Google Ads management for contractors

When someone types "plumber near me" or "roof repair" into Google, they want to hire someone soon. Google search ads can put your business in sponsored placements when those searches happen. Placement depends on the auction, ad quality and the search results layout.

That makes search ads one of the fastest ways for a contractor to get new calls. It also makes them one of the easiest ways to waste money. Home service keywords are some of the most expensive in local advertising, and a loosely built campaign will spend your budget on the wrong searches, the wrong towns and people who were never going to hire you.

How we run Google Ads for home service businesses

Keywords people use when they're ready to hire

We focus on high-intent searches: the service plus a location, "near me" searches, emergency and repair terms, and the specific jobs you want more of. We skip broad research searches like "how to fix a leaky faucet" that bring in DIYers.

Negative keywords from day one

We block searches that waste money, like jobs, training, DIY, parts, cheap or free, and services you don't offer. We keep adding to that list every week based on the search terms your ads showed for.

Tight targeting to your service area

We configure location targeting around the towns and zip codes you serve, review geographic performance and exclude areas that do not fit. Location signals are estimates, so lead qualification also checks the actual job address.

Campaigns split by service

A homeowner searching for "water heater replacement" should see an ad and a landing page about water heaters, not a generic homepage. We split campaigns by service so the ad, the keyword and the landing page all match, which gives visitors a more relevant experience and helps us test ad quality and cost.

Call tracking and conversion tracking

We track calls and form fills back to the campaign and keyword that produced them, so budget goes to whatever produces calls and quote requests. Your report shows cost per lead and booked jobs.

Landing pages that get the call

Paid traffic sent to a slow or confusing page is wasted. We build fast, focused landing pages with your phone number at the top, a short quote form, reviews and proof that you're licensed and insured. See our website design for contractors.

Google Ads vs. Local Services Ads vs. SEO

These are different spots on the same results page:

• Google Ads (search ads) appear at the top with a "Sponsored" label. You pay per click and control the keywords, ads and landing pages.
• Local Services Ads show with a Google badge, and you pay per lead. They're worth looking at alongside search ads for many trades.
• The map pack is free. It's driven by your Google Business Profile, reviews and local SEO. See Google Business Profile optimization.
• Organic results are also free and come from local SEO on your website.

Ads bring in calls quickly. SEO and your Google Business Profile build free leads over months. Most of our clients do both, with ads paying the bills while the free leads grow.

Planning your contractor PPC budget

Start with the jobs you want, the areas you can serve and what you can afford to spend to acquire a customer. Our advertising budget guide explains the lead-to-job calculation and why ad spend and management fees should be tracked separately. For help choosing channels, see advertising for contractors.

Pair it with follow-up

The best Google Ads campaign in the world can't fix a missed call. With our lead generation service, we also contact your leads, qualify them and book the appointment.