How Both Channels Work
Google Ads places your website at the top of search results immediately upon campaign launch — but you pay for every single click, and your website disappears entirely from those top positions the moment you stop paying. SEO builds your organic ranking position gradually over several months, costs less per lead once established, and continues generating qualified traffic indefinitely once the rankings are in place.
The Real Cost Comparison for Notaries
Notary-related search keywords typically cost $3-$12 per click in Google Ads. If your website converts visitors at 5%, you need 20 clicks to generate one enquiry — at $8 average cost per click, that is $160 per lead from paid advertising. Compare this to a well-ranked notary website that receives 200+ monthly visitors from organic search at absolutely zero per-click cost once the SEO investment has been made.
When Google Ads Makes Genuine Sense
Google Ads works well for notaries who need immediate visibility and enquiry volume while their SEO is still building momentum — particularly during the first 60-90 days after launching a brand new website. It also makes sense for very specific, time-sensitive promotional campaigns. As a long-term client acquisition strategy, however, the economics overwhelmingly favour SEO investment over paid advertising for notary businesses.
Our Clear Recommendation
Invest in a professional SEO-optimised website first. If your budget permits, add a modest Google Ads campaign of $200-$400 per month during the first 90 days while your organic rankings are still developing. Once your site is ranking organically on page one — typically within 60-90 days for a properly built notary website — pause the paid ads entirely and benefit from completely free, compounding organic traffic indefinitely.