SEO vs. Google Ads: What Will Work Better for Your Business?

‍SEO vs. Google Ads is one of those never-ending battles. You’ll always find someone wondering what they need. This is quite understandable as these tactics are very similar and very different at the same time.

‍Both can be great tools to reach your business goals. But which one works better? How do you know when to use one or the other? And if you had to choose between SEO and PPC, which should you go for?

‍Making decisions like this should come easily by the time you are done with this post. Why? Because we are about to unpack everything you need to know about the two — their differences and the use cases for each.

‍Of course, we’re starting with the most obvious one — the distinctions between SEO and Google Ads. Let’s clear up all this confusion once and for all.

#1 Type of Marketing

‍Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns and search engine optimization are two absolutely different approaches to marketing that you might need at different stages of your business growth. Search engine optimization is basically inbound marketing.

‍Why? Because it uses organic tactics that are designed to appeal to customers and attract them naturally. This is what people often refer to as attraction marketing (making sales without actually selling).

‍Now, compare that with Google Ads — a typical outbound marketing tactic. It allows you to reach new audiences quickly by promoting your services or products through paid placements. Here, you’re obviously being salesy and not relying on being “likable” that much.

‍Both are popular and effective options used by tons of businesses. As a result, when prospects go online to search for any keyword, they will typically see both — organic results (SEO) and sponsored results (Google Ads).

‍Source: Google

#2 Goals and Outcomes

‍The goal or target for using SEO and Google Ads also varies. If your main objective is to improve your online presence, grow organic traffic, and rank higher in search engine result pages, then SEO is the guy you need.

‍SEO serves more long-term authority goals because it simply doesn’t yield any significant results quickly. But search engine optimization is what can establish you as an industry leader over time.

‍On the other hand, Google Ads is used for very different outcomes. If you need traffic and leads already and you don’t have time to wait for all that organic growth, PPC is a much better solution.

‍With this tactic, you can get pretty much instant conversions. But building authority and industry leadership with ads alone is, well, nearly impossible. At least, we haven’t heard of such cases.

#3 Costs

‍Wondering about the cost investment difference between Google AdWords vs. SEO? Well, SEO has the advantage of being more budget-friendly over the same period of time. You can make it a $0 tactic if you DIY everything. Still, it takes time, and you might need a paid tool or two.

‍The good part is that you can almost always find a free or limited version of whatever software you need. Besides, even if you are hiring experts, doing optimization on a large scale, and using paid backlinks, SEO is still often more sustainable than ads.

‍Still, your results will only compound with time, making SEO perfect for anyone interested in long-term growth.

‍But what about Google Ads? Sure, it can be just as cheap if you are running only a couple of low cost-per-click (CPC) ads and working to limit your spending.

‍But let’s face it. You are paying for each click (as the name suggests). So, the longer you run your ads and the more people visit your page, the higher the cost. How many of them actually convert is the real question. Plus, as soon as the campaign is over, that’s it for the results.

#4 Channels

‍Another difference between Google Ads vs. SEO is the channels involved. When it comes to SEO, it’s clear — you have to focus on search engines (mainly Google, for most of us).

‍Yet, with ads, it’s all different. You’re not concerned with the algorithm that much. Instead, you focus on using every available channel that suits your business type. This includes search results, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and all the other Google features and partner networks.

‍Source: Google

#5 Time/Speed

‍You can’t compare ads vs. SEO without talking about the timeline of results. Let’s be honest — search engine optimization takes time, not just to execute but also to see its full effect.

‍If you’re really skilled, then waiting a couple of months might not be so bad. But if you’re a total newbie, that wait might extend to years. Frankly, it can be your case even when you’re a real pro working in a very competitive niche.

‍With Google Ads, you don’t have to wait around and twiddle your thumb till the traffic comes pouring in. You just launch your ads, optimize them, and watch the traffic come in.

#6 Perception

‍People tend to ignore ads. How many times have you skipped the ads and gone straight to the first website on the search results page? Yeah. This is one of the biggest issues people have when trying to decide between search engine optimization and Google Ads.

‍If you take a look at the stats below, you’ll see that the first organic result gets almost 19x (!) higher click-through rate (CTR) than an ad. Yes, sure, to get to the #1 position, you need to do lots of work, but the numbers are impressive either way.

‍Source: First Page Sage

‍SEO generally works better for building trust with your target audience. Just ranking high in SERPs organically sends a message to people that your site is credible and authoritative.

‍Still, if done right, ads can also be effective, even though everyone knows they’re sponsored.

‍All in all, PPC and SEO are both completely different approaches to marketing. Google Ads are great for those shotgun situations, while search engine optimization is more of a long-game tactic.

‍Still, no matter where you are on the SEO-AdWords debate, you will need either of the two someday. It’s only a matter of time. When that day rolls around, how would you know which is right for your use case? That’s exactly what the next section is about.

‍Can’t quite make up your mind between SEO vs. ads? Sometimes, knowing the exact use cases where each type of marketing excels can help make your decision an easy one. And on that note, here are some of the use cases worth checking out:

Use Case 1: New Website Without Domain Authority

‍🤔 What is more helpful here? PPC

‍If you’ve only just launched your website and are thinking of ways to start pulling traffic, then choosing SEO alone is probably a bad idea for you. Why?

‍Because Google’s not even aware of your existence yet. So, trying to use search engine optimization to get immediate results is only going to waste even more time. Especially when there are other websites in your niche that have been in the game longer.

‍Imagine waiting till you’re able to outrank them in search results before you can record any conversions. That’s going to be one hell of a wait.

‍With PPC, you start pulling traffic almost instantly. You’ll be able to reach your target audience quicker, raise awareness (to some degree), and get some leads. But here’s the thing: you will eventually need both SEO and AdWords if you are serious about sustainable growth.

Use Case 2: Seasonal Campaigns and Flash Sales

‍🤔 What is more helpful here? PPC

‍You know how it is. Easter could be around the corner, and you might want to move some of your Valentine-themed stock out.

‍You can choose to go with SEO, but chances are that by the time the content starts to pick up steam, the Valentine’s celebrations will be over. No one will be looking to buy your cute matching sweatshirts then.

‍That’s why ads (including Google AdWords) are a much better channel here. You could also try newsletters, social media posts, and blogger collabs. But SEO, despite having tons of benefits, isn’t the best fit for this use case.

‍Source: X

Use Case 3: Building Reputation as a Thought Leader in Your Niche

‍🤔 What is more helpful here? SEO

‍There is a reason why people always bring up Apple and Samsung in talks about smartphones. These brands have built their reputation over the years as the “go-to authority” for all things smartphones. But it took time to get to that point.

‍If you want to build your reputation as a thought leader, you are going to need a sustainable tactic. Trust is not created overnight, making it a long-term project. SEO wins hands down in this pay-per-click vs. search engine optimization battle.

‍When it comes to leadership and reputation, you will have to create tons of educational content that offers real solutions to real issues. Maybe even offer a couple of live demos, webinars, and anything else that says, “I know my stuff.”

‍Whatever you choose to do, you will need to stick to it for a while before Google notices and rewards you. That consistency is what SEO is all about.

Use Case 4: Local Business Looking to Build Better Awareness and Relationship With People in a Specific Location

‍🤔 What is more helpful here? SEO

‍Just like local parks bring in foot traffic, organic search results do the same online. So clearly, you will need local SEO to build awareness and some sort of connection with your people in a specific area.

‍Source: Google

‍People can be fiercely protective of their local communities and even the businesses they have patronized over the years. That’s one thing they got right in those corny Hallmark movies we all secretly like to watch.

‍It’s going to take more than a few shiny, well-placed AdWords to win the locals over. Clearly, locals know and trust their own, and it’s going to take some work and time to build that rapport with them.

‍Still, a few mentions in local media and a couple of quality backlinks from some popular local businesses can go a long way. It’s basically the digital version of the most popular kids at school saying, “This new kid is cool.” Everyone will want to “hang out” with you afterward.

‍Okay, maybe we’ve been watching too many high school shows, but you get the point. Anyway, if it’s a choice between AdWords vs. SEO, always pick SEO when it comes to local “authority.”

Use Case 5: Service-Based Businesses

‍🤔 What is more helpful here? Both SEO and PPC

‍Service-based businesses are one of those cases where a blend of SEO and Google AdWords makes perfect sense.

‍You need search engine optimization to build trust with prospective customers. Plus, it comes in handy when you want to strengthen your client relationships and build brand loyalty. Tactics like publishing great blogs, case studies, and guest posting are great for this kind of goal.

‍At the same time, PPC is a perfect tool for helping you reach your target audience faster. Plus, it’s great for generating quick leads. Best part? You can always run some ads and then use SEO to supplement most of the time.

‍Source: Google

‍This way, you get the best of both worlds — “easy” target leads and strong brand presence. This is what people mean when they talk about SEO and Google AdWords winning combo.

Use Case 6: E-Commerce Stores

‍🤔 What is more helpful here? Both SEO and PPC

‍E-commerce stores are usually a perfect example of Google AdWords combined with SEO in action. A lot of online businesses are playing in high-stakes and highly competitive niches. And the winner is whoever gets the most sales.

‍But here’s the thing: while regular ads are great for e-stores, people are increasingly distrustful of ads. So, many marketers have found a way to marry ads and SEO. PPC gets your products in front of more eyes, but search engine optimization convinces them to buy from you.

‍What does this look like in practice?

‍Say you run a couple of ads. Chances are, people won’t just click and buy (at least most people). What they often do is Google your product type. Yes, they’ll see your ads, but many of them will still have some questions.

‍So, if the only thing you do is spend your marketing budget on PPC, it won’t take long for your potential clients to find your competitor who has the information they need. As a result, they can just buy from them, even if your product is better.

‍Yet, if you do proper keyword research and answer the most common questions your audience has, people are much more likely to trust you (and purchase from you). Plus, you can work on your Google Business profile, add testimonials, etc.

‍Source: Google

‍After all, SEO also helps you ensure that your user experience is great, the loading speed is decent, and the content covers every question and pain point your clients have. At the same time, ads give you more traffic and “attention.”

‍This is how SEO and AdWords work together to help grow your business.

Use Case 7: Testing Product-Market Fit

‍🤔 What is more helpful here? PPC

‍When it comes down to choosing between PPC and search engine optimization for testing product market fit, the right choice is generally ads.

‍Sure, you could try using just SEO, but that leaves you with too many variables to account for. For example, it becomes harder to control traffic and the time when you can see the results.

‍So, instead, it’s better to use PPC as it lets you accurately measure how many people are responding to each message. This way, it’s easier to know which keywords are more likely to convert. Even better, you can narrow all that down to location, demographics, and so on.

‍Then, you can understand if there is a demand for a particular thing, what demographics need a specific product, etc. Besides, as a result, you can have a whole bunch of effective search queries that can work for your future AdWords and SEO campaigns.

‍Keep in mind that you can also do the same with SEO. It’s just going to be a bit harder and take more time. Still, all great marketing strategies are really a mix of both.

Use Case 8: Product Launches

‍🤔 What is more helpful here? SEO and PPC

‍This is one case where using both paid and organic marketing makes total sense. You have already done your tests and pinpointed which keywords could generate the most buzz and drive traffic.

‍Source: Viral Loops

‍So, to get instant visibility, jump on the ads. Just make sure you are targeting the right locations, demographics, and interests. If done well, you are going to get a lot of hits and can expect a spike in your paid traffic.

‍But what happens after all that initial excitement dies down?

‍You don’t want to go the same route every time you have to promote a new product or feature. Besides, you don’t really need to use ads to keep those first-time customers coming back, right? That’s why your next best bet is SEO.

‍Search engine optimization usually helps maintain better customer retention rates with much lower customer acquisition costs.

Use Case 9: Event Marketing

‍🤔 What is more helpful here? SEO and PPC

‍Say you have a webinar or conference coming up soon. There is just not enough time to go with the SEO slow-burn route.

‍You need people to know about this like yesterday, so what do you do? Run a couple of ads, use your most popular keywords, and put that thing up everywhere. Then you just sit and watch those traffic metrics go up. But now what?

‍You are going to need a way to sustain that initial interest after people sign up. This is exactly where SEO can help you shine, especially if you combine it with high-quality email marketing.

‍If you don’t get spammy and regularly share useful insights, you can turn your event participants into loyal customers.

‍Now, that sounds great and all. But does AdWords help SEO? Let’s find the answer to that in the next section.

‍No. At least not directly. Ads can’t help you rank higher for your target keywords.

‍Why is that so? Well, Google search is more concerned with serving up the most relevant content to users. Ads don’t usually fit into this.

‍Plus, think about it — if paid ads influenced SEO rankings, it would be a mess out there. This means the pages that show up on the first page of search results would have less to do with relevancy and more to do with how much they spent on ads.

‍Bigger brands with deeper pockets would hog all the spotlight, and smaller businesses wouldn’t stand any chance at all. Can you imagine trying to do business in that scenario?

How Can You Use Google AdWords for SEO?

‍Despite what we said before, your pay-per-click campaigns can still be of some use for your SEO:

• You can use ads to test keywords and understand the search intent (we’ve already touched on this above).
• If your business needs a little brand reach boost or you want to bump up your site metrics a bit (bounce rate and time on page), then ads might be your best fit.
• And, of course, ads are a lifesaver for new sites and any new content to build some exposure for your brand.

‍But when it comes to SEO for Google Ads, could it help?

‍Actually, yes! Search engine optimization can improve your ad performance if your landing pages are optimized and you have well-tested headlines and keywords.

‍Again, SEO doesn’t have any direct influence. But you can still use it for better campaigns.

‍So, we hope you now know which one is best for your business when it comes to search engine optimization and paid ads.

‍If we were to summarize this blog in two sentences, it would come down to the following. Go for ads when you need quick traffic and leads. But choose SEO to build authority and a strong brand while understanding that it’ll take time.

‍And, of course, don’t forget that you can always use both SEO and ads depending on the use cases we’ve shared above.