They solve different problems
Paid search buys attention now and stops when the budget stops. SEO compounds slowly and keeps working, but it does not answer an urgent need for enquiries this quarter.
The question is rarely which one. It is which one first, and how they support each other.
When paid makes sense first
If you need pipeline quickly, are testing a new service, or work in a market with clear commercial search intent, paid search gives you data in weeks rather than months — including which keywords actually convert, which then informs the SEO plan.
When SEO makes sense first
If margins are tight, competition for clicks is expensive, or your customers research for a long time before buying, earned visibility and useful content usually produce a better long-term cost per enquiry.
The part both depend on
Neither works if the page people land on cannot convert them. Before increasing spend on either, make sure the landing experience, the messaging and the tracking are right. That is usually the cheapest improvement available.
Talk through your options
We'll look at your website and marketing from the customer's perspective and tell you what we would change first.
Talk through your options