What should I fund first on a tight budget, Google Ads or SEO?

On a genuinely tight budget, fund the free layer first, then paid, then SEO. Google Business Profile optimization and review collection cost almost nothing and often produce calls within weeks, so skipping them to buy clicks is backwards.

After that it depends on cash. If you need work this month to keep crews busy, Google Ads or Local Services Ads deliver immediately but stop when the card stops. If you can absorb three to six months of patience, SEO builds an asset that keeps working. The common middle path is a small ads budget for cash flow while organic and AI visibility mature underneath it.

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