Google Ads is the fastest way to test demand and get leads moving. SEO is the long-term compounding investment. Most small businesses need both eventually — the question is what to start with.
If you need leads this quarter, start with Google Ads. Done with strategy, you can have qualified enquiries inside two weeks.
If you have time, budget patience and want to lower your cost per lead over years, start building SEO foundations early. The compounding is real but it's slow.
The honest answer for most local businesses: a small ads budget while the SEO foundations get built in the background.