Every service business wants the same thing: more customers finding them online and choosing them over the competition. The strongest way to get there is with a full marketing strategy that combines multiple channels, but the question many owners ask at the start is: Where should I begin?
Both channels can bring in new business, but they do it in very different ways and over different time periods. Investing in both is the best long-term strategy for building a powerful presence. But if you have to choose a starting point, it’s essential to understand what each one brings to the table and what’s right for your business right now.
The Big Difference: SEO vs Google Ads
Think of SEO and Google Ads as two different paths to the same destination: getting your business found online.
- Advertising is the fast track. With Google Ads, you pay for targeted ad campaigns that put your business at the top of search results right when people are looking for a service like yours. This is all about driving immediate traffic and leads.
- SEO is the scenic route. This is a long-term play. Our SEO work is focused on boosting your online visibility by helping your website climb search rankings over time. It’s about careful keyword strategy, technical expertise, and creating great content that attracts visitors who can become lifelong customers.
The key takeaway here is that ads deliver fast leads, while SEO develops over the long term and can bring in even more high-value customers.
Why Ads Offer the Best Quick Wins
Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) model where you only pay each time someone clicks on your ad. These ads appear at the very top of search results, making them one of the fastest ways to get your business in front of people who are actively looking for your services.
For most service-based businesses, especially those without a massive marketing budget, we believe Google Ads is the best place to start. Why? Because you get to see results almost immediately. When a new customer needs a service, they’re not always going to browse through pages of blog posts. They’re often on Google searching for a solution to their immediate problem, and they need it now. This is where a targeted ad campaign can make a huge difference.
Imagine someone’s air conditioner just broke. They’re looking for the fastest, most reliable way to get their system fixed and their home comfortable again. They’re typing something like “HVAC repair near me” into Google. A well-crafted ad campaign can put your business front and center at that exact moment, ready to solve their problem. That’s a powerful, direct path to a new lead. Our approach to advertising focuses on maximizing your return on investment (ROI) by connecting with the right audience at the perfect moment.
Why SEO Is Essential for Long-Term Growth
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your online presence so your business shows up higher in Google searches. That includes optimizing your website’s structure, creating keyword-rich content around your services, and making sure your Google Business Profile is complete and consistent.
Unlike Google Ads, where results can show up as soon as the ads go live, SEO takes time to build. It may be months before you see major ranking improvements, but the payoff is lasting visibility that doesn’t disappear the moment you stop spending. Once your site and profile are established, they continue to attract leads day after day without the ongoing cost of every click.
As we see more AI-powered search and automated information gathering, SEO becomes even more crucial. While you might associate SEO only with ranking on Google’s main search results page, its role is expanding to include providing the high-quality, trustworthy content that AI models and tools rely on.
While AI changes search, the core principle remains: the best, clearest content wins. A strong SEO strategy is how you ensure your business is part of the digital conversation, whether it’s through a traditional search result or an AI-generated summary. For service businesses, SEO adds credibility, keeps your pipeline full at a lower cost over time, and complements your ads by making customers more likely to trust and choose you. It’s a great foundation for sustainable growth.
How SEO and Google Ads Work Best Together
The most effective marketing strategies don’t treat Google Ads and SEO as separate options. They work best when used together. Google Ads gives your business immediate visibility in the moments when customers need you most, while SEO builds the authority and trust that keeps you visible long after the ad spend stops.
A balanced approach means running targeted ad campaigns to capture urgent demand today while also investing in content, site optimization, and local SEO to create a durable foundation for tomorrow. Over time, the two reinforce each other: Google Ads bring in leads quickly, SEO lowers your long-term cost per lead, and together they give customers multiple touchpoints to see, trust, and choose your business.
For example, our client, Bank of Bozeman, started with Google Ads ads for quick wins but also invests in a long-term SEO strategy to educate customers and build trust over time. That’s how you build a robust online ecosystem where your business continues to grow, even when you’re not actively spending money on ads. It’s the best of both worlds.
The Clear Path Forward for Service Businesses
Not every business can invest in Google Ads and SEO at the same time, and that’s okay. The right starting point depends on your goals.
If you need leads quickly, Google Ads are the fastest way to get in front of customers who are actively searching for your services right now. If your focus is building credibility, lowering your cost per lead over time, and creating a steady flow of inbound traffic, SEO is the path to long-term growth.
Our recommendation is to prioritize immediate wins while laying the foundation for the future:
- Step 1: Start with Google Ads. Get your business in front of customers who are actively looking for your services. This will help you generate leads and revenue right away.
- Step 2: Build momentum with SEO. Use the wins from your ad campaigns to reinvest in content, site optimization, and long-term credibility. SEO takes time to build, but creates lasting visibility that reduces reliance on ads.
Over time, the combination of Google Ads and SEO gives you both immediate results and sustainable growth, providing a strategy designed to grow alongside your organization.
Ready to figure out the right first step for your business? Let your local Bozeman advertising agency, Big Storm, build a plan that makes sense for where you are right now.