Pro Tips

SEO vs. Paid Ads: Which One Grows Faster?

Apr 20, 2025

Yellow Flower

Startups love paid ads.
Investors love SEO.

But which one actually drives faster, more profitable growth?

Short answer: it depends on your cash flow, CAC tolerance, and time horizon.

Long answer? Let’s break it down the way we do for our clients — from early-stage founders to eight-figure brands.

The False Binary: “SEO or Paid Ads”

Most teams treat SEO and paid as opposing strategies.

They’re not.

They’re two tools in your growth system — and when you understand how each works (and when to use it), you stop guessing and start compounding.

When Paid Ads Make Sense

Paid ads (Google, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn) are your scalpel. You can turn them on, target precisely, and get traffic today.

Best for:

  • Fast feedback loops (e.g. testing a new funnel)

  • High-margin offers

  • Limited-time campaigns

  • Retargeting and nurture flows

Pros:

  • Fast results

  • Scalable with budget

  • Full creative control

Cons:

  • Pay-to-play. No spend, no traffic.

  • Expensive if your funnel leaks

  • Creative fatigue is real

When SEO Is the Power Move

SEO is your compound interest. It takes longer to build, but once you rank, you earn traffic without having to constantly spend.

Best for:

  • Evergreen search intent

  • Content-led brands

  • Long-term CAC reduction

  • Building trust and authority

Pros:

  • Sustainable traffic

  • Lower CAC over time

  • Strong brand positioning

Cons:

  • Takes 3–6 months to gain traction

  • Requires consistent content execution

  • Vulnerable to algorithm updates

So Which One Grows Faster?

If you're launching or validating something new, paid ads win.

If you're looking for durable, defensible growth over time, you need SEO.

The best brands don’t pick. They combine both — and make them work together.

The Combo Play: How to Layer SEO and Paid

  1. Use Paid Ads for Speed
    Launch quickly. Test angles. Collect user data.

  2. Feed Learnings into SEO
    Winning ad copy becomes SEO titles and meta descriptions. High-CTR hooks become blog headlines.

  3. Retarget Organic Visitors with Paid
    Most visitors don’t convert on the first touch. Retarget blog readers and SEO traffic with tailored ad funnels.

  4. Use SEO to Lower CAC Over Time
    As content ranks, you become less reliant on paid traffic to maintain growth.

Case Study: SEO + Paid = Profit

One of our SaaS clients was spending $20k/month on ads with a breakeven ROAS.

We added:

  • SEO content targeting long-tail keywords

  • Conversion-focused landing pages

  • Retargeting built on organic traffic audiences

Result:

  • 312% increase in organic traffic in 5 months

  • 22% drop in CAC

  • 63% increase in conversion rate on retargeted users

The Takeaway

You don’t have to choose between SEO and paid.

Paid gets you quick wins.
SEO builds long-term equity.

The smartest growth systems use both — and let each channel amplify the other.