Most marketing teams review Google Ads and SEO performance separately. PPC teams optimise campaigns based on conversions, while SEO teams focus on rankings and organic traffic. The problem is that in isolation neither team sees the complete picture. This can result in:

• Budget depleted on keywords you're already dominating organically.

• High-performing organic queries with no paid coverage.

• Competitors winning valuable searches you've never considered.

Bringing both datasets together helps you make better decisions across every search channel.

1. Combine your paid and organic data

Start by connecting your Google Search Console data with your Google Ads account.

This allows you to compare:

• Organic rankings, user journey, and performance

• Matching paid keywords or queries with performance

• Auction Insights or Google Keyword Planner competition levels

Instead of reviewing two separate reports, you can understand how each keyword performs across both channels.

Squared.io tip: Connecting Search Console automatically combines paid and organic keyword data, giving teams a single view of search performance without manually exporting reports.

2. Identify where paid and organic overlap

Not every keyword needs the same level of paid investment. Review where you already rank strongly organically alongside your paid campaigns.

Questions to ask include:

• Are we paying heavily for searches where we consistently rank in the top positions? Particularly where competition is low, and/or conversion performance is weak on paid.

• Do we need a paid presence because the likely organic user journey isn’t heading to the right page/s.

Likewise, you'll often find commercially valuable paid keywords where organic visibility is poor. These become excellent candidates for future SEO work because they've already demonstrated their ability to convert.

The goal isn't simply to reduce paid spend but help surface where each channel delivers the most value.

3. Find keywords you're missing entirely

Search Console often reveals searches generating impressions and clicks that aren't targeted by your Google Ads campaigns.

These are valuable because:

• Google already associates your site with the query.

• Search demand is proven.

• Users are actively finding your business.

Adding paid coverage for selected high-value queries can increase visibility, particularly where competition is high or organic rankings fluctuate.

4. Learn from competitors

One of the quickest ways to uncover new opportunities is by analysing the keywords your competitors rank for organically. Look for competitors with significant overlap in your market, then identify:

• Topics they rank for that you don't.

• High-volume searches missing from your strategy.

• Areas where competitors appear in both paid and organic results.

This provides a prioritised list of expansion opportunities based on real search behaviour rather than relying solely on keyword research tools.

Squared.io tip: Squared.io automatically identifies the competitors with the greatest keyword overlap, surfaces missing opportunities and includes search volume so teams can quickly prioritise the opportunities likely to deliver the biggest impact.

5. Turn insights into action

The most valuable outcome is what you do next. A joined-up SEO and PPC search strategy helps you:

• Invest paid budget where it delivers incremental value.

• Prioritise SEO work based on proven commercial demand.

• Discover new opportunities before competitors.

• Make better decisions using both paid and organic performance.

Whether you manage search in-house or across multiple client accounts, combining these datasets creates a more complete picture of how customers discover your business.

How Squared.io helps

While it's possible to compare Google Ads, Search Console and competitor data manually, it quickly becomes time-consuming and relies on well connected SEO and PPC teams.

Squared.io automatically connects Google Ads and Google Search Console, highlights paid and organic overlap, identifies gaps in coverage and surfaces competitor keyword opportunities complete with search volume - helping teams prioritise the changes most likely to improve performance without hours of spreadsheet work.