How to Run Google Ads That Actually Convert

Hi, it's Tee.

Most local businesses that try Google Ads and quit did not fail because ads do not work. They failed because of a few fixable mistakes. Here are the seven that cost the most money.

1. Match the ad to what the person searched

If someone searches "emergency plumber Washington DC" and your ad says "Quality Plumbing Services," you lose to the ad that says "Emergency Plumber in DC, Call Now." Write ads that repeat the words of the search.

2. Add negative keywords

Negative keywords tell Google what you do not want to pay for. A roofer should block "jobs," "salary," "free" and "DIY." Check your search terms report every week and add the junk. This one step often stops a big share of wasted spend.

3. Target only where you work

Set your location to the areas you actually serve and make sure it targets people in or regularly in the area, not people who are just interested in it. Paying for clicks from outside your service area is money gone.

4. Send people to a page built for the ad

Do not send ad clicks to your homepage. Send them to a page about that one service, with your phone number at the top, a clear button, and a short form. It should load fast on a phone. Most of your clicks come from mobile. If your current site is holding you back, our web design team builds pages specifically for high conversions.

5. Run ads when you can answer the phone

If nobody picks up after 5 pm, do not pay for clicks at 9 pm, unless you have a way to catch the lead. Use ad schedules to match your hours, and use call extensions so people can tap to call.

6. Be careful with Google's automatic recommendations

Google will suggest broader targeting, higher budgets and auto-applied changes. Some help. Many just spend more of your money. Read each one before you accept it, and turn off auto-apply for anything that changes your keywords or targeting.

7. Track calls and forms, not clicks

A click is not a customer. Set up conversion tracking for phone calls and form fills, then judge your ads by cost per lead. Without this you are guessing.

We start every Google Ads account the same way: read the search terms report, find what people actually typed, and block the clicks that have nothing to do with the job. It costs nothing to do, and it is where most wasted spend hides.

We are also running Local Services Ads for a Maryland remodeling contractor. Those charge per lead instead of per click, so the numbers to watch change. In the first 7 days that account spent about $1,350 and got 6 paid leads, which is about $225 per lead. You judge ads like that by cost per lead and by whether those leads turn into real jobs. One remodeling job can pay for a lot of leads.

Give it time and a real budget

Google needs data to learn what works. Changing everything every two days resets the process. Set it up properly, let it run for a couple of weeks, then adjust based on cost per lead.

If you would rather not do all of this yourself, our Google Ads management handles setup, weekly checks and tracking. If you run a home service business in Washington, DC, Maryland or Virginia and want to see what this could look like for you, contact us for a free ads plan and we will run the numbers for your area.