Side by side
| Google Ads | SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Leads within days | 45–90 days to start, 3–6 months for real impact |
| Cost model | Pay for every click | Pay for the work, not the clicks |
| When you stop | Leads stop immediately | Rankings usually hold for months |
| Control | Precise targeting and messaging | Less direct control |
| Trust | Some people skip ads | Organic results are often trusted more |
| Best for | Quick leads, testing, seasonal offers | Long-term, compounding growth |
When to start with Google Ads
- You need enquiries this month
- You're launching a new service, product or location
- Your business is seasonal, like admissions or festive sales
- You want to test which keywords actually convert before investing in SEO
When to start with SEO
- You're planning for the next two to five years
- Clicks in your industry are very expensive (real estate, legal, healthcare in Gurgaon or South Delhi)
- Your customers research a lot before buying
- You already have some Google visibility to build on
Why they work better together
Google Ads data shows which searches convert, so SEO can target them. SEO pages make better landing pages for ads, improving Quality Score and lowering costs. Appearing in both the ads and the organic results for the same search increases trust and clicks. And as SEO rankings grow, you can gradually cut ad spend on the searches you already rank for.
How I'd split a budget
For a new local service business, I'd usually start with more on ads for quick leads, while SEO builds, then shift the balance toward SEO over six to twelve months as organic enquiries grow. For an established business with some rankings already, the split often starts closer to even. The right mix depends on your numbers, which is why we look at the data before recommending anything.