8 min read SEO is a PERFORMANCE Marketing Channel.

It’s a common belief in the performance marketing world that only paid channels count as “performance.” But why is that? Just because you’re paying for performance doesn’t automatically make it the only measure of performance. In fact, it’s a bit backward when you think about it.

While paid channels can deliver immediate results, they work best in conjunction with a robust SEO strategy. At its core, SEO is a performance channel, and not just any channel—it’s one of the best.

However, SEO only becomes a true performance driver when you treat it as such and dedicate the necessary time and resources to execute it effectively. If you’re serious about breaking into the UK market, ignoring SEO in your customer acquisition strategy means leaving revenue on the table.

Watch Ben & Sam discuss why SEO is a performance channel.

#1  Low entry level, especially when entering a new market.

Let’s be clear: SEO is not free, and it shouldn’t be viewed as such. While you’re not actively bidding on clicks like with paid media, strategising, executing, and implementing SEO strategies still require significant time and resources. It’s crucial to dispel the myth that SEO is a free channel, especially among performance marketers.

What SEO does offer is a low barrier to entry. If you’re a startup in the eCommerce space looking to break into the competitive UK market, you’re likely dedicating all your time to your business—so why not learn some SEO tactics and give them a try? 

In the early stages, budgets can be tight, and mastering DIY SEO can be key to kickstarting customer acquisition. Once you start generating revenue from your effective DIY efforts, you can then consider a more aggressive approach with paid media.

Spending hours on SEO optimisations that don’t pan out can be frustrating, but it’s similar to investing thousands in paid media that fails to drive acquisition. At least with SEO, you can learn and pivot without incurring immediate costs.

That said, SEO isn’t easy, and achieving high-level results can be even tougher. This is where professional freelancers or agencies come into play. The cost of hiring an SEO expert early on to establish a strong foundation is far less than the expense of bringing someone in later to fix the issues that arise from not having expert guidance from the start.

If we get SEO right from the outset—when you’re just beginning to understand how to acquire customers in the UK market—you’ll be in a much stronger position for growth and scalability, avoiding the need to rectify mistakes made earlier in the process.

#2 Acquisition Cost

Anyone in performance marketing knows how critical it is to track acquisition costs—whether that’s CAC, CPA, ROAS, or ROMS. These metrics are essential for gauging whether your marketing spend is delivering a return. 

Here’s where SEO stands out: it doesn’t rely on media spend, which is a major factor in calculating those metrics.

On average, eCommerce brands allocate 59% of their total budget to performance marketing, with more than half going toward media spend. This is where SEO can shift the balance. Done right, SEO becomes a key driver of revenue growth. For brands looking to break into the UK market and grow, organic search should account for 10-25% of your total eCommerce revenue, depending on your brand’s size and strategy.

If your organic search revenue isn’t hitting that 10-25% range, you’re leaving serious revenue on the table. It’s a missed opportunity to boost your ROMS and reduce your overall website CAC. More sales, less media means lower CAC, CPA, and ROMS.

#3 Longer-term Sustainable Performance

One challenge we often see in performance marketing is the tendency toward a short-term focus. Paid channels are designed to deliver immediate results: activate ads, create compelling creatives, allocate budget, and see quick returns. This approach has its merits, especially for driving rapid growth.

However, for a truly robust marketing strategy, embracing sustainable growth is essential. This is where SEO shines as a long-term business strategy. While results may take time to materialise, SEO gradually builds momentum and delivers consistent performance over time when executed effectively.

This stability is invaluable for any digital business. Unlike paid channels, SEO makes you less vulnerable to the fluctuations of advertising platforms. Rising CPCs, new competitors with deeper pockets, or changes in platform policies can impact your paid campaigns, but a well-optimised website continues to attract traffic organically.

While performance channels excel at generating immediate results, they work best in tandem with SEO. Once your website is optimised and ranking for high-intent keywords, it can provide steady traffic without ongoing expenses.

This synergy allows you to achieve sustainable ROI, combining the immediate impact of paid channels with the lasting benefits of organic customer acquisition.

#4 Overall website performance

SEO is often simplified to targeting keywords—what users search for. But that’s only one stage of the process, and it’s actually one of the latter stages. To effectively target those keywords, you need a solid technical foundation. 

Simply put, a website without this foundation is like building a house on quicksand—it may look fine, but you’re setting yourself up for failure from day one.

Being technically sound isn’t just about ensuring that search engine crawlers can access your website. SEO has evolved significantly in recent years and now delves deeper into how user-friendly your site is. If users can navigate your website easily, find it useful, and engage with its content, you’re on the right track to achieving strong performance.

This is where the synergy with performance channels comes into play. When your website is technically optimised and user-friendly, it enhances the effectiveness of your paid marketing efforts. Higher organic rankings lead to increased visibility, which can complement your paid ads and ultimately drive more traffic and conversions.

The lines between CRO, UI, UX, and SEO have never been more blurred. All these elements work together to create a user-friendly website that encourages conversions. For instance, site speed is a major focus for technical SEOs, who spend hours, days, and weeks optimising it.

Site speed is vital for conversion rates; data shows that even slight improvements in load times can lead to significant increases in conversions. When you’re discussing just a percentage point or two, those small gains can translate into substantial revenue for eCommerce brands trying to break into the competitive UK market.

#5 Conversion rate

When executed effectively, SEO can drive high-intent traffic and generate significant search volume. By optimising for the right keywords, you can control visitors’ intent on your site, ensuring they are genuinely interested in your products. This targeted approach helps sustain your rankings and attracts qualified leads who are more likely to convert.

For eCommerce brands trying to break into the UK market, capturing high-intent organic traffic is essential. These users arrive with specific needs and are often further along in the buying journey, which translates to stronger conversion rates. 

When your SEO strategy aligns with the interests of potential customers, you not only create a pathway for effective engagement but positively impact your checkout completion rates.

By driving qualified traffic, you can reduce checkout abandonment rates. Since these visitors have already expressed interest in your products through their search behaviour, they are much more likely to follow through with their purchases, leading to improved sales performance.

Moreover, the benefits of high-intent traffic extend beyond organic search. When your site ranks well for relevant keywords, it enhances the effectiveness of your paid marketing efforts. 

Increased brand recognition and credibility can make users more receptive to your paid ads, improving click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates across all channels. This synergy reduces customer acquisition costs (CAC) while maximising return on ad spend (ROAS).

By integrating a robust SEO strategy into your overall marketing plan, you not only enhance your organic presence but also support your paid efforts. This comprehensive approach is vital for eCommerce brands looking to establish themselves in the UK market, enabling sustained growth, improved checkout performance, and increased revenue.

This version highlights the impact of controlled traffic intent on checkout completion and abandonment rates, providing a clear link to the benefits for eCommerce brands in the UK market.

#5 TikTok

As consumer behaviour evolves, platforms like TikTok have emerged as a significant search engine, particularly among younger audiences. Users increasingly turn to TikTok to discover products, trends, and solutions, making it a vital channel for eCommerce brands. However, succeeding on TikTok requires a unique blend of performance marketing and SEO principles.

To generate engagement on TikTok, your content must cut through the noise and resonate with your target audience. This means creating visually appealing and entertaining content that aligns with the interests and preferences of potential customers. Simultaneously, optimising your videos for the keywords and phrases users are searching for on the platform is essential. By doing so, you can increase the likelihood of your content being discovered by the right audience.

This integration of SEO tactics within your TikTok strategy not only enhances your visibility on the platform but also drives traffic back to your eCommerce site. As users engage with your content, they are more likely to convert, increasing revenue and brand awareness.

By embracing the synergy between traditional SEO, performance marketing, and emerging platforms like TikTok, eCommerce brands can establish a robust presence in the UK market. This comprehensive approach enables sustained growth, improved checkout performance, and a more substantial return on investment.