It’s one of the questions I get asked most: should we spend on SEO or Google Ads? I don’t run Google Ads campaigns myself, so I have no reason to push you either way. The honest answer is that they solve different problems, and the right mix depends on your situation.
How each one works
Google Ads is an auction. You choose the searches you want to appear for, set a budget, and pay each time someone clicks. Stop paying and the ads disappear the same day.
SEO is earning a place in the unpaid results and the map pack by being the most relevant, trustworthy answer. You don’t pay per click, but you pay in time and expertise, and results build gradually.
Side by side
| Google Ads | SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Visible as soon as a campaign is approved | Usually months for competitive searches |
| Cost model | Pay per click, ongoing | Investment in work; clicks themselves are free |
| When you stop | Visibility stops immediately | Rankings usually hold for a while, then fade if neglected |
| Control | Precise control over searches, wording, times and areas | Influence, not control. Google decides |
| Trust | Some searchers skip ads | Organic and map results tend to carry more trust |
| Testing | Fast way to test messages and demand | Slow feedback loop |
| Best for | Urgent demand, new businesses, promotions, testing | Long-term lead flow, credibility, lower cost per lead over time |
Which should you start with?
| Your situation | Usually the better starting point |
|---|---|
| Brand-new business that needs work this month | Google Ads, while you build the SEO foundations |
| Emergency services (burst pipes, lockouts, towing) | Both. Ads for instant visibility, plus a strong map pack presence |
| Established business with a website that underperforms | SEO. Fix what you already own first |
| Small margins and a competitive, expensive auction | SEO and the map pack, as clicks may cost more than a job is worth |
| Online store with good product data | Both, with shopping ads and SEO for category pages |
| A seasonal offer or one-off promotion | Google Ads |
| You want to know whether a new service has demand | Google Ads as a short test |
How they work best together
The strongest approach for many Auckland businesses is to use them deliberately together:
- Use ads data to guide SEO. Ads show you which searches actually turn into enquiries. That’s gold for deciding which pages to build. See keyword research and search intent.
- Use SEO to cut your ad spend over time. As organic and map pack rankings improve for a search, you can often reduce bids on it.
- Share landing pages. A page good enough to rank organically usually converts paid clicks better too.
- Protect your brand searches if competitors bid on your business name. Otherwise, organic results usually handle brand searches well on their own.
Common mistakes
- Sending ad clicks to the homepage instead of a page about the specific service
- Turning off SEO work entirely once ads are running, then having nothing to fall back on
- Judging SEO after six weeks, or Google Ads after six months without looking at enquiries
- Comparing the two on clicks instead of on cost per enquiry and the value of the jobs they bring
How to compare them fairly
Whatever you choose, measure both on the same thing: cost per genuine enquiry, and ideally the value of the work that comes from it. How to measure SEO explains how to track organic enquiries properly, so the comparison is fair.
My focus is organic search: SEO services and local SEO for Auckland businesses. If paid search makes sense alongside it, I’ll say so and share what the organic data tells us. For the bigger picture, see my Auckland SEO guide.