"Organic" refers to unpaid traffic or search results — earned through content, SEO, and relevance rather than direct payment. "Paid" refers to traffic or placement obtained by paying an advertising platform.
Why it matters
Organic and paid traffic behave differently and usually require different strategies and budgets — paid traffic can be turned on quickly but stops the moment spend stops, while organic traffic takes longer to build but tends to be more durable once established.
In a sentence
"Paid search gave us an immediate lift while the organic strategy was still ramping up in the background."
Related terms
- Antonyms: Organic and paid are direct antonyms of each other in this context.