Why we choose Google Ads and SEO over social and email marketing.

Two people pick up their phones at nine in the evening. One types "roof leaking after storm" into Google. The other is scrolling Instagram on the sofa, half watching TV. Both own a house. Only one of them needs a roofer tonight, and only one of them is looking for one.

That difference is why we focus on Google Ads and search engine optimization (SEO) for the service businesses we work with, and skip social media ads and email marketing. It isn't that the other channels never work. It's that, for businesses that need new customers all the time, the highest return we have seen comes from search.

The short answer

1. On Google, people are actively searching

Nobody searches "furnace repair near me" for fun. A search is a question someone has right now, and often a job they're ready to pay for. A Google Search ad puts your business at the top of the answer. A few things make that work well for a small business:

1. You usually pay per click. Appearing costs nothing; you pay when someone clicks through. You're paying for interest, not for being seen.
2. You choose the searches. Keywords decide who sees your ad. Negative keywords exclude searches you don't want, such as "free", "jobs" or "DIY", so you don't pay for clicks that were never going to buy.
3. Position isn't simply bought. Google weighs your bid alongside how relevant and useful it judges your ad and landing page to be. A closely matched ad with a good page can outrank a bigger bidder.

If you're in a home services trade, also look at Local Services Ads. They're a separate Google product that can appear at the very top of some local searches, and you pay per lead rather than per click. They're only available for certain business types and areas, and Google screens businesses before they can run them.

Search catches demand that already exists. For a service business, that's the demand that pays the bills.

2. Social media ads are interruption ads

Ads on Facebook and Instagram appear in the feeds of people who match an audience you describe. Nobody opened the app hoping to see them, so the ad has a second or two to earn attention. That works well for some businesses:

• Products and shopping. A great photo of a pair of boots can spark an impulse buy in a few taps.
• Events and offers. A new class, a sale or a grand opening can travel well in a feed.

Services are different. Nobody buys a new roof, a will or a furnace on impulse because an ad caught their eye. They buy when the need arrives, and when it does, they search. Social ads also tend to be charged by impressions (each time the ad is shown), and the same ad wears out as the same people keep seeing it, so you need fresh photos or video every few weeks just to stand still.

3. Email marketing reaches too few new people

Email has one big strength: you own the list, so no platform can change the rules on you. But it only reaches people who already know you. A service business needs a steady flow of new customers, and most of its past customers won't need a new roof or a new deck again for years.

In our experience, email marketing has had a very low success rate for the businesses we work with. The time and money it takes are better spent putting you in front of the next person searching for what you do.

Where SEO fits

Ads have one weakness: they stop the day you stop paying. SEO is the slow, steady partner. It's the work that helps your website show up in the regular, unpaid results and on the map, so customers keep finding you without paying for every click.

The two work well together. Ads bring calls while SEO builds, and SEO lowers how much you need to lean on ads over time. Good SEO takes months, not days, which is why we recommend giving it at least 6 to 12 months. If you want to start on your own, our guide to local SEO basics is a good first step, and our SEO service page explains how we do it.

Pros and cons of each channel

An honest look at all four, including the two we don't offer.

How much should you spend on a first Google Ads test?

There's no universal number, because click costs vary enormously by industry and location. A click for a personal injury lawyer and a click for a lawn care company are priced in different worlds. So instead of guessing, work it out in three steps.

1. Estimate your cost per click. Google's Keyword Planner, free inside a Google Ads account, shows estimated bid ranges for your keywords in your area.
2. Decide what a meaningful test looks like. A few dozen clicks tells you very little. You want enough clicks that several inquiries is a realistic outcome.
3. Do the arithmetic before you spend, not after.

The budget you set is ad spend, paid directly to Google. If someone manages the campaigns for you, that's a separate fee. It's how we quote our digital marketing work too, so you can always see what went to Google and what went to us.

What a campaign needs before you spend a dollar

• A landing page that matches the ad. If the ad promises "same-day AC repair", the page it opens should say exactly that, with a way to call or book. A focused page is part of what our website design work covers.
• Conversion tracking. Set up the Google tag so you can see which ads lead to calls and form inquiries, not just clicks. Judging ads by clicks alone is like judging a shop by how many people glanced in the window.
• Someone ready to answer. An inquiry that waits two days for a reply has often gone cold. Paid traffic makes slow follow-up expensive.
• Patience for a fair test. Google's automated systems need data before they settle down. Changing everything after three days usually resets the learning rather than speeding it up.

And if your website isn't ready to receive paid visitors, read the signs it's time to redesign first.

Google Ads, SEO, social and email questions