Paid search
Mr. Birria
Restaurant
- Store visits
- 10,800+
- Phone leads
- 1,500+
Google Ads report
See the case study →SEM agency · San Diego, CA
San Diego Search Engine Marketing Agency
Search engine marketing (SEM) gets your business found on Google two ways: paid search with Google Ads and organic search with SEO, run together by one team.
Google Partner- Month to month
- Serving clients nationwide
Try:
Example results for “roof repair near me”: ad, map, AI overview, organic.
Example preview. Real results vary by search and location. Tags show the GreenFlow service behind each spot.
The basics
What is search engine marketing?
Search engine marketing (SEM) is the work of getting a business found on search engines like Google, through paid search ads and organic search results. Paid search puts your ad at the top of Google today. SEO earns the free results and map listings that keep bringing customers over time.
Google Ads
Paid search
- Your ad at the top of Google, above the free results
- You pay when someone clicks, and you set the budget
- Starts fast, and stops when the budget stops
SEO and local SEO
Organic search
- The free results and the Google Maps listings
- Earned with a strong website, helpful pages and a complete Google Business Profile
- Slower to build, and keeps working without a cost per click
How paid and organic work together
They work best as one plan. The searches that bring calls from your ads show which pages SEO should build next. As organic rankings grow, ad budget can move to the searches you do not rank for yet. And when you show up in both the ads and the free results, you take up more of the page your customer is looking at.
What we do
Our search engine marketing services
Paid and organic search from one team, with every lead tracked back to where it came from.
Google Ads management
Search, Performance Max and local campaigns built around calls, forms and booked jobs, run by a Google Partner agency.
Google Ads managementSan Diego PPC agency
SEO
A fast website Google can read, pages that answer what your customers search for, and business details set up so Google and AI tools know who you are.
SEO services
Local SEO
Your Google Business Profile, local pages and reviews, so you show up on Google Maps when people nearby search for what you do.
Local SEO
Tracking and reporting
Every call and form tracked back to the ad or search that brought it, and a plain-language report each month on what brought in business.
Real client reports
What SEM costs with us
- $1,200 a monthGoogle Ads management, Google or Meta plan, plus ad spend
- $1,000 a monthLocal SEO, one location
- $2,000 a monthSEO + AI Search, content and AI visibility
Any SEO plan plus any Google Ads plan: save 10% on both monthly fees. Every marketing plan is month to month. See every plan
Why run both
Why run Google Ads and SEO together
Ads bring calls now
Google Ads can put you at the top of Google as soon as the campaigns go live, so the phone rings while SEO is still building.
SEO keeps building
Pages and rankings keep bringing visits without paying for each click, and the work adds up month after month.
Each one sharpens the other
Ad data shows which searches turn into customers, so SEO goes after the words that pay. Where you rank well, ad budget moves to where you do not yet.
Real accounts
SEM results from real clients
Paid and organic, from accounts we work on. Every figure is read off the report for that account, with the date range the report prints, and the full case study is one click away.
Paid search
SD Food Truck Pros
Food Truck Manufacturing
- Quote requests
- 1,592+
- Phone call leads
- 950+
Google Ads report
See the case study →SEO
Nucave Construction
ADU & Custom Home Builder
- Pages indexed by Google
- 109
- Impressions in Google AI features
- 1.47K
Google Search Console
See the case study →Simple steps
How we work with you
- STEP 01
Free strategy call.
We look at your market, your website and any ads you run now. You leave with a plan for paid and organic search, whether or not you hire us.
- STEP 02
Build the base.
Call and form tracking first, then Google Ads campaigns around your best services, and the SEO fixes and pages your site needs.
- STEP 03
Improve every month.
Search terms cleaned up every week, new pages and local work added, and a plain-language report on what brought in calls.
FAQ
Search engine marketing questions
Straight answers on what SEM is, what it costs and how long it takes.
What is search engine marketing (SEM)?
Search engine marketing, or SEM, is everything a business does to get found on search engines like Google. Today it usually covers two things: paid search, the ads at the top of Google that you pay for per click, and organic search, the free results and map listings you earn with SEO and local SEO. Some people use SEM to mean paid search only. We use it for both, because that is how your customers see the results page.
What is the difference between SEM and SEO?
SEO is one part of SEM. SEO earns the free, organic results: your website's rankings, your Google Business Profile and the map listings. SEM also includes paid search, where you pay for ads that show above those results. SEO keeps working without a cost per click but takes months to build. Ads can start bringing calls soon after launch, but they stop when the budget stops.
What is the difference between SEM and PPC?
PPC, pay per click, is the pricing model where you pay each time someone clicks your ad. On Google, PPC means Google Ads, the paid half of SEM. SEM is the wider job of getting found on search, paid and organic. If you only want ads, see our San Diego PPC agency page.
How much does search engine marketing cost?
It depends on the mix. Google Ads management is $1,200 a month on our Google or Meta plan, plus your ad spend, which you pay directly to Google. Local SEO is $1,000 a month, and SEO + AI Search is $2,000 a month. Run any SEO plan together with any Google Ads plan and you save 10% on both monthly fees. Every marketing plan is month to month. See pricing for what each plan includes.
How long does SEM take to show results?
The two halves run on different clocks. Google Ads can put you at the top of Google as soon as the campaigns are live; month one goes into tracking and structure, and by month three the pattern is usually clear: which searches bring calls, and at what cost. SEO takes longer, usually months rather than weeks, and it compounds: the pages and rankings you build keep bringing visits without a cost per click. That is why many businesses start both at once.
Do you work with businesses outside San Diego?
Yes. We are based in San Diego, CA and serve clients nationwide. Google Ads and SEO work the same wherever you are, and our case studies include David's Body Shop in Kenner, Louisiana. In North County, see Google Ads in Carlsbad and local SEO in Carlsbad.
Search marketing around San Diego County
Get found on Google, paid and organic
Book a free strategy call with the founder. We will look at your market and tell you honestly which mix of Google Ads and SEO fits your budget.