It's (a) all the way down. The expression is robbing Peter to pay Paul - we've even tested it - while running ads on branded keywords does increase clicks, it i

It's (a) all the way down. The expression is robbing Peter to pay Paul - we've even tested it - while running ads on branded keywords does increase clicks, it increases the CPA from zero to potentially pricey. The net benefit is so-so, and if the client doesn't understand that they're cannibalising their organic traffic you have a problem - I.e. 99% of the time. The only reason I've ever witnessed is SEO/M ego rubbing, and the conversations usually go: "we are spending more than our monthly revenue on brand ppc ads!" "But you cover the entire first page of Google for your terms, branded and product. Turn the ads off." "But all our traffic cones through the ads!" "That's because you're swamping your organic terms." "Oh gee, I don't know, worm-tongue SEO/M-master, what do I do?" "Spend more money with my PPC agency! We know more about web development then web developers, we studied drama and literature. And we have a certificate from google saying we're good webmasters. Do your development agency?"