising competition, increasing costs, and the shift toward zero-click and AI-generated search results are making it harder to win with siloed efforts.
The key to stronger performance? Connecting SEO and paid search into one cohesive strategy.
If you’re still thinking of these as separate channels, it’s time to rethink your approach. In this blog post, inspired by our recent webinar on the same topic, we’ll review the changing landscape and how your business can stay ahead.
1. The Search Landscape is in Flux
Many industries, especially in the home services and home improvement space, saw peak demand around 2021. Since then, that demand has steadily declined, yet the number of advertisers competing for clicks hasn’t. Naturally, this has driven up cost-per-click, cost-per-lead, and overall marketing costs.
Making things even more complex is the rise of AI-powered answers. Tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews are changing how people find information. Instead of clicking through to a website, users are increasingly getting their answers directly in the search results. This is known as a “zero-click” experience.
So what does all this mean? It’s no longer just about generating site traffic. With tools like ChatGPT, potential customers can find your business without ever even landing on your website. So now, it’s all about making sure your brand shows up wherever potential customers are searching.
2. We’re Moving Beyond Rankings
SEO used to be about one big question: where does your website rank? But with the shift toward AI-generated answers, voice assistants, and no-click SERPs... rankings are no longer the only thing that matters.
The more helpful question now is: where and how can your brand be discovered online?
People aren’t just visiting your site. They’re interacting with your brand through search ads, local listings, review platforms, social media, and even third-party aggregator sites. That means SEO today is less about keywords and more about total discoverability.
Yes, your website still matters, and it matters a lot. It’s the one platform you fully control. But it’s just one stop in a broader digital ecosystem. The goal is to meet your audience where they are, whether that’s through an organic listing, a local pack result, or a paid ad at the top of the page.
3. The Tools to Pay Attention To: Google Business Profile (GBP) and Local Search Ads (LSAs)
When it comes to local search, two tools deserve special attention: Google Business Profile (GBP) and Local Services Ads (LSAs).
Your GBP is your organic listing in Google Search and Maps. It’s often the first thing someone sees when looking for a service in your area and arguably your most important local ranking factor. It includes your reviews, hours, photos, and contact details—essential information that helps users decide whether to engage with your business.
LSAs are pay-per-lead ads that appear at the very top of the search results page. Unlike traditional Google Ads, which charge per click, LSAs only charge when someone contacts you directly from the ad.
While they serve different purposes, GBP and LSAs are deeply connected. A well-optimized GBP—with fresh images, consistent info, and strong reviews—can actually improve your performance in LSAs and reduce your cost per lead. In other words, optimizing one helps the other.
For local businesses, this pairing is a powerful way to show up across both organic and paid real estate... and often, in the spots that matter most.
4. Double the Impact with Blended Analytics
One of the biggest missed opportunities in digital marketing is failing to analyze paid and organic data together. Too often, SEO and PPC teams are working from separate dashboards, chasing different goals, and missing the bigger picture.
When you combine reporting from tools like Google Ads and Search Console, you can start to see how people interact with both channels throughout their journey, and where they’re most likely to convert.
For example, if a keyword is driving a lot of conversions in paid search but has little organic visibility, that’s a clear signal to build content around it. On the flip side, if your organic content is performing well for a term that you’re not bidding on, it might be worth adding to your paid strategy to fully own that space on the page.
The value here isn’t just in seeing the data side-by-side. It’s in using it to make smarter decisions across the board. When SEO and paid search work together, your marketing strategy becomes far more efficient and outcome-driven.
5. Building a Holistic Strategy
At the core of an integrated search strategy are three guiding principles: control, compete, and coordinate.
Control starts with owning the spaces where you already have influence: Your branded keywords, your GBP, your local listings. Bidding on your brand name, for example, ensures competitors or aggregators can’t steal traffic that was already headed your way. It also gives you control over how your brand appears in high-intent search moments.
Compete means understanding that your digital competitors may not always be your traditional ones. Just because another company isn’t in your market offline doesn’t mean they’re not outranking you online. Knowing who’s appearing above you in search—both paid and organic—can help you develop better messaging, stronger offers, and more strategic targeting.
Coordinate is all about alignment. SEO and PPC efforts should inform each other. High-performing PPC copy can inspire meta descriptions. Organic content ideas can come from paid keyword trends. And the more your messaging is unified across both channels, the more cohesive and compelling your brand will feel to prospective customers.
When these elements come together, your search marketing becomes less about chasing isolated tactics and more about creating a flywheel, where each part reinforces and amplifies the others.
Final Thoughts
Search is no longer about SEO versus paid. It’s about getting them to work better together. Brands that take an integrated approach can lower their acquisition costs, improve lead quality, and get more out of every campaign.
If your team is still treating these as separate functions, it might be time for a rethink. The most successful brands aren’t picking a side. They’re building a strategy that blends both.
For a more in-depth look into this topic, watch the webinar video below.
And if you’d like help implementing a unified approach for your business, let’s talk.
