What's the difference between SEO and paid ads?

SEO (search engine optimisation) earns free, ongoing traffic by improving how well your site matches what Google's algorithm and users are looking for — it takes longer to show results but keeps working without ongoing spend. Paid ads (like Google Ads) buy immediate visibility at the top of search results, but traffic stops the moment you stop paying. Most small businesses benefit from both: paid ads for immediate visibility while SEO fundamentals (which our free audit checks) build up long-term organic traffic.