Skip to content
The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossarySEO & ContentOrganic Traffic

SEO & Content

Organic Traffic

Website visits that come from unpaid search results rather than ads.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Organic traffic is website visits that come from unpaid search results rather than ads. It is driven by search engine rankings and is the primary outcome SEO aims to grow. Because it does not require paying per click, organic traffic can be cost-efficient and sustainable, though it depends on algorithms outside a site's control.