Both Google Ads and SEO put you in front of homeowners searching for your service. The difference is timing and ownership. Ads are instant but rented; the leads stop the day you stop paying. SEO and local ranking are slow to build but owned; once you are there, the calls keep coming for free. For most outdoor living contractors the right answer is not one or the other, it is using ads to bridge while you build the asset.
Google Ads: speed you rent
Turn ads on and you can be at the top of the page tomorrow. That is their real value. There are two kinds worth knowing. Regular Search Ads charge you per click, often 20 to 80 dollars or more for a term like "paver patio [city]," whether or not that click becomes a job. Local Services Ads, the listings with the green "Google Guaranteed" check, charge you per lead instead of per click and show at the very top of local searches, which usually makes them the better buy for contractors. Either way, the meter never stops. The moment you pause the budget, you vanish from the results.
SEO and local: durability you own
Ranking in the map pack and building pages that rank organically takes longer, usually two to four months to climb, but it behaves like an asset instead of an expense. Once you are in the top three for "paver patio [town]," the calls arrive without a per click charge, and the position tends to hold and compound as your reviews and content grow. You built it once; it keeps paying. That is the opposite of renting.
The cost per lead changes over time
This is the part that decides it. In month one, ads look cheaper because they actually produce calls while your organic presence is still warming up. But the cost per lead from ads stays roughly flat forever, while the cost per lead from organic keeps dropping as the traffic grows and the spend stays near zero. A year in, the contractor who built organic is getting most of their calls for almost nothing, and the one who only ran ads is still paying full price for every single lead.
The smart split for most contractors
Run a modest ads budget, Local Services Ads first, for an immediate pipeline while you build the free presence underneath it. Spend months one through three completing your profile, stacking reviews, and publishing town pages. As organic takes over the bulk of your calls over the next three to six months, dial the ads down to a top up for slow seasons or new towns. You get speed now and durability later, instead of choosing between them.
The bottom line
Pouring everything into ads forever is renting your business from Google. Building your organic and map pack presence is owning it. Use the rented speed to buy time, then let the owned asset carry you.
Frequently asked questions
Should a contractor use Google Ads or SEO first?
Use both at the start if you can. Ads give you leads immediately while SEO and your Google Business Profile are still building, which takes a couple of months. As your free ranking grows, you lean on ads less. If budget is tight, prioritize the free profile and review work, since that becomes your cheapest long term lead source.
What are Local Services Ads and are they worth it?
Local Services Ads are the listings at the very top of local searches with a green Google Guaranteed badge, and they charge per lead instead of per click. For contractors they are usually a better buy than regular Search Ads because you pay for actual inquiries, not just clicks, and the badge builds trust. They are worth testing in most markets.
How much do Google Ads cost for a contractor?
Regular Search Ads for terms like paver patio in a given city often run 20 to 80 dollars per click, and not every click becomes a job, so the cost per booked lead is higher. Local Services Ads charge per lead, which is more predictable. Either way, plan a budget you can sustain, since the leads stop when the spend stops.
Does SEO really stop costing money once it ranks?
It never goes fully to zero, since you still need to keep gathering reviews and posting, but the ongoing cost is tiny compared to paying per click or per lead. That is the core advantage: once a page or your map pack position ranks, the traffic it brings is essentially free and it compounds over time.