Hey, everybody. Joe Burnich here with bigwestmarketing.com. We empower small businesses to take it to the next level using internet marketing. Today, I’m going to talk about the difference between Google SEO, search engine optimization, and Google Ads pay-per-click. Let’s get started with that right now.
Whenever somebody calls us up and they’re interested in doing some marketing or just have questions about marketing their service business, then a big question that comes up is, well, should I do SEO or should I do Google Ads? Which one is better? We’re going to talk about the differences here, but real quick just to make sure we’re all on the same page, what’s the difference between Google Search Engine Optimization and Google Ads? Let’s jump over to Google real quick here, and let’s just do a quick search for, let’s say, roofers in Missoula, Montana, where I live here. Let’s see here.
When you get the search engine results here, you’re going to see ads at the top, and that’s the Google Ads, that’s pay-per-click. Every time you click on one of these, then every time somebody clicks on one of your ads, then you pay Google some money, and it varies from $1 to $100 depending on your service. Don’t get hung up on that yet. What I really want to do is just make sure you understand that this is the Google Ads. There’s a little thing that says ad next to each one of these. That’s the Google Ads pay-per-click.
Down here where you have the map section, you’re going to have the search engine optimization listings. So these ones, this one is actually an ad. This is an exception. Once in a while they’ll throw an ad inside the Google Maps or the Google SEO listings, but ignore that for now and let’s look at these other three. These three that show their reviews and you can click over to their websites and get directions and all that stuff, and they show up with these little markers up on the map, that is Google SEO. That’s where you’re going to get the most clicks right there. And then down here is also SEO.
Once you get established with Google and you get some good SEO foundational stuff done, you can show up on the first page down here and you will get some clicks down here as well. And you can also get additional cities put in using special SEO techniques, strategies, you can get additional cities to show up here. Because up here, you’re just throwing up in the city where you have a physical location. But real quick Google Ads are up here, Google SEO right here, to keep it simple for this conversation.
Now which one is better? Which one are you going to get? Which one are you going to get the most calls from? Which one are you going to make the most money from if you have a service based business in a local city? Well, that depends on what your goals are. The cool thing is I made this graphic here. Let me pull this graphic over here. The way you want to think about SEO versus Google Ads is SEO is more like a vitamin where Google Ads is more like a painkiller. With a vitamin, you know they’re going to be less expensive, so SEO is going to be less expensive. It’s going to be long term, it’s going to take longer for these vitamins to actually do something for your body, or SEO to do something for your business.
We’re looking at three to eight months is typically how long it takes to see some serious results with SEO, but you’re going to have a healthier business. You’re going to have more longterm results, a healthier business with SEO. You’re also going to have better quality leads coming in. Higher quality people are going to be calling you, they’re going to be willing to pay more and they’re going to be less of the price shopper type of client.
And then you move over to Google Ads. Google Ads is more like a painkiller. It’s more expensive, but it is faster. One to two months versus three to eight months, it’s more of a quick fix and it’s fast acting. It’s not as healthy because once you stop taking this or stop doing Google Ads, you’re not going to see the benefits anymore. It’s all going to disappear. Whereas with SEO, you know that’s long lasting. Like I said, that’ll stick around for years, months, years, depending on what your situation is. Another thing with Google Ads is that you’re going to get lower quality. You’re going to probably get more price shoppers when they’re calling you, if they click on your ads.
That’s the difference and they both serve a purpose. Maybe you need leads coming in faster and you’re willing to pay more, and you know that it’s not going to be a longterm. It’s going to be short term results, but maybe you have time. Maybe you have other things coming in, other things going on and you want to build that longterm foundational healthy business with SEO. So, it just depends on what you need. And if you can afford it, obviously you can do both. We offer both at bigwestmarketing.com. We offer SEO and we offer Google Ads, and prices vary greatly, like I said, depending on your city, the types of service that you’re offering, and what your competition is like. What time of year it is, what’s the season? All this will affect the prices and what’s going to actually happen with your business, how long it’s going to take, all of that good stuff.
Now, what I’d like to do is invite you to give us a call and let’s analyze your business. Let’s do a free consultation, let’s analyze your business and let’s come up with a plan and see which one is better. Is it SEO, or is it Google Ads? All you need to do is go to bigwestmarketing.com, click on book a call, or I’ll have a link down below this video where you can do that as well. But once again, my name is Joe Burnich with bigwestmarketing.com, and I will talk to you soon.
