Google Ads puts your business at the top of search results straight away, but you pay for every click and the enquiries stop when you stop paying. SEO earns you a place in the normal results without paying per click, but it usually takes several months and keeps working once it is established. Most businesses get the best results from Google Ads for quick enquiries on their main services, while SEO builds over time.
How Google Ads works
Google Ads is pay-per-click advertising. You choose the searches you want to appear for, write the ads and set a budget. Your ad can then appear above or below the normal results, marked as sponsored. You pay Google each time someone clicks.
The price of a click depends on how many other businesses want the same searches. For some services it is under a pound; for competitive ones it can be much more. You set a daily budget, so you never spend more than you agree.
The advantage is speed: a campaign can bring enquiries within a few weeks of going live. The disadvantage is that it only works while you pay, and a poorly set-up campaign can spend a lot on the wrong clicks.
How SEO works
Search engine optimisation is the work that helps your website appear in the normal, unpaid results. It covers:
- Technical health: a fast, secure website that search engines can read properly.
- Content: pages that answer what your buyers search for, with a page for each main service, sector or location.
- Local search: a complete Google Business Profile and consistent details across the web.
- Reputation: reviews, and links from other reputable websites.
SEO is slower. It usually takes several months to see a real change, depending on how many other businesses compete for the same searches. Once established, though, it keeps bringing visitors without a cost per click.
SEO and Google Ads compared
| Google Ads | SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| How quickly it works | Within a few weeks | Usually several months |
| What you pay for | Each click, plus management | The work, not the clicks |
| When you stop | Enquiries stop | Results fade slowly |
| Control | You choose searches, budget and pages | Google decides rankings |
| Best for | Quick enquiries for specific services | Steady enquiries over time |
Which should you choose?
Start with Google Ads if you need enquiries soon, are launching a new service or want to test which searches bring the right buyers. Send ads to pages written for them, not your homepage.
Start with SEO if you are building for the long term, have a limited monthly budget or work in a market where clicks are expensive.
Use both if you can. Ads bring enquiries while SEO builds, and the search terms that work in Ads tell you which pages to build for SEO.
Whichever you choose, the website matters most. If visitors arrive on a site that does not explain what you do or how to get in touch, neither SEO nor Ads will bring many enquiries. If yours needs work first, see Outgrown your website?
Dolphin Tec, a managed print business we have worked with since it started, launched a new website in 2026 with SEO foundations built in from the start.
Where AI search fits
More buyers now ask Google’s AI summaries or tools such as ChatGPT for a recommendation. These tools draw on the same things good SEO builds: clear pages that answer specific questions, accurate business listings and reviews. A site set up well for SEO is in a good position to be described accurately in AI answers too.
We offer SEO and Google Ads for websites we have built, as the next step after launch. Adam runs the work himself and reports back each month in plain English.
Common questions
How much should we spend on Google Ads?
It depends on the cost of clicks in your market and how many enquiries you want. Start with a budget you could afford to test for two or three months, then adjust based on what it brings in. Ad spend is paid straight to Google, separately from any management fee.
Can anyone guarantee a first-page ranking?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. Rankings depend on Google and on what your competitors do. A good SEO provider tells you what is realistic for your market and budget.
Can you do SEO or Google Ads for a website you did not build?
No. We only offer it for websites we have built, because the work often means changing the website as well as marketing it. If your current site needs replacing, we can talk about that first.
