Many movers ask this sooner or later: is buying moving leads worth it, or should the money go into moving SEO and your own ads? The honest answer is that it depends on your numbers, and those numbers are easy to leave unwritten. This article sets out the plain pros and cons of each, and a simple way to test them against your own records.
Moving Company SEO is an independent referral service, not a marketing agency and not a lead seller. When you send the form, your details go to an independent marketing agency that prepares any proposal and does any work.
What bought leads do well
- They start quickly. Sign up, set your area, and leads arrive without building anything.
- They fill gaps. A slow month or a new area can be topped up.
- They need no website or ad skills. The seller does the advertising.
The downside of bought leads
- Shared leads are a race. A shared lead goes to more than one mover, so the job often goes to whoever replies first with a clear quote.
- Exclusive is the seller’s word. You cannot see whether the customer also asked other movers elsewhere.
- Nothing builds up. When you stop paying, the leads stop. There is no profile, page or account left working for you.
- You do not control the ads. For interstate movers, 49 CFR 375.207 names “You and your agents”. Ask how a seller advertises moves that reach you, and ask a lawyer whether a seller counts as your agent.
What moving SEO and your own channels do well
- The leads are yours alone. Nobody else was sold the same name.
- The work builds. A complete Google Business Profile, genuine reviews and good pages keep working after the work is done.
- You control the message. Your ads, your pages, your registered name and USDOT number shown the way you approve.
And appearing in Google Search costs nothing in itself; Google says it does not accept payment to rank a site higher, and there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. The cost of SEO is the work, done by you or by an agency.
The downside of your own channels
- They take time. Profiles, pages and reviews build up gradually, and Google publishes no timeline.
- Nobody can promise results. Google says no one can promise a top ranking.
- They need steady attention. Reviews have to be asked for, pages kept current, and ads watched.
Between the two sits Google’s own Local Services Ads: you pay only for leads related to your business, and the leads come to you as calls and messages through your own ad.
Want to know what your own channels could do? An independent agency that works with movers can look at your listing and site and prepare a proposal.
Get a proposalTest it with your own numbers
The only fair comparison is the cost of winning a job, not the cost of a lead. For a set period, keep a simple record for every source, bought leads, Local Services Ads, search ads, your Google listing and your website:
| For each source | Write down |
|---|---|
| Leads | How many arrived |
| Quoted | How many you could quote |
| Booked | How many became moves |
| Spent | What the source cost you that month |
| Cost per booked move | Spent divided by booked |
The last line answers the question for your company. Many movers keep a mix: bought leads to fill gaps while their own channels grow, and less buying if their own channels bring in more. Whatever the mix, measure it.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Where do the leads come from, and how are they advertised?
- How many movers receive each shared lead?
- How is an exclusive lead kept exclusive?
- What is the policy on bad leads?
- How long does any contract run, and how do I end it?
For more, see the guide to moving leads and, for building your own, local SEO for movers. To get a written proposal, send the form. Asking is free and you never have to hire anyone.
Questions movers ask
Are shared moving leads worth buying?
They can fill gaps, but you are competing with other movers for each one. Measure the cost per booked move against your other sources.
Is moving SEO better than buying leads?
They do different jobs. Bought leads start quickly and stop when you stop paying; SEO builds over time and the leads are yours alone. Many movers use both and measure each.
Can I stop buying leads all at once?
Many owners prefer to taper off rather than stop in one go. Keep buying where the record shows bought leads still book moves at a fair cost, and cut back as your own channels bring in more.