How to eliminate search cannibalisation and maximise ROI

It’s not always the case that marketing managers are more likely to lean towards either PPC or SEO, but it’s not uncommon. When someone favours the latter, it’s often based on fears of search cannibalisation. This is when ‘new’ traffic that is paid for is generated at the expense of ‘old’ traffic the same site was generating for free being displaced, as the organic link is pushed down the search engine results page. 

Although such concerns may in some instances be exaggerated, they are usually not entirely without foundation. All things being equal, Google would rather you pay them directly for traffic, so its engine will happily favour the promoted ad over the natural listing.

This business is all about data and measurement. It’s not enough to trust. How, then, do you prove to a client that the paid activity you’ll be managing will be incremental and won’t be costing them twice? 

It was a challenge we set out to solve.

Scepticism and Search Cannibalisation

Puck Stop, a Sheffield-based, family-run ice hockey retailer, had long enjoyed a strong organic presence, built over years of collaboration with Evoluted’s SEO team. After a Shopify migration in 2023 caused a slight dip in organic rankings, Puck Stop’s team was understandably cautious about introducing Google Ads. Past experiences had shown them how paid ads could “steal” traffic from organic channels, creating internal tension between their paid and organic efforts.

This presented a challenge, bordering on conflict: How could we deploy paid advertising to maximum effect without undermining established success in other areas?

We saw the task as three-fold:

• To increase total search revenue by 25% year-over-year
  
• To recover key SEO metrics lost during the migration
  
• To rebuild trust in the value of Google Ads
  

The solution needed to simultaneously boost paid search results without undermining the organic foundation.

The Power of Data

The key was an ad strategy which would see ad positions dynamically adjusted based on real-time organic ranking data. If a page ranked highly in organic search (position 1–3), paid ads could be paused to avoid redundancy. If rankings slipped (position 4 or lower), ads would be reactivated to maintain visibility.

Thus, a new strategy was born: using live organic search data to control paid search activity, minimising cannibalisation and maximising efficiency.

Building the Tool: The Technical Solution

The solution was constructed using:

1. A data source:
   We used SEOmonitor, a tool already subscribed to by the Evoluted SEO team, to pull daily organic rankings for tracked keywords.
   
2. Automation:
   Data was extracted via SEOmonitor’s API into Google Sheets, updated automatically every morning.
   
3. Integration with Google Ads:
   A custom JavaScript solution pulled ranking data into Google Ads and used keyword-level labels to match paid keywords with their corresponding organic rankings.
   
4. Trigger Conditions:
   
   • If the organic ranking was position 1-3, the related search ads were paused.
     
   • If it dropped to position 4 or below, the search ads were reactivated.
     

Further Challenges To Overcome

• Matching Paid and Organic Keywords:
  Different match types and broader targeting in Google Ads meant manual verification was often necessary.
  
• Limitations with Performance Max and Dynamic Search Ads:
  As these campaigns don’t rely on traditional keywords, they weren’t included in the initial rollout. Future updates are planned to address this.
  

The Results: Far Beyond Expectations

The results spoke for themselves:

• 113% increase in search revenue (vs the 25% target)
  
• 27x Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), significantly outperforming previous PPC efforts
  
• Higher conversion rates and site engagement after the Shopify migration and targeted traffic improvements
  

Perhaps most importantly, the once PPC-sceptic client became an enthusiastic advocate for Evoluted’s use of Google Ads, praising their professionalism and ingenuity.

What’s Next: A Roadmap for Future Innovation

Chris acknowledged that the initial solution was just the beginning. Based on feedback from award judges and their own experience, Evoluted is now working on an expanded roadmap:

• Performance Max & DSA Integration:
  Using automated negative keyword lists to control PMax campaigns, Dynamic Search Ads and other “keywordless” targeting methods.
  
• Automated SERP Reviews:
  Adjusting thresholds dynamically as SERP layouts change (e.g., more ads, map packs, AI overviews).
  
• Device-Specific Adjustments:
  Splitting rankings and bidding strategies for mobile vs desktop users.
  
• Incremental Bidding:
  Instead of a binary on/off for keywords, gradually adjusting bids based on organic position changes.

All of these improvements are planned for future iterations of the free tool Evoluted will continue to offer to the public – though full support will be reserved for their clients.

Conclusion

Evoluted’s approach for Puck Stop proves that with a smart, data-driven strategy, paid and organic search don’t have to be at odds. Instead, they can complement each other to drive growth without cannibalisation. If you’re curious about trying this method yourself, you can fnd out more about Evoluted’s SEOMonitor Adsync script at their website.

Chris Ridley is Head of Paid Media at Evoluted. This article is based on a talk Chris presented at Hero Conf UK in Brighton, in April 2025.