SEO vs Paid Ads ROI in 2025 | Trades Data Report

September 22, 2025

Average ROI from SEO vs Paid Ads in the Trades—What the 2025 Data Shows

If you’re running an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical business, you’ve probably asked:

‍“Should I spend more on SEO or paid ads?”

‍Thanks to real-world data pulled from CI Web Group’s SearchLight dashboard—tracking leads, revenue, and marketing performance—we now have a clear answer. Between January 1 and April 24, 2025, we reviewed results across both organic (SEO) and paid ad campaigns for home service businesses.

Here’s what we found.

SEO Gives You a Better Return and Costs Less

Take a look at the side-by-side numbers:

Metric	SEO (Organic)	Paid Ads
Spend	$539,651	$2,267,565
ROAS (Closed)	19.9x	4.4x
ROAS (Potential)	34x	10.2x
Cost per Paying Customer	$126.09	$552.93
Closed Revenue	$10.75M	$10.08M
Average Ticket	$2,682.51	$2,835.96

‍

Even though paid ads had a larger total spend and slightly higher ticket values, SEO delivered nearly 5x better return on ad spend, and at a fraction of the cost per paying customer.

Why SEO Keeps Working

One of SEO’s greatest strengths is that it continues to deliver results long after the initial work is done. Unlike paid ads, which disappear the moment you stop paying, a strong organic presence (including your Google Business Profile, website content, and directory rankings) keeps working in the background to bring in leads.

‍Well-built SEO efforts grow over time, helping your business show up more often, build more trust with customers, and generate better-quality leads without the need for constant spending.

It’s important to note: while SEO has a lasting impact, staying active helps you protect and strengthen your position.

Competitors who keep investing may eventually move ahead if you pause completely. Continued SEO efforts ensure that you improve and maintain your rankings.

‍Bottom line: SEO is one of the only marketing investments that continues to work, compound, and pay off well into the future.

Paid Ads Have a Purpose, But They Stop the Moment You Do

This isn’t about choosing one over the other. Paid ads are a valuable tool when used the right way. They’re especially useful for:

Promoting seasonal services
Filling your schedule during slow times
Launching into new service areas

But here’s the catch: When you rely only on paid ads, you're renting your visibility, not building it.The moment you stop paying, the leads stop coming.

There’s no slow decline. Your ads disappear immediately, and you’re right back to where you started, with no organic presence to fall back on.

That’s why the smartest contractors build a strong SEO foundation first—so your business keeps showing up even when you’re not running ads, and then use paid ads strategically for short-term pushes when you need them most.

Real-World Example From Our Data

Here’s a side-by-side example pulled directly from SearchLight:

Paid Ads

$2.26M spent
$10.08M closed revenue
4.4x ROAS
‍

SEO

$539K spent
$10.75M closed revenue
19.9x ROAS

Every dollar spent on SEO returned $19.90, while every dollar spent on ads returned $4.40. That’s a major difference. And a big reason why top contractors invest heavily in SEO first.

What Top Contractors Are Doing Right

When we look at the contractors getting the best results, they all follow a clear plan, and it's not random. It’s intentional, consistent, and based on what actually drives results:

1. Start with SEO to Build a Strong Foundation

Optimize Google, Bing, Yelp, and Directory Profiles So your business shows up where customers are already looking.
Create Service and Location-Based Website Content To capture more local searches and rank higher for the jobs you want.
Improve Site Speed, Structure, and Technical SEO So users stay longer, convert faster, and Google rewards you with better rankings.

→ Why it matters: Strong SEO turns your website and online presence into a 24/7 sales machine that doesn't stop working when ad budgets shift.

2. Add Paid Ads to Boost the Right Campaign

Target Seasonal Specials Like tune-ups, system installs, or emergency repairs during peak times.
Promote New Services Get quick visibility when launching services like indoor air quality, EV chargers, or new membership plans.
Fill Open Appointment Slots Quickly Drive last-minute bookings and prevent slow days from hurting your revenue.

→ Why it matters: Paid ads give you flexibility and speed, letting you respond to market needs but without becoming your only lead source.

3. Track Everything with Real Data

Measure ROAS and Cost per Lead So you know exactly which marketing efforts are making money and which are wasting it.
Use Dashboards like SearchLight Get real-time insights so you can adjust fast and stay ahead of competitors.

→ Why it matters: Marketing decisions based on guesswork cost more and deliver less. Tracking real numbers keeps you profitable and focused on what moves the needle.

In short:

Top contractors build stability with SEO, use paid ads strategically, and stay sharp by tracking the right data, not just "doing more marketing."

Final Takeaway: SEO Is the Proven Long-Term Winner

In the battle between SEO and paid ads for home service businesses, SEO stands out as the clear long-term winner. It’s more cost-effective.It drives better-quality leads. It multiplies your returns when combined with smart, strategic advertising.

Want to See How Your ROI Stacks Up?

At CI Web Group, we help home service businesses turn data into action and build marketing strategies that actually grow revenue.

👉 Book your free strategy session and find out where your biggest opportunities are.

Content overview 1

want to run a free website assessment?

Get your free SEO & AI Visibility Assessment. We’ll analyze how your website performs across Google and AI search engines — uncovering SEO gaps, speed issues, and LLM visibility opportunities that impact traffic and conversions.

Launch the most advanced AI-powered technology in the home services industry. Faster load times, higher rankings, greater visibility, and more conversions.

SPEAK TO AN EXPERT

TESTIMONIALS

What do our customers have to say about their experience with CI Web Group?

THE REAL STORY,
straight FROM OUR CUSTOMERS

I love this company! I have learned so much in a short amount of time. If your not working with them you definitely need to be.

Stacy

MAC Warehouse Air Conditioning & Heating

CI Web Group has been amazing to work with! Our company did a complete overhaul of our website and it turned out amazing. We have seen a substantial increase in calls and web traffic leading to a lot of new work since launching the new site. The whole team has been great to work with especially Vee & Addison. Can't recommend them enough if your looking to take your HVAC & Plumbing company's digital marketing to the next level!

Ben Warner

Warner Services

As someone who's worked with a lot of vendors, I can confidently say CI Web Group stands out in every way. From the moment we started working together on rebuilding the HRI Plumbing website, I was blown away by their professionalism, creativity, and the sheer amount of value they bring to the table. This experience has been nothing short of awesome. The attention to detail, responsiveness, and strategic thinking they’ve shown throughout the process continue to impress me. I'm genuinely excited about what we’ve accomplished so far and what’s still ahead. Thank you to the entire CI Web Group team—you’ve made a huge impact, and I truly appreciate everything you do.

Chris Williams

HRI Plumbing

I've been with CI Web Group for countless years and I can honestly say that they have always had me and my company's best interest first and always. I feel fully heard, and fully taken care of by all their staff. And it doesn't hurt that my business has increased substantially with their expertise.

Jen Coen

LJ Refrigeration

I had the pleasure of working with the CI Web Group team on an HVAC industry conference. The team helped with marketing including email, landing page development and website development. The team members are responsive and dedicated to ensuring that their clients are satisfied with the outcome. They were quick to make any changes I suggested and forthcoming with thoughts and ideas which was very helpful. I would highly recommend them!

Brittany Doering

TACCA

CI Web Group has been such a joy to work with. They have been so thorough and proactive with all the onboarding and project management. For the first time since managing my company's marketing department, I have confidence that everything is being handled in a timely manner without having to micromanage them! I highly recommend CI Web Group!

Hannah Messer

Springdale Heating & Air

We have used CI Web Group for years for our website design, SEO and SEM services for our HVAC company. Our results and reporting have been stellar. We have worked with a few other online marketing companies and none of them have been as on top of web edits for us. They do a fantastic job communicating updates and new products, offer monthly reporting to ensure they are tracking results, and every single team member is easy to reach and are great communicators. Hoda has been especially wonderful lately as our lead point of contact for a complete website relaunch. A+ service and performance.

Midwest Comfort

Such a professional marketing company with team members that understand the in and outs of marketing and service. Vee is an all-star, Beca helped me create an awesome website. Can not say enough about how great CI Web Group is. I have had 3 marketing companies in the last 10-years and no one has processes like CI Web Group. Such a blessing working with Vee and Beca!!

Ryan Black

Integrity Refrigeration & AC

Great company. They stay on top of the latest industry information to make sure my business stays relevant on Google. Vee and Andrew and the rest of the team always is super attentive to me and is there when I need them. Thank you very much for what you do!

Shane Viggiani

Ampere Electric

Absolutely fantastic group of people!! Everyone we have worked with has been 100% top tier! Very friendly and extremely helpful, regardless of whether you are an SEO novice or Pro. They always make sure you have exactly what you need!

Zack Grossenburg

Mr. Breeze Heating & Cooling

CI Web Group always provides excellent service. We would recommend them to anyone. Thank you for taking such good care of Sinclair Air.

Sinclair Air

CI web group was a game changer for Econo West Air we have been amazed on how professional they are. ... Not to mention my inquiries on my web page are off the charts.

Dave Kerr

Econo West Air

CI has built the engine that can- it it just keeps getting better and further ahead.

Stephanie Allen

Air Works Solutions

TemperaturePro San Antonio began working with CI web Group in early 2023 to transition over website services. The process was painless & smooth. The entire team, from onboarding, development, content and support, have all been amazing to work with. Each division is incredibly responsive and keeps me in the loop on all processes. I would highly recommend CI Web Group.

Courtney Meier

TemperaturePro

I’VE BEEN WITH CI WEB FOR YEARS, THE NEW AI ENABLED WEB PLATFORM GETS BETTER RANKINGS

Reviewer name

CI Web Group is hands-down the BEST marketing company we have ever worked with. From day one, they made us feel like family—not just another client. They don’t just provide amazing marketing services; they truly care. Whenever we’re thriving, they cheer us on, and whenever we’re struggling, they recognize it and jump in immediately to help. Their team has built us the best website we’ve ever had, delivered top-notch SEO that actually works, and given us expert advice on all things Google—from Local Service Ads to PPC. Every single thing they do is A+ quality. If you’re looking for a marketing company that delivers results AND genuinely has your back, CI Web Group is the only choice. We can’t recommend them enough!

Amanda Fairbrother

Cherry Blossom Plumbing