SEO, Google Ads and lead generation
Earned traffic, paid traffic and proactive outreach — how they differ and when each is right.
SEO
What it does: puts you in front of people already searching for what you sell, without paying per click.
Trade-off: slower to start, compounds over time. Wrong choice for a business that needs revenue in three weeks.
Google Ads
What it does: buys visibility instantly at the exact moment of intent.
Trade-off: stops when the budget stops. It is a tap, not an asset.
Lead generation
What it does: goes to the customer instead of waiting. Outbound, lists, targeted campaigns.
Common problem: businesses run it without any system to handle the volume, and burn the leads.
Say it like this
Weak
You should do SEO — it's the best long-term ROI.
Meri standard
If you need work booked in this month, SEO is the wrong first move. Ads get you visible this week, and we build the SEO underneath it so you're not renting forever.
Practice drill
A business needs revenue within 30 days and has £2k a month. Write your recommendation and the reason.
Run this drill with Meri CoachKnowledge check
A client needs booked work within three weeks. What is the honest recommendation?
Lesson 15 of 23 in the Meri Academy curriculum.