THE QUICK ANSWER
Fix a broken website or enquiry process before paying for more visitors. Then choose the channel that fits your priorities.
Before you start
Have these ready as you work through the guide:
- The service you want to promote
- Your service area and monthly budget
- The website page customers will visit
01Understand what each channel does
SEO improves the useful pages and technical foundations that support organic search visibility. Google Ads buys ad placement while campaigns are running. Paying for ads does not buy better organic rankings.
Neither channel fixes an unclear offer or a contact process that fails. First check whether the website explains the service, builds confidence and gives customers a usable next step.
What to do
- Write down whether your immediate goal is testing an offer or building long-term visibility.
- Open your service page and confirm that it explains the offer and has a working contact route.
02Check whether paid search fits your starting point
If you need to test a specific service offer and can fund advertising, paid search can provide a focused campaign to evaluate. Start with the service area, the search intent and a relevant landing page.
The budget should distinguish ad spend from management and any page work. Decide what counts as a useful enquiry before comparing costs. A cheap click is not automatically a good customer.
What to do
- Separate your available budget into ad spend, management and landing-page work.
- Define a useful enquiry: the right service, the right area and a customer you can actually help.
03Review your organic search foundations
If your website has little useful service content, weak navigation or technical barriers, those foundations may need attention before a bigger traffic budget. SEO can develop the pages customers need and improve how the site is discovered.
Organic visibility takes time and depends on the competition and the starting point. It should not be sold as an immediate replacement for a running campaign.
What to do
- List the services that do not yet have a useful page on your website.
- Check that important pages are linked from your navigation and load correctly on a phone.
04Choose a starting point and a review plan
Name the service you want to sell. Identify the places you cover and the customers you want. Review the page they will visit and the way you will respond. Then compare the budget and urgency with the work each channel requires.
You may choose one channel first or use both for different goals. The plan should explain the reason, the scope and how progress will be reviewed. Explore SEO services and Google Ads management or discuss the choice through marketing consulting.
What to do
- Choose one priority service and record why SEO, Ads or a combined approach fits.
- Set a review date and decide who will report on enquiries, booked work and costs.
Your final checklist
Tick each item as you complete it. Your checks stay on this page until you leave or reload.
Further reading
Use the official guidance when checking platform rules: