Do I need SEO or Google Ads?
May 28, 2025
Discover whether SEO or Google Ads is the best fit for your business needs. Explore benefits, differences, and strategies to enhance your online presence.
In today’s digital landscape, many businesses rely on a digital marketing agency to help navigate strategies for boosting their online presence. Two of the most popular and effective methods are Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Google Ads. You're likely wondering which approach is best suited for your needs.
Fortunately, experts at Volcano Marketing can guide you in choosing the strategy that aligns best with your business goals. This guide will explore both tools and help you determine which option delivers the results you're after.
Be knowledgeable about these considerations and craft a digital marketing strategy that propels your business forward. Let’s get started!
When it comes to driving traffic to your business website, two of the most powerful tools at your disposal are SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and Google Ads. While both aim to increase your online visibility on search engines like Google, they operate in different ways and serve distinct purposes in a digital marketing strategy. Understanding their differences is crucial for any business.
When someone types a query into Google, the goal of SEO is to make sure your website appears prominently on the results page, ideally on the first page, without paying for placement. This approach relies on understanding how search engines work and aligning your content, structure, and technical elements to meet their criteria.
SEO focuses on enhancing a website's visibility in organic (non-paid) search engine results. You achieve this by creating high-quality, relevant content that addresses the needs and queries of potential customers. By incorporating targeted keywords naturally within the content, you can improve your rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Backlinks, or inbound links from other reputable websites, are a critical component of SEO. They signal to search engines that your content is credible and valuable. Building a network of quality backlinks can enhance a website's authority and improve its organic ranking over time.
Technical optimisation involves refining the backend structure of a website to ensure it meets search engine criteria. Elements such as site speed, mobile-friendliness, secure connections (HTTPS), and proper indexing play a role in SEO. A technically sound website improves user experience and increases the likelihood of ranking higher in search results.
SEO is inherently a long-term strategy. It requires continuous effort and patience, as it can take several months to see significant results. However, once established, organic rankings can provide a sustainable source of traffic and leads without the ongoing costs associated with paid advertising.
Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords, is Google’s paid advertising platform that allows businesses to place ads at the top of search results and across its display network.
Unlike SEO, Google Ads offers your business immediate visibility at the top of search results. By creating targeted ad campaigns, you can reach potential customers as soon as the ads go live. This instant exposure is beneficial for promotions, product launches, or time-sensitive offers.
You pay only when someone clicks on your ad — a model known as pay-per-click (PPC). This model allows for precise budget management, as businesses can set daily or monthly spending limits. The cost per click (CPC) varies based on keyword competition and ad quality.
Google Ads provides various targeting options, allowing you to reach specific demographics, locations, and devices. Ads can be customised to appeal to different audience segments, ensuring the right message reaches the right people at the right time. This level of precision can greatly enhance the effectiveness of a marketing campaign.
While Google Ads can yield immediate results, maintaining visibility requires continuous investment. Once the ad budget is exhausted, the visibility diminishes, unlike the sustained presence achieved through SEO. Therefore, you must be prepared for ongoing expenditure to maintain your competitive edge.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a powerful tool. But while it may not provide the immediate results that Google Ads can, it offers benefits that are invaluable for sustainable growth. Here are some scenarios where SEO might be the better choice for your business.
SEO is a long-term strategy aimed at improving your website's ranking on search engines like Google. Unlike paid ads, where visibility stops the moment you stop paying, SEO efforts can lead to sustained visibility. You can secure a stable position in search results by optimising your site with relevant keywords, quality content, and technical improvements.
Moreover, appearing organically in search results can build trust with potential customers. Users often perceive organic listings as more credible and trustworthy than paid advertisements. By consistently showing up in organic search results, you establish your brand as an authority in your industry, fostering trust and reliability among your audience.
SEO is a wise choice if your business is not in immediate need of a quick influx of traffic. It doesn't yield results overnight; it requires time to develop and implement strategies effectively. However, once your SEO strategies take hold, you can enjoy a consistent stream of traffic without the need for continuous ad spend.
This gradual growth allows you to build a more engaged and loyal audience over time. As your content continues to attract visitors, it can lead to higher conversion rates as potential customers have more time and content to engage with before making a decision.
Investing in SEO can reduce your reliance on paid advertising in the long run. Once your site achieves a strong organic ranking, you might find less need to invest heavily in Google Ads to maintain your visibility. This reduction in paid ad costs can free up your budget for other marketing initiatives or allow you to focus on optimising and expanding your SEO efforts.
SEO is effective when your business aims to target evergreen keywords—terms and phrases that maintain consistent search volume over time. By focusing on these keywords, you ensure that your content remains relevant and continues to attract traffic long after it is published.
Evergreen content not only brings in consistent traffic but also helps in building a solid foundation for your SEO strategy. By regularly updating this content, you can maintain and even improve your search rankings, securing a steady flow of potential customers to your site.
For businesses with a limited marketing budget, SEO provides a cost-effective alternative to paid advertising. While SEO does require an investment of time and resources, you don't need to have a large upfront budget to get started. Instead, you can gradually build your SEO efforts over time.
Success with SEO relies on a commitment to ongoing efforts, such as content creation, link building, and regular site optimisation. By dedicating resources to these activities, you can achieve improvements in your search rankings and online visibility without the continuous financial commitment that paid ads require.
While SEO is an essential long-term strategy, there are specific situations where Google Ads can offer more immediate, targeted, and measurable benefits for your business. Choosing Google Ads makes sense when speed, control, and high visibility are crucial to your marketing goals.
When launching a new product or running a time-sensitive campaign, the need for swift visibility becomes paramount. Google Ads ensures your product gains traction from the outset, making it ideal for capitalising on seasonal opportunities or events.
For new businesses just entering the market, waiting for organic SEO rankings can be a lengthy process. Google Ads provides an immediate presence on the search engine results page, allowing your business to compete with established players right from the start. This is crucial for building brand awareness and attracting early customers before your SEO efforts begin to pay off.
When your goal is lead generation or driving sales, targeting high-intent keywords through Google Ads can be effective. These keywords often indicate a readiness to purchase or inquire, and appearing at the top of these search results can directly influence conversion rates. This practice enables precise targeting, ensuring your budget is spent on attracting users who are most likely to convert, thereby maximising your return on investment.
For businesses keen on understanding the return on every dollar spent, Google Ads offers unparalleled control and transparency. With detailed analytics and reporting tools, you can track every aspect of your campaign's performance, from click-through rates to overall conversions. This level of insight allows for strategic adjustments to optimise your spend and ensure that your marketing dollars are working effectively.
Before committing to long-term SEO strategies, it’s beneficial to understand which keywords and landing pages drive the best results. Google Ads provides an excellent platform for A/B testing, allowing you to experiment with different approaches to see which strategies yield the best outcomes. This data-driven approach supports informed decisions, ensuring that your marketing strategies are efficient and effective.
Businesses often face the challenge of choosing between SEO and Google Ads. However, many savvy business owners realise that the most effective strategy involves a combination of both. Here's why integrating SEO and Google Ads can be a powerful approach for your business.
One of the reasons to use both Google Ads and SEO is the balance they provide between short-term and long-term benefits. Google Ads can be beneficial for new businesses or time-sensitive promotions that require quick visibility and engagement.
SEO is a long-term investment that focuses on building your website's authority and relevance in organic search results. By developing your website content, improving site structure, and acquiring quality backlinks, SEO efforts can gradually enhance your site's credibility and rankings. While it may take time to see results from SEO, the long-term payoff is a steady stream of organic traffic that can sustain your business for years to come.
Running Google Ads campaigns gives you access to a wealth of keyword data that can be invaluable for your SEO strategy. When you run ads, you can identify which keywords drive the most traffic, lead to conversions, and resonate with your target audience. This data can then be used to refine your SEO efforts by optimising your website content for high-performing keywords.
By analysing the performance of your ads, you can pinpoint keywords that have a high click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate. Implementing these insights into your SEO strategy allows you to target keywords that are proven to attract your ideal customers, enhancing the effectiveness of your organic search efforts.
While Google Ads require ongoing investment to maintain visibility, SEO can reduce your long-term customer acquisition costs. Once your website achieves strong rankings for valuable keywords, you can continue attracting organic traffic without continual ad spend. This can lead to a lower cost per acquisition (CPA), as the cost of maintaining your SEO efforts is typically much lower than running continuous ad campaigns.
Relying solely on one traffic source can be risky for any business. Changes in algorithms, increased competition, or shifts in consumer behaviour can all impact the effectiveness of a single marketing channel. By using both Google Ads and SEO, you diversify your traffic sources and reduce the risk of relying too heavily on one method.
This diversification ensures that if one channel experiences a downturn, the other can help maintain your business's visibility and traffic levels. Moreover, having multiple channels allows you to reach a broader audience, maximising your brand's exposure and potential customer base.
When deciding between SEO and Google Ads for your business, it's crucial to consider various factors that align with your business goals, budget, competitive landscape, and internal resources. Each approach has unique advantages and limitations, and what works for one business may not necessarily be the best for another. Here's how you can evaluate which strategy suits your business needs better.
If your primary goal is to drive immediate traffic and generate quick leads, Google Ads might be a better option. This pay-per-click advertising model allows you to position your business right at the top of the search results instantly. It’s effective for promoting time-sensitive offers or launching new products.
Google Ads require an upfront investment and ongoing budget allocation. You pay for each click your ad receives, and costs can vary based on competition and targeted keywords. This could be a viable option if you have the funds and seek quick returns.
Some industries are highly competitive, making it challenging to achieve quick SEO wins. For instance, sectors like finance, legal, and e-commerce are saturated with established players who already dominate search engine results. In such cases, breaking through with SEO alone might take time and effort.
If you operate in a highly competitive industry, Google Ads can provide an immediate presence and level the playing field. However, it's still wise to integrate SEO strategies to gradually carve out a niche and reduce reliance on paid advertising over time.
Implementing an effective SEO strategy requires time, expertise, and consistent effort. It's important to assess whether your business has the internal resources to handle SEO tasks, such as content creation, keyword research, and technical optimisation. If your team lacks these capabilities, you might need to consider hiring an SEO expert or agency, which adds to your costs.
Google Ads, while also requiring expertise for optimal performance, can be outsourced to agencies more easily if immediate results are your priority. This allows your internal team to focus on other aspects of business operations without the steep learning curve associated with mastering SEO.
In conclusion, both SEO and Google Ads have unique strengths—SEO builds long-term visibility and trust, while Google Ads offers quick, targeted results. The right choice depends on your goals, budget, and timeline. Often, a balanced strategy that uses both can deliver the best results: immediate traffic now, and sustained growth over time.