SEO vs Google Ads: Stop Paying, Stop Ranking
This is not an affordability argument.
Where you put your budget is your call. The point is what you want that money to do. With Google Ads, the moment the budget stops, visibility stops. With SEO, the work you do today can keep bringing clients tomorrow.
Before we dive deeper, if you want to understand the foundational principles that make organic search so powerful, download my free guide: ‘5 Google Search Secrets No SEO Agency Will Tell You’. These are the technical essentials that underpin everything we're discussing today.
Contents
The money truth
Where clicks really go
What #1 really signals
Four quick Squarespace wins that compound
Verify Google Search Console and submit your sitemap
Tighten titles, descriptions and slugs
Add smart internal links
Set up or refresh your Google Business Profile
When to use Google Ads (also known as Google Ads) on purpose
How content builds authority and keeps you visible
Freshness and coverage
Time on site and pathways
Topical authority
A simple content plan for wellness sites
Squarespace specifics that help
Post types that work well in wellness
Keep it human and helpful
Your next steps
The Money Truth
Paid search is rented space. Switch it off and it vanishes. Useful for speed, testing and seasonal pushes, yes, but it is never a substitute for building your own visibility.
SEO is owned space. When you earn a place in organic results, that ranking can continue working with light upkeep. Think of Google Ads as renting a roadside billboard by the day. SEO is buying the plot and putting up a sign. The billboard disappears when the rental ends. Your sign keeps working while you sleep.
Where Clicks Really Go
That ‘94% skip ads’ line floats around, but it is dated and context-dependent. Newer datasets are clearer and more defensible. Many recent studies show the #1 organic result takes the biggest share of clicks, while even the top paid ad draws far fewer. Positions 2 and 3 also take meaningful share, then the curve drops fast.
What does that tell us? Most people still scroll to the organic answers. Strong SEO puts you where users already expect to find the best result.
What #1 Really Signals
When you see a website sitting at number one, what does it say to you about that business and that page? For most people, it signals trust, usefulness and authority. In wellness, that perception matters. Clients want to feel confident before they book a consultation.
Four Quick Squarespace Wins That Compound
You do not need to be ‘techy’. Do these, and you give search engines the postcode and signposts they need.
1) Verify Google Search Console and submit your sitemap
Your Squarespace sitemap lives at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.
Add your site to Google Search Console, verify ownership, then submit the sitemap in the Sitemaps report. Use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing of new or updated pages.
Weekly habit: check the Page indexing and Performance reports for errors and the queries you are starting to show for.
2) Tighten titles, descriptions and slugs
In Squarespace, open Page settings → SEO to edit your SEO title, description and URL slug.
Keep titles clear and front-load the important words. Use short, hyphenated slugs like perimenopause-nutrition rather than services-page-1.
Tip: write for the searcher. A good title + description reads like a promise you can keep on the page.
3) Add smart internal links
From your highest-traffic pages, link to priority services and recent articles using descriptive anchor text, for example ‘perimenopause nutrition plan’ instead of ‘read more’. Add a short Related reading block at the end of each blog to keep visitors moving.
4) Set up or refresh your Google Business Profile
If you work locally or by service area, add or refine your GBP. Use accurate categories, a clear description, service areas, hours and a link to your site. Consistency between your site and profile helps Google trust your details. Add posts and collect reviews over time.
If you’d like to hire me as your marketing department, I can create a retainer tailored to your business goals - content creation, on‑page SEO, and monthly optimisation handled for you. [Get in touch to chat about a personalised retainer].
When to use Google Ads (also known as PPC) on purpose
Google Ads or PPC is great when you need immediacy: filling a workshop, testing a new offer, warming a waitlist, or launching in a new location. Use it as a tap you turn on and off. Know that when the spend stops, the visibility stops. Organic keeps working in the background.
How content builds authority and keeps you visible
Publishing helpful content is the signal that your site is alive, relevant and worth returning to. It helps in three ways:
Freshness and coverage
Every new post gives Google another high-quality URL to index, which expands the topics you can rank for. Consistent publishing tells search engines your site is active and maintained.
Time on site and pathways
Useful articles keep visitors reading. When you link from blogs to relevant services and related posts, people take more steps on your site. That behavioural pattern is a strong quality signal and a practical route to enquiries.
Topical authority
Cover a subject in depth and interlink those posts, and you build authority in that theme. For wellness, think topic clusters rather than one-off posts.
A simple content plan for wellness sites
Pick 2–3 core themes you want to be known for, for example:
Perimenopause nutrition
Gut health and IBS
Female fatigue and energy
Map 4–6 posts per theme that answer real questions. Start with ‘how to’, ‘what is’, ‘symptoms’, ‘treatment options’, ‘food lists’, ‘myth vs fact’.
Write one strong post per fortnight to begin. Quality over volume.
Link each new post to:
Your relevant service page
A beginner guide on the same theme
One or two related blogs
Add a clear next step at the end of each post. Example: “Book a discovery call” or “Download the Perimenopause Meal Planning Guide”.
Download Google Search Secrets to start implementing the essentials - step by step.
Squarespace specifics that help
Blog post SEO: Page settings → SEO tab. Add a clear SEO title and description that match the searcher’s question. Keep a short, hyphenated slug, e.g. ibs-foods-to-avoid.
Categories and tags: Use a small, consistent set to group posts by theme. This creates useful archive pages and helps internal linking.
Related content: Add a link at the end of each post to surface two or three related articles.
Image basics: Rename files before upload and write plain-English alt text.
Request indexing: After publishing, use Google Search Console’s URL Inspection to request indexing and see which queries your post starts to show for.
If you’ve found this blog helpful, you might like to read these popular titles:
Next steps (choose your path)
DIY with support: Download Google Search Secrets and start making quick improvements today.
Done‑with‑you: My SEO Blueprint gives you a focused keyword strategy, on‑page fixes, and a 3–6 month content plan tailored to your niche.
Done‑for‑you / ongoing: If you’d like to hire me as your marketing department, I can create a retainer tailored to your business goals - content creation, on‑page SEO, and monthly optimisation handled for you. [Get in touch to chat about a personalised retainer].
Or, if you’re in research mode, browse more articles on my blog - you’ll find practical, step‑by‑step guides for wellness practitioners who want sustainable growth.
Sam Ferguson is a website designer and SEO specialist for nutritionists, functional medicine practitioners, and women in wellness. With a unique blend of industry insight and technical expertise, Sam helps clients create impactful websites that attract, engage, and convert. When she’s not designing, you’ll find her sharing practical digital marketing tips to help wellness professionals grow their online presence with confidence.