Every small business owner asks the same question: “Should I pay for Google Ads or invest in SEO?”
Google Ads seem easier. You pay, you get visitors today. Simple, right?
But here’s the truth: Paying for ads is like renting a shop. SEO is like buying one.
We’ve helped hundreds of small businesses across Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. The pattern is always the same. Businesses using only ads hit a wall. Costs go up. Competition gets fierce. And when you stop paying? Your customers disappear overnight.
But businesses that choose professional SEO services? They build something real. Something that grows stronger every month. Something that keeps bringing customers for years — not just while the credit card works.
Let’s look at why SEO isn’t just better — it’s the smart choice for any small business that wants to keep growing.
Google Ads look cheap at first. Set a budget. Get clicks. See results today. Sounds good, right?
Here’s what happens next:
Five years ago, a click cost $2. Today? That same click costs $5-10. Some industries pay $50-100 per click.
That’s not inflation. That’s Google making billions while you struggle.
Real story: A Brisbane plumber we know was paying $3,500 monthly for ads. He got 15 leads. Cost him $233 per lead. Eighteen months later? Same $3,500 only got him 8 leads. That’s $437 per lead.
His work didn’t get worse. Google just got greedier.
When a big company wants your customers, they just outbid you.
With ads, only the highest bidder wins. Your family business can’t compete with corporate budgets. It’s not fair, but that’s how ads work.
Run out of budget on Friday? No customers on the weekend. Take a holiday? Your phone stops ringing. Miss a payment? Your business becomes invisible.
With Google Ads, you’re always one payment away from disappearing.
Now compare that to SEO: Get to page one with our ongoing SEO campaigns, and you stay there. Weekends, holidays, middle of the night — your website keeps working.
Let’s do some simple maths. Real numbers from real small businesses:
Google Ads:
SEO Investment:
Already, SEO saves you $9,000 in the first year.
Google Ads:
SEO Investment:
After two years, SEO gives you three times more leads. And each one costs 90% less.
Here’s what most people miss: SEO isn’t spending money. It’s building something valuable.
Think of your website like a gym membership for your business.
Every blog post is like a workout. Every improvement makes you stronger. After a year, you’re not just fit — you’re unstoppable.
A Sydney shop owner we work with now shows up for 500+ searches. To get the same results with ads? She’d pay $15,000 monthly. Her SEO cost? Just $1,250 with our professional SEO services.
Write one great page about your service. Optimise it properly. It brings customers for years.
We have clients still getting leads from pages we created in 2019. Five years of customers from one piece of work.
Try getting that from an ad you bought five years ago. (Spoiler: You can’t.)
Our content-focused SEO approach makes sure every page becomes a permanent salesperson for your business.
Once you rank number one for “plumber Brisbane” through local SEO, you own that spot.
New competitors can’t just pay more to steal it tomorrow. You earned it. You keep it.
A Melbourne café we helped has been number one for “best coffee South Yarra” for three years. The customers never stop coming. New cafés can’t push them out.
Here’s a fact that might surprise you: 88% of people skip the ads on Google.
Why? Because people aren’t stupid. They know:
When you show up naturally through good SEO, people trust you more.
This means:
Good SEO improves your whole website:
Through competitor research, you discover:
Google Ads tells you what you spent. SEO tells you how to run a better business.
Before: $4,000 monthly on ads, 20 leads After: $1,250 monthly on SEO, 45+ leads after 8 months Result: More than double the leads for less than half the cost
Before: $8,000 monthly on shopping ads, barely breaking even After: $2,000 monthly on SEO, showing up for 200+ products Result: Finally making real profit
Before: $2,500 monthly competing against big firms After: $1,000 monthly on local SEO Result: Steady stream of local clients who actually need them
Let’s be honest. Sometimes ads make sense:
But remember: Ads should help SEO, not replace it.
Worried SEO takes too long? We guarantee results: 20% more website visitors in 90 days or your next month is free.
Here’s what happens:
With Google Ads, month 4 looks like month 1. Except more expensive.
Think about it like this:
Google Ads = Renting a house
SEO = Buying a house
Which makes more sense for your business?
Currently using Google Ads? Here’s how to switch safely:
Planning to sell your business someday? Here’s something important:
SEO adds real value to your business. Strong rankings mean:
Buyers pay extra for these assets.
Your Google Ads account? Worth nothing. Actually, it scares buyers away. They see it as a risk — what if they can’t afford the ads?
Every day you wait costs you:
The choice is simple. Keep renting customers through ads, or start building real growth through SEO.
At Small Biz Optimize, we help Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne businesses break free from expensive ads. We build sustainable growth through smart SEO.
Ready to stop renting and start owning your growth?
P.S. Still thinking about it? Remember our guarantee: 20% more visitors in 90 days or your next month free. No ad agency would promise that. Why? They can’t control rising costs. With SEO, we control the strategy and the results.
