SEO earns you free clicks over time by ranking naturally; Google Ads puts you at the top instantly, but only while you’re paying. Most businesses benefit from both — ads for immediate leads while SEO builds up in the background, then a lighter ad budget once organic rankings kick in.

There’s no universal minimum, but we generally recommend starting with a modest test budget to see cost-per-click and lead quality in your specific market and industry, then scaling up what’s clearly working. We’ll suggest a realistic starting number based on your competition and location.

Often within the first few days of a campaign going live, unlike SEO which takes months. That speed is exactly why ads work well for a new location opening, a seasonal offer, or filling a slow patch.

They work well for small local businesses precisely because you can target a specific radius around your shop, so you’re not paying to be seen by people who could never actually visit you. A tightly targeted local campaign is often more cost-effective than a broad national one.

Click fraud is when ads get clicked with no genuine buying intent — competitors, bots, or accidental taps. Google has protections against it, and we monitor campaigns for unusual click patterns and adjust targeting where needed, so it’s a manageable risk rather than a reason to avoid ads.

We set up call and form tracking so every enquiry is tied back to the specific ad and keyword that generated it. Your monthly report shows cost per lead, not just clicks — so you can see the real return, not vanity metrics.

We do — bid adjustments, negative keywords, ad copy testing, and budget pacing are all handled on your behalf, with a monthly summary of what changed and why. You keep ownership of the ad account itself at all times.