How can you combine SEO and PPC data to choose keywords?

To choose keywords using both SEO and PPC data, start with a shared list of candidates. Compare search volume, SEO competition, and recommendation scores for both channels, then examine competing websites in the search results to decide where to focus your efforts. Do not simply choose the keywords with the highest search volume. This information can help with keyword research and preliminary screening. The recommendation scores come from a 2016 tool example; they should not be taken as current platform rules or used to predict advertising profitability directly.

Start with a shared list of candidate keywords

A 2018 article on Neil Patel’s website suggests gathering competitors’ organic search, page, and PPC advertising data as leads for keyword research. You should also compile the same information for your own website. Start with the following:

• Organic search data: Identify the keywords competitors rank for.
• Article titles and metadata: Observe how competitors describe relevant topics.
• PPC ads: List the topics competitors are promoting and compare them with your organic search keyword candidates.

The point is to use this information to identify candidate keywords, not to copy competitors’ content. Seeing a competitor advertise on a keyword is not enough to prove that it generates conversions or profit.

Compare search volume and recommendation scores for both channels

When introducing an update to the “天下無狗” tool in 2016, awoo recommended reviewing SEO and PPC recommendation scores together to understand how competitive a keyword is in search marketing. For each candidate keyword, list its search volume, level of SEO competition, SEO recommendation score, and PPC recommendation score, rather than ranking keywords by a single metric.

The article used a hypothetical hotel booking service in Taichung to illustrate two comparisons:

• When competition is similar, compare search volume: “Taichung hotel booking” and “Taichung hotels” had similar levels of SEO competition, but the latter had higher search volume, so the author considered it a better choice for SEO investment.
• Review relevant PPC metrics separately: In the same example, “Taichung hotels” had higher search volume and a higher PPC recommendation score, so the author also identified it as a better advertising option.

This was a relative judgment within the example at the time; it does not mean that “Taichung hotels” is still a better choice than other keywords today. The material also does not provide the full formula for the recommendation scores, so they should not be equated with actual return on investment.

Even with higher search volume, examine the actual competitors

In the same example, “Taichung accommodation” had three times the search volume of “Taichung hotels,” but their recommendation scores were similar. The author speculated that competitors were also targeting “Taichung accommodation.” This was an interpretation of the example, not a verified causal relationship.

After comparing the numbers, examine the types of websites on the first page of search results. awoo suggested using this approach to infer which websites the search engine favors for the keyword, assess whether your website has a chance to compete, and identify possible opportunities to rank. This adds context to the numerical comparison and helps you avoid choosing a keyword solely for its higher search volume.