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AdWords vs SEO: which is best for your school’s marketing strategy?

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There are many difficult choices to make when running an independent school.

What will the school play be this year?

Which grade can go for lunch first? 

What strength coffee to buy for the teacher’s lounge? (In our opinion – anything that’s not decaf!)

Another choice you might have to make: whether to use Google AdWords (AKA Google Ads) or search engine optimisation (SEO).

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Both are excellent choices for boosting your school’s brand, and we regularly sing the praises of the two marketing channels on our blog. 

However, when your marketing team is as small as your budget, you may not have the time or money to concentrate on both.

If you’re wondering what the difference between SEO and Google AdWords is, we’ve put this AdWords vs SEO comparison guide together to help your school with their marketing strategy. 

AdWords vs SEO: which will come out on top? Let’s find out!

The advantages of SEO for schools

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  • It’s affordable. SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing channels around for schools, meaning you can maximise your return on investment. Many SEO tools are low-cost and no-cost, meaning you can get started with keyword research quickly.
  • It generates traffic continuously. SEO continues to work long after your campaign is over. You can see organic traffic come through to your website for years afterwards!
  • It builds brand loyalty. With SEO, you’re providing prospective parents and students with content that is of value, whether that’s an informative blog or an inspiring guest post. This means you build a steady and committed fan base over time.
  • You can use it to build relationships with those in your community. Certain aspects of SEO, like link building and outreach, mean you’re working closely with other local organisations and building your school’s network. With Google AdWords, you’re more of a lone wolf.

The disadvantages of SEO for schools

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  • It can take a long time to see results. SEO isn’t immediate, and you might have to wait up to twelve months for your pages to rank.
  • You have to invest time and effort. While SEO for schools is low-cost compared to Google Ads, you must put in the work. You have to create and implement a strategy, review your progress, and make changes if you’re not ranking as high as you thought.
  • There’s no guarantee you’ll get the results you want. We all want that coveted top spot on the first page of Google, but not all of us will get it. Even if your SEO strategy is perfect, you might still lose out to a competitor due to circumstances beyond your control.
  • You can get a penalty if you do SEO wrong. Google has a strict set of guidelines when it comes to SEO, and if you break the rules, you can see your search engine rankings take a significant dive.

The advantages of AdWords for schools

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  • You can appear at the top of Google Ads. While there is no guarantee that you’ll get the number one spot with SEO, you can ensure your ad appears at the top of Google… for the right price, of course.
  • It works immediately. You can appear in Google seconds after setting up your Google Ads campaign for your independent school. This makes AdWords ideal if you’re looking for fast results.
  • There are a wide range of ad types to use. With SEO, you’re limited to the search engine results. However with AdWords, you can showcase your brand on YouTube, other websites, and even mobile apps!
  • You can target your ads to suit the right people. With SEO, you might have a specific target audience in mind. However, everyone who uses Google can potentially see your content, meaning you still run the risk of low-quality traffic. With Google Ads, you can target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, even the type of phone they use. This means more chances of qualified leads.

The disadvantages of AdWords for schools

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  • Google Ads for schools is ‘pay to play’. Your ads will only appear when you spend money on them. When you pause your campaign, you lose your placement.
  • It can be expensive. Certain keywords and ad types can be pricier than others. This means if your campaign is not optimised correctly or you go after overly competitive keywords, you can end up spending a lot of money.
  • It’s high maintenance. Once your campaign is set up, you’ll need to spend time amending your keywords, budgets, and assets. You don’t want your cost per click to start creeping up or to lose the top ad spot to one of your rivals.
  • People distrust ads. Some people aren’t willing to click on Google Ads, with many seeing organic listings as more trustworthy.

Should I invest in SEO or Google Ads?

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AdWords vs SEO… which is the right option for your school?

We recommend that all schools use SEO as a starting point. It’s affordable, sustainable, and delivers a steady flow of organic traffic in the long term. Think of SEO like a core GCSE subject like English, maths, or science – it’s something you need to do.

However, if you’re looking for fast results or want to find new leads, AdWords is worth considering. Think of Google Ads like an optional GCSE subject like drama, history, or art. Google Ads isn’t mandatory for your school’s marketing to thrive, but it can give you the edge over your competitors.

You can even use the two marketing channels together to drive the best results. For example, you can use Google Ads to determine the validity of the SEO keywords you’ve chosen. 

Then, run ads for your chosen keywords and see which leads to the most conversions. This will give you a strong indication of which words and phrases to prioritise on your website.

So, in the big AdWords vs SEO battle, which wins? We’d say SEO, but just by the tiniest of margins. 

At Bubblegum Search, we believe digital marketing should be open and accessible, even to the smallest organisations. 

Our team of experts are dedicated to helping independent schools and educational establishments make the most of their marketing, whether they opt for Google Ads, SEO, or both.

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Our free marketing plan will help you determine what marketing channels you should use to reach more parents, boost publicity, and drive enrolments. 

We’ll then put a customised plan of action together for you so you can start raising awareness right away.

Give us a try – your marketing plan is free of charge and completely no obligation, so you have nothing to lose.

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