This is one of the most common questions we hear from contractors: should I spend money on Google Ads or invest in SEO? The honest answer is that both have a role, but they serve different purposes and work on different timelines.
Google Ads: Immediate but Expensive
Google Ads puts you at the top of search results immediately. You can start generating leads within hours of launching a campaign. The downside is cost: home services keywords are among the most expensive in Google Ads. "Plumber near me" can cost 30 to 80 dollars per click. "Electrician emergency" can be even higher. And the moment you stop paying, the leads stop coming.
Organic SEO: Slower but Compounding
SEO takes 3 to 6 months to see meaningful results, but once you rank, the traffic is essentially free. A blog post that ranks for "how much does a panel upgrade cost" can generate leads for years without any ongoing cost per click. Over time, SEO delivers the highest ROI of any digital marketing channel.
The Smart Approach
For most contractors, the ideal strategy is to use Google Ads for immediate lead flow while investing in SEO for long-term organic growth. As your organic rankings improve, you can reduce ad spend and shift budget to other growth channels like relationship marketing and content. The goal is to build a diverse lead portfolio, not depend on any single channel.
At Remarkable Group, we help contractors build this balanced approach: paid ads for today, SEO for tomorrow, and relationship marketing for compounding growth that outlasts both.