Small Business SEO for Flooring Contractors 

SEO vs. Google Ads for Flooring Contractors: What’s the Best Strategy for Your Business?

The debate will rage on far after you read this article, but a topic that is always a debate amongst our clients is this. SEO vs Google Ads for Flooring Contractors: What works best for me? 

The answer is that it depends. There are so many variables at play. But they are in play due to a variety of reasons such as what is the average age of your audience? People who are younger tend to understand the difference between paid and organic search results so they tend not to click on ads. 

Another factor that could impact your search results is what we refer to as the click distribution of a search term. A report we often look at is the keyword explorer report from Ahrefs. In the image below you can see the average keyword difficulty level for a search term, and more importantly the click distribution of that search query as well. 

In this case, the click distribution for the keyword flooring contractor is:

• Organic Clicks – 30%
• Paid and Organic Clicks – 4%
• Paid Only Clicks – 4%
• Zero Clicks – 62%

So a report like this would demonstrate the importance of organic seo for flooring contractors. Yet you still need to consider that with Google Ads you can control things like what keywords you are bidding on, where your ads are shown, the average household income, and even the age of a person seeing your ad. These are all invaluable tools that you can control. 

That being said, this article isn’t meant to provide you with a clear cut answer in the debate “SEO vs Google Ads for Flooring Contractors”. Rather it provides you with the ammunition you need to clearly understand what you need to do in order to make each strategy successful for your business and either go all in on one or use a healthy combination of both. 

What Is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization—or SEO—is the practice of improving your website’s visibility in organic (non-paid) search engine results for keywords relevant to your business. The higher you rank for those keywords, the more likely potential customers (homeowners, property managers, contractors) will find you.

Key components of SEO include:

• Keyword research & targeting: choosing terms people actually search (for example, see MarketKeep’s post on SEO Keywords for Flooring Contractors).
  
• On-page optimization: optimizing titles, headings, content, images, URLs, and internal links.
  
• Technical SEO: site speed, mobile-friendliness, security (HTTPS), crawlability, structured data (schema).
  
• Local SEO: optimizing Google Business Profile, consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone), local citations, reviews.
  
• Off-page SEO / backlinks: earning links and mentions from other websites, directories, local media, partners.
  

SEO is often thought of as a long game: it may take weeks or months to see traction, but once you build authority, the returns can become compounding.

What Are Google Ads?

Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) is Google’s paid advertising platform. It allows you to bid on keywords and pay when someone clicks your ad (pay-per-click). There are various campaign types suited to different goals. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Search

These are the classic text ads at the top or bottom of Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). If someone searches for “flooring contractor near me” or “hardwood floor installation cost”, your ad may show above organic results.

Display

Google’s Display Network shows visual/banner ads across millions of websites, blogs, and forums. Use these for brand awareness or remarketing — e.g. showing your flooring business ad to past site visitors while they browse other sites.

Shopping

Typically for e-commerce, these ads appear as product listings (images + price) when someone searches for a product. For contractors this is less common, unless you sell flooring materials directly to consumers.

Video

You can run video ads (e.g. via YouTube) to showcase your best flooring work, before/after transformations, or customer testimonials. Great for brand building in your service area.

App Campaigns

If you have a mobile app (less common for flooring contractors), Google can advertise it across its network (Search, Display, YouTube, Play Store). Probably not your primary approach unless you have a service app.

Each campaign type offers different benefits and use cases. For flooring contractors, Search and Display (especially remarketing) are typically the most relevant.

SEO vs. PPC: Which Is Better for a Flooring Company?

This is where many contractors get stuck. The real answer is: both can work, but your decision should be based on your business goals, market conditions, and budget constraints.

Here’s a comparison of what each channel brings to the table:

So, SEO is powerful for long-term growth, but Google Ads gives you fast visibility and control. For many flooring companies, the optimal path is a hybrid strategy, used strategically.

Below, let’s dig into when each one makes sense on its own or together.

When and Why Should You Invest in SEO?

Compounding Returns

Every piece of content, optimized service page, or backlink you earn adds to your site’s equity. Over time, your site becomes stronger — allowing you to rank higher (and for more keywords) with less incremental effort.

Investing in a Long-Term Strategy

SEO is not a sprint — it’s a sustained marathon. If your business can wait 3 to 6 months, the payoff can be far greater (and more sustainable) than constantly paying for traffic.

Growing Brand Awareness

Because organic listings often get higher trust from users (they’re not “paid”), appearing in search results helps build your reputation as an authority in your region. That trust is hugely valuable, especially in home improvement services.

CPC Prices Are Too Expensive

In competitive markets, keywords like “flooring contractor near me” or “hardwood installation cost” may command $20–$50+ CPCs (or more). If your margins on jobs are tight, relying solely on paid may not be viable. SEO allows you to target similar queries without every click costing you.

If you want help with your keyword planning (especially for flooring-related terms), we have a full deep dive in our article “SEO Keywords for Flooring Contractors” you can check out for ideas and best practices.

When and Why Should You Invest in Google Ads?

Instant Visibility

Unlike SEO, Google Ads can get you on page one within hours (assuming your campaign is properly set up). That’s especially useful when demand is high (e.g. spring/fall renovations) or during limited-time promotions.

Clear Budget

With PPC, you set your maximum daily spend, bid caps, and cost per acquisition (CPA) targets. You know exactly what you’re willing to spend to acquire a lead.

Easier to Measure

Tracking conversions (calls, leads, form fills) from paid ads is straightforward. You see immediate ROI by comparing ad spend vs. profitable booked jobs.

Profitable Keyword Opportunities

Some long-tail or low-competition keywords might not be worth the SEO effort (low search volume), but they can still be tested via PPC to see if they deliver good ROI.

How do you know if you can profitably invest in PPC?

• Estimate your average job value and margin.
• Estimate conversion rates (how many leads turn into booked contracts).
• Plug in how many leads you’d need to justify the spend.
• Run a small (test) campaign for a month and see your cost per booked job vs what you earn.
  If your CAC (cost to acquire a customer) is lower than your margin, PPC can be a sustainable channel.

When Should You Invest in Both SEO and PPC?

The strongest strategy for many flooring contractors is to layer both SEO and PPC with intention. Here’s when you should run them together:

• Launch period / new market: Use PPC to get immediate visibility while SEO starts to ramp.
• Seasonal fluctuations: During high-demand windows (spring/fall), scale PPC while focusing SEO on support content.
• Keyword coverage gaps: Use PPC to cover high-competition keywords you can’t yet afford to rank for organically.
• Remarketing: Use Display remarketing to recapture visitors who didn’t convert, now backed by strong organic presence.
• Testing & insight: PPC can validate keyword demand and conversion potential before investing heavy SEO resources.

With both channels working in tandem, you reduce risk, maximize coverage, and accelerate growth.

FAQs

Is SEO better than Google Ads for Flooring Contractors?

There’s no one-size-fits-all. SEO has the potential for lower long-term cost and credibility, while Google Ads delivers faster results and precise targeting. The “better” channel depends on your timeline, margin, and market.

As a flooring contractor, should I do Google Ads and SEO?

Yes — if your budget and resources allow, a hybrid strategy is often the most effective. Use SEO for long-term foundational growth, and PPC for short-term visibility and testing.

Should I learn SEO or Google Ads first?

Start with SEO fundamentals (keyword research, on-page optimization, local SEO). These build long-term value. Then layer in Google Ads so you can boost leads while SEO grows.

Is SEO more important than ads?

SEO is foundational — it builds trust, authority, and sustainable visibility. But that doesn’t mean ads are unimportant. They complement SEO by filling gaps and giving you control when you need it.

How do I find keywords to target for my SEO or CPC campaigns?

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush to explore search volume, competition, and keyword ideas. For flooring-specific terms, you can start with MarketKeep’s SEO Keywords for Flooring Contractors page as a baseline and expand from there.

Also, when choosing SEO or PPC services, be sure the agency has flooring-specific experience — for example, our dedicated Small Business SEO services for flooring contractors are structured around the flooring market.

Grow Your Flooring Business with MarketKeep

At MarketKeep, we specialize in helping flooring contractors attract more leads online through data-driven SEO and Google Ads strategies. Whether you’re looking to outrank competitors, reduce your cost per lead, or get more phone calls from the right customers, our team builds a customized plan that fits your goals and your budget.

If you’re ready to take the guesswork out of your marketing and start generating consistent leads every month, let’s talk.

Schedule your free marketing consultation today or explore our Small Business SEO Services for Flooring Contractors to learn how MarketKeep can help your business grow.