The answer is neither linear nor simple, but at the end of this article we hope to help you choose the best option for your business.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Google Ads (Google's ad platform) are two Search Engine Marketing (SEM) strategies. Many people find that these tools are incompatible and that it is imperative to choose one or the other to benefit their business. However, the battle between paid (Ads) and organic (SEO) does not even have to be a conflict, as both can coexist.

Below we explain why many people lean towards SEO and others towards Google Ads, demystifying untruths that tend to proliferate.

SEO is cheaper

This statement may or may not be true, everything will depend on the investment you are willing to make in any of the tools. This myth was created because many people believe that SEO is free, preferring to bet on SEO over paid advertising. This statement, while true at the bottom, is wrong. Search Engine Optimization requires a lot of time, knowledge and people to work. This know-how and the service provided are, of course, paid for.

SEO had no immediate results

Right. SEO optimization requires continuous work overtime and has no immediate results. On the other hand, a well-done SEO job is never a one-off job. For example, if you have hired an agency to optimize your website, you will have clear benefits from that optimization. However, after a while, this effort will cease to affect. By the way, for comparison, the same thing happens with a Google Ads campaign, which, if not fed, will not continue to give effect.

Google favours ads

This is half true. It stands to reason that Google benefits ads, whether or not Google Ads was Google’s main source of income. However, Google presents search results based on a very important criterion: relevance. If the content on a website is not relevant to a particular search, it is not a paid ad that will cause an ad to appear in search results.

With Google Ads, if I pay I'll be first

This is another of the great myths related to Google Ads. There is a perception that if you pay more you have more results. However, although Google ads work on auction logic, if the landing page is not relevant to the keyword being searched for, the page will receive a low-quality score and minimal impressions, damaging the result.

Finally, and answering the question that led to this reflection “SEO or Google Ads”? Our answer: why not both? A good job of SEO and a good investment of Google Ads will allow an excellent positioning for the desired keywords. The combination of both tools results in a long-term, sustainable and lasting strategy. In short: an organic result from an excellent SEO optimization combined with an excellent paid result from a well thought out Google Ads campaign can have very positive results for your brand. As such, our advice is to invest in both.

Zalox is a Digital Agency prepared to help you with your SEO strategy and Google Ads campaigns. Contact us!