Should You Run Ads or Fix Your SEO First?
If you've ever stared at your empty inquiry form and thought maybe I just need to run some ads, this one's for you.
It's one of the most common questions photographers ask when bookings slow down. And the answer isn't as simple as do this, not that. It depends entirely on where your business is right now.
Here's how to actually think through it.
What Ads Do (and What They Don't)
Paid ads, whether that's Google Ads, Facebook, or Instagram, put you in front of people who weren't looking for you yet. You're interrupting their scroll or their search and saying hey, look at me.
When they work, they work fast. You can go from zero visibility to booked inquiries in a matter of days.
But here's the thing most ad gurus won't tell you: ads send people to your website. And if your website isn't ready to convert, you're paying for traffic that goes nowhere.
Think about it this way. If someone clicks your ad and lands on a homepage that doesn't immediately communicate who you are, who you serve, and what to do next, they leave. You paid for that click. And you got nothing back.
Ads amplify what's already there. If what's already there isn't working, ads just make the problem more expensive.
What SEO Does (and What It Doesn't)
SEO builds visibility with people who are already searching for exactly what you offer. Someone types newborn photographer in Knoxville and your website shows up. That's warm, ready-to-book traffic.
The tradeoff is time. SEO doesn't work overnight. A well-optimized page can take three to six months to gain real traction in search results, sometimes longer in competitive markets.
But once it's working, it works for free. Every month that passes, you're building an asset that keeps driving traffic without another dollar spent.
So Which One First?
Here's the honest answer: fix your website and SEO first, then layer in ads.
If your website has clear copy, loads fast, has a strong call to action on every page, and is optimized for the keywords your ideal clients are actually searching, ads become a multiplier. They take something that already converts and pour fuel on it.
If your website is unclear, slow, keyword-bare, or doesn't have a strong enough reason for someone to reach out, ads become a drain. You'll spend money, see clicks, and wonder why nobody's booking.
A few questions to ask yourself before you consider ads:
Does your homepage immediately communicate who you photograph and where?
Does every service page have a clear call to action?
Are you showing up in Google at all for your location plus session type?
Do you have any idea where your current clients are finding you?
If you answered no to most of those, start with your website foundation. Keyword research, on-page optimization, a Google Business Profile that's actually filled out, and copy that speaks to your client instead of about yourself.
Once that foundation is solid, ads can do what they're actually built to do.
When Ads Make Sense Right Now
That said, there are situations where running ads before your SEO is fully dialed in makes sense.
If you're launching a time-sensitive offer, like mini sessions or a limited availability package, SEO can't move fast enough. Ads are the right tool.
If you're brand new to a market and need bookings while your SEO builds, a small, targeted ad budget can bridge the gap.
If you've already done the website and SEO work and you're ready to grow faster, ads are the natural next step.
The two strategies aren't in competition. They're a sequence.