SEO is the work that gets a trade shown in Google’s map and free results. Google Ads puts a paid ad above or below them, and you pay for every click. Ads can bring calls in sooner, but they stop when you stop paying. SEO is slower to build, but the profile, reviews and pages you build stay yours. For most trades the answer isn’t one or the other. It’s which one first, and how much of each.
Here’s how they differ, what Google says about each, and how to decide for your trade and your towns.
The difference in one table
| Google Ads | SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Each click on your ad. Your ad spend goes to Google | The work on your Google profile, reviews and website. Nothing to Google |
| Where you show | The ad spaces above and below the free results, labelled as ads | The map results and the normal results below the ads |
| How fast | Ads can start showing once they’re live | Google says some changes take a few hours and others several months |
| Can you pay Google to rank higher? | Your bid and the quality of your ad decide where it shows | No. Google says there’s no way to pay for a better local ranking |
| When you stop paying | The ads stop | What you’ve built stays in place |
| Control | You choose the searches, the towns, the hours and the budget | You choose what to build. Google decides where you show |
How long does SEO take?
Nobody can honestly give you a date. Google’s own guide says “Some changes might take effect in a few hours, others could take several months.” It suggests waiting a few weeks before you judge whether a change has worked. It also says not every change will make a noticeable difference.
So judge SEO over months, not weeks. What sets the pace is how many other firms are after the same jobs in your towns, and where you’re starting from. A trade with a complete Google profile and a steady flow of reviews starts further ahead than one with neither.
You can’t skip the queue in the map results either. Google says “There’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google.”
How fast does Google Ads work?
Once your ads are live they can start showing. The number of calls is down to your budget, the towns you cover and how many other firms bid on the same searches.
What a click costs varies a lot by trade. We’ve put Google’s Keyword Planner figures for the biggest trade searches under what affects the cost of Google Ads.
When Google Ads makes more sense
In our view, Ads is the better place to start when:
- You need calls soon. A new business, a quiet spell or a gap in the diary.
- Your jobs are worth enough to pay for the clicks. Ads can be worth it when the jobs they bring in are worth more than the clicks cost.
- You want to switch it on and off. Ads can be paused while you’re booked up and switched back on when it’s quiet.
- You want a type of job you don’t rank for yet. Ads can show you for a search while your own page for it is still building up.
When SEO makes more sense
In our view, SEO is the better long term bet when:
- You want work that doesn’t stop when you stop paying. Your profile, reviews and pages keep working.
- Clicks in your trade are expensive. The higher the cost per click, the more each free call from the map is worth.
- You cover a set area. Local SEO is about showing up in your towns, which is where a trade’s work comes from anyway.
- You’re happy to build it over months. It’s slower, and it takes keeping at.
For one trade worked through step by step, here’s how to get roofing leads without paying per lead.
Doing both
In our view, neither works best on its own. Ads bring calls in while the SEO builds. As your own profile, reviews and pages bring in more calls, you can turn the ads down, or keep them for the jobs worth paying for.
The two also help each other. The searches people click on in your ads show you which jobs and towns are worth a page of their own.
We do both, so we’ve no reason to push you towards the wrong one. That’s the work we do in local SEO for trades and Google Ads for tradesmen.
Where Local Services Ads and lead sites fit
Google also has Local Services Ads, where you pay per lead rather than per click, and only certain trades can use them. Lead sites like Checkatrade and Bark charge you to get in front of a customer, and the leads stop when you stop paying. Here’s how the main lead sites compare.
Both are paid, like Google Ads. Neither builds something of your own the way SEO does.
For every other way trades get work, and which to start with, here’s how to get more work as a tradesman.
Questions trades ask about SEO and Google Ads
Is SEO or Google Ads better for a new trade business?
In our view, often both. Ads can bring calls in while your Google profile and reviews build up. Set up your Google Business Profile and start collecting reviews from day one, because those take time to build. If you’re starting a trade business, our guide covers where the first customers come from.
Can I do SEO myself and pay for Ads?
Yes. Google says “If you run a small local business, you can probably do much of the work yourself.” The hard part is keeping it going every month around your jobs.
Does Google Ads help my SEO?
Not directly. Google says there’s no way to pay for a better local ranking. Ads and the free results are separate.
Is Google Ads part of SEO?
No. SEO works on the free map and search results. Google Ads is paid advertising, and Google labels it as an ad.
How much do SEO and Google Ads cost?
It depends on your trade, your towns and how many firms you’re up against. Here’s what local SEO costs from published UK prices. For Ads, there’s your spend with Google and the fee for running it.
Can I stop Google Ads once SEO is working?
You can. If your own calls pick up, you can turn the ads down, or keep them for the jobs worth paying for and the quiet months.
Which one first for your trade?
The honest answer depends on what your jobs are worth, how busy your towns are and how soon you need the phone to ring. Our free forecast looks at the searches for your trade in your towns, and who shows up for them now, so you can see whether the numbers add up for your trade before you spend anything.