TLDR: Many businesses overspend on PPC while underinvesting in SEO. PPC delivers quick results, but rising costs make it unsustainable. Our data shows SEO often drives higher conversion rates and order values, yet it’s the channel that gets the smallest budget. By using AI to unify data across platforms, highlight valuable keywords, and streamline content planning, you can reduce wasted PPC spend and reinvest into SEO for long-term growth.
Let’s be honest. Most marketing teams (and their bosses!) are hooked on Google Ads. It’s like coffee, addictive, instant, and gives you that quick hit of results. You put £1 in, and (if all goes well) you get £10 back. But here’s the problem: that habit isn’t healthy in the long run.
At Modo25, we see this imbalance all the time. Brands are spending six figures every month on Google Ads while only trickling a few thousand into SEO. One client of ours spends around £150,000 a month on PPC… compared to just £5,000 on SEO. That kind of imbalance leaves a lot of untapped potential on the table.
So, how can AI help us fix this?
The PPC problem
- Rising costs – Ad platforms, not brands, are the big winners of peak retail moments like Black Friday.
- Internal silos – SEO and PPC teams often work against each other (ever seen paid teams bidding on brand while SEO managers panic down the corridor?).
- Overload of data – With so many platforms, dashboards, and KPIs, it’s hard to know which numbers matter.
The outcome? Businesses keep throwing money at Google Ads and miss the opportunity to grow long-term through SEO.
Why SEO deserves more budget
Looking at data across 250+ Modo25 clients, representing more than £800m in revenue:
- SEO drives better conversion rates than PPC, especially on non-brand terms.
- Average order values are higher from SEO.
- But PPC is still winning the budget battle.
This doesn’t stack up. If SEO is more efficient and more valuable, why are we still addicted to PPC?
How AI changes the game
AI isn’t about replacing marketers, it’s about helping you make smarter investment decisions with clearer data. Here’s how we’re using it:
- Connect your data – Pull in Search Console, GA4, and AdWords into BigQuery (or via ASK BOSCO®).
- Spot the valuable keywords – Identify where PPC is performing but SEO isn’t yet ranking.
- Reallocate your spend – Instead of paying £41,000 a month on certain keywords, invest in building SEO content that ranks organically.
- Automate the content plan – Use AI-driven models to speed up strategy and execution, without losing quality.
This means SEO and PPC stop fighting for attention and start working together. You’ll reduce wasted ad spend and free up more budget to build an SEO engine that delivers sustainable growth.
The bigger picture
Think of PPC as a diet pill. It gives quick results but doesn’t fix the long-term problem. SEO, on the other hand, is the healthy lifestyle change that compounds over time.
By using AI to connect the dots, measure real value per session, and guide smarter investments, you can rebalance your digital strategy, and give SEO the budget it really deserves. At Modo25, we’re already helping brands and agencies do exactly that: cut wasted PPC spend, reinvest in SEO, and unlock bigger growth opportunities.
Want to dig deeper? This blog is based on a talk by our Founder and CEO at brightonSEO. You can watch the full session here:
