When should you start paid ads instead of just SEO?

Start paid ads when you have the budget, at least $1,000 per month, to let the algorithm learn, especially because AI overviews now push organic listings halfway down the page.

Quick Answer

Start paid ads once you can spend at least $1,000 per month so the algorithm has enough conversions to learn from.
Conversions snowball: the more the system learns who converts, the better it optimizes over time.
AI overviews push everything down, so organic listings now start halfway down the page. Paid ads put you back at the top.

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When paid ads start to make sense

Brenton Thomas, who runs the SEO, GEO, and paid-ads agency Twibi, says the decision really comes down to budget and how the paid algorithm learns.

"You need to spend at least $1,000 per month to really let the paid ads algorithm optimize and understand what's happening and who will convert by getting conversions. Because you have to spend a decent amount to get the conversions, and then once you get the conversions, they'll start to build and snowball on itself, because it teaches the system, the algorithm." — Brenton Thomas

He also points to a shift in the search results page itself as a reason to pay to play.

"As AI overviews, they're pushing down everything. You do a search for any term and it's the AI overviews, the first thing, then below that is paid ads, then the maps, and then the organic listings start. So you're halfway down the page by the time you're organically showing up. So paid ads is a great way to just be at the top." — Brenton Thomas

The practical takeaway: if you have the budget, jump right in. Paid ads buy back the top of a page that AI overviews have crowded out, while SEO keeps working underneath.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do I need to spend on paid ads to make them work?

Brenton Thomas says you need to spend at least $1,000 per month so the paid ads algorithm can get enough conversions to understand who converts and optimize from there.

Why do conversions matter so much for paid ads?

Conversions teach the system. Once you spend enough to get conversions, they build and snowball on themselves because they train the algorithm on who is likely to convert, which makes the ads more efficient over time.

Why are AI overviews a reason to run paid ads?

AI overviews push everything down the page. On many searches you see the AI overview first, then paid ads, then the maps, and only then the organic listings. That means you are halfway down the page organically, so paid ads are a way to be at the top.

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Full Clip Transcript

When does that start to make sense rather than just doing SEO optimization? So it really comes down to if you have the budget to do it. It's a little expensive. You need to spend at least $1,000 per month to really let the paid ads algorithm optimize and understand what's happening and who will convert by getting conversions. Because you have to spend a decent amount to get the conversions, and then once you get the conversions, they'll start to build and snowball on itself, because it teaches the system, the algorithm. So if you have the budget, I would jump right into it. I would start paid ads. We know that Google wants you to pay to play. And so as you lose your organic footing, and especially as AI overviews, they're pushing down everything. I've seen for clients, you do a search for any term and it's the AI overviews, the first thing, then below that is paid ads, then the maps, and then the organic listings start. So you're halfway down the page by the time you're organically showing up. So paid ads is a great way to just be at the top.