Paid Search Is Platform-Proof. Paid Social Isn’t.

Paid search isn’t married to one app or algorithm.

When you invest in search, you’re showing up wherever people are actively looking — Google, Bing, Shopping, YouTube search, local results, and now AI-powered discovery tools.

Paid social lives inside a single ecosystem at a time. Instagram ads depend on Meta. TikTok ads depend on TikTok. When the algorithm shifts, CPMs spike, or performance drops, you’re stuck adapting to rules you don’t control.

Search doesn’t work that way.
Demand exists whether platforms behave or not.
Search follows behavior — not feeds.

Search Captures Intent. Social Tries to Manufacture It.

Searchers are raising their hand.

They’re not browsing. They’re not killing time. They’re actively looking for something — a product, a solution, a next step.

Paid social interrupts. You’re paying to appear while someone is scrolling, watching, or multitasking — and hoping you catch them at exactly the right moment.

Sometimes that works.
But it’s inherently less predictable.

High-intent traffic converts better. Always has.

AI Is Making Search More Important — Not Less.

As tools like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and Shopify’s AI shopping experiences evolve, one thing stays true:

They still rely on search behavior, structured data, and product intent.

Brands investing in paid search are better positioned to surface in AI-assisted discovery because those systems are trained on search signals. Paid social doesn’t feed that ecosystem in the same way.

AI doesn’t recommend Instagram ads.
It recommends answers, products, and brands that already demonstrate relevance.

Search is becoming the connective tissue between traditional engines and AI-powered commerce.

Search Is Easier to Trust.

Search attribution isn’t perfect — but it’s clearer.

Someone searches.
They click.
They convert.

Paid social is increasingly difficult to measure accurately thanks to privacy changes and platform-level blind spots. Performance can look great in-platform while revenue tells a very different story.

Search offers clarity.
And clarity builds confidence.

The Real Strategy: Search First. Social Second.

This isn’t an either-or conversation.

The strongest strategies often use both. But paid search should come first. It captures existing demand, creates a dependable revenue foundation, and gives you real data to inform everything else — including social.

At Majorette Marketing, we believe in meeting customers where intent already exists — and building from there.

Because flashy doesn’t pay the bills.

Search does.