When to use SEO, when to use PPC, when to use both — with honest timelines and cost analysis.
SEO takes three to six months to generate meaningful traffic for implant keywords. It requires consistent content publishing, technical optimization, and link building. It's not instant gratification.
But once established, SEO generates leads at zero marginal cost. Every patient who finds you through organic search costs you nothing beyond the initial investment. And the returns compound — each piece of quality content makes everything else on your site perform better. After twelve months, SEO typically delivers the highest ROI of any marketing channel.
SEO also builds permanent authority. Unlike ads that stop when spend stops, organic rankings persist. A well-built SEO foundation continues generating patients even if you pause investment temporarily.
Google Ads generates implant inquiries within days of launch. No waiting for rankings to build. No content to publish. You pay, you appear, patients call. For practices that need immediate volume — new practices, practices launching new services, practices in competitive markets — PPC provides what SEO can't: speed.
The trade-off: PPC costs every month, forever. Stop spending, stop receiving patients. Cost per click for implant terms runs $5-$25 in Canadian markets. Cost per patient typically runs $200-$500 for single implants, $500-$2,000 for full arch. At competitive market rates, PPC can consume significant budget.
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