SEO vs. Paid Ads for Home Service Businesses: Which is Better?

The Great Debate

Every home service business owner asks: should I invest in SEO or just run Google Ads? The honest answer: it depends on your situation, but most businesses benefit from both.

Google Ads: Pros and Cons

Pros:

Immediate visibility

Predictable lead flow (with budget)

Easy to scale up or down

Great for testing markets

Cons:

Expensive (especially for emergency services)

Leads stop when you stop paying

Click fraud is real

Increasing competition raises costs

SEO: Pros and Cons

Pros:

Long-term asset you own

Higher trust from searchers

Better ROI over time

Compounds with effort

Cons:

Takes 4-12 months to see results

Requires ongoing effort

Algorithm changes can impact rankings

More complex to execute

The Real Cost Comparison

Let's look at a typical plumber:

Google Ads:

Average cost per click: $25-50

Conversion rate: 5-10%

Cost per lead: $250-1000

Monthly leads on $2000 budget: 2-8

SEO (after 6 months of investment):

Monthly investment: $1500-3000

Leads per month: 20-50+

Cost per lead: $30-150

Asset value: Increases over time

Our Recommendation

1. **New businesses**: Start with a small Google Ads budget for immediate leads while investing in SEO for the long term.

2. **Established businesses**: Shift budget toward SEO to reduce dependency on paid ads.

3. **Competitive markets**: You need both – SEO for sustainable growth, ads for immediate coverage.

The Bottom Line

SEO is an investment; Google Ads is an expense. Both have their place, but SEO builds an asset that continues to deliver returns long after you've made the investment.

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