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The $9,000 Lesson: What We Learned Testing Google Ads vs. Organic Growth
Case Study: Why paid clicks can’t compete with long-term visibility, and how Colorado business owners can build a lead engine that never turns off
Amber Hoffman
November 11, 2025
Every business owner has had that moment — the one where you spend big money on marketing and wonder if it was actually worth it.
For us, that moment came this year when we decided to test Google Ads again. After nearly two years of relying solely on SEO, our Google Business Profile, and organic visibility, we thought a short paid campaign might give us that extra push for a strong end of year.
Instead, it gave us one of our most expensive lessons to date — a $9,000 mistake that reminded us exactly why we stopped paying for clicks in the first place.
This latest episode of Blueprint to Business dives into the real numbers behind Google Ads versus organic growth. And more importantly, what business owners can do now to build a lead system that doesn’t depend on a monthly ad budget.
~ Brought to you by Amber & Eric Hoffman of Bumble Bee Blinds of Boulder and The FS Agency, this newsletter is your go-to resource for scaling and thriving as a Colorado home services business owner. We help you drive more leads.
Google Ads vs. Organic Growth: The Real ROI
Google Ads can seem like the fast track to growth. You turn them on, the calls start coming in, and you feel like the system is working. But when you dig into the details — lead quality, profitability, and long-term value — the picture changes fast.
In our test, ad-driven leads were often unqualified, looking for services we don’t offer, or simply price shopping. Even the few that converted had lower average order values than our organic leads. In other words, we paid more for customers who spent less.
When the ad spend stopped, so did the leads. It’s like a faucet — turn it off, and the flow stops immediately. Compare that to organic visibility, where every blog post, photo gallery, GBP update, and YouTube video keeps working in the background, building trust and visibility over time. That’s the real ROI.
Watch our Case Study Analysis on YouTube.
The 3-Pronged Growth Strategy Every Local Business Needs
At FS Agency, our data continues to confirm what we’ve seen across dozens of Colorado businesses: long-term growth comes from a three-pronged approach.
Your Website: The foundation of everything. Well-written service pages, optimized for both Google and AI search, give customers confidence that you’re the expert they’ve been looking for. Every new piece of content adds to your authority and visibility.
Your Google Business Profile: It’s your digital storefront. An optimized GBP with consistent updates, new project photos, and quick responses to reviews builds trust with both customers and Google’s algorithm. Many of our clients get more leads from their GBP than from their entire website combined.
AI Visibility: This is the next evolution of SEO. People are asking ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity for local service recommendations — and if your business isn’t optimized for AI answers, you’re missing out on a growing share of search traffic. AI SEO helps your business appear where modern customers are looking, not where they used to look.
Together, these three layers build what we call a “lead engine” — one that runs even when you’re not spending on ads.
When the Credit Card Stops, Does Your Lead Flow Stop Too?
The hardest truth about paid ads is that they stop working the moment you stop paying. The strongest businesses in 2026 will be the ones investing in visibility that compounds — not evaporates.
Our focus now is to help business owners build that kind of momentum. At Bumble Bee Blinds of Boulder, our own goal for 2026 is to increase revenue by 50% while empowering our team to run the business day to day. That means doubling down on SEO, Google Business Profile optimization, and AI Visibility so our leads keep coming in — even when we’re not in the field chasing them.
If you’re tired of paying Google every month just to stay visible, it might be time for a better approach.
Watch the video below. It could be the best 11 minutes you’ve spent on your business this week!
Ready to Drive More Leads Heading into 2026?
If this topic hit home, reply to this email or schedule a time to chat with Amber about what your long-term visibility strategy could look like.
Let’s build a lead engine that doesn’t turn off when your ads do.
At FS Agency, we know not every business wants (or needs) a full-blown $2,500 operations and marketing overhaul. That’s why we’ve rolled out new, flexible service options built for local home service businesses who want to grow smarter heading into 2026.
👉 Check out our new Services Page to explore affordable packages that help you:
Get more visibility in Google and AI search
Optimize your Google Business Profile
Build a consistent local lead engine, without paid ads
Because the businesses who win next year are the ones preparing right now.
 | As we’ve worked to grow our own home services businesses, we’ve discovered strategies, tools, and lessons that we believe can benefit others in our community. Why go it alone when you can learn, grow, and succeed together? We’ve traveled the world, lived overseas, and scaled a variety of businesses to exit. Now, we call Broomfield home! We founded the FS Agency to help other small businesses drive more leads and scale their businesses! |