Everything Home Service Businesses Need to Know About PPC
- Fretchie Gay Monterde
- Mar 4
- 7 min read
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Key Takeaways
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising is one of the most effective ways to generate leads for home service businesses.
Google Search Ads should be your top priority, with Local Service Ads as a secondary focus.
A successful PPC strategy starts with manual CPC bidding and transitions to smart bidding after collecting conversion data.
Landing pages play a crucial role in lead generation and must be optimized for conversions.
Accurate conversion tracking is essential for measuring cost per lead and return on ad spend (ROAS).
What Is PPC for Home Services & Why Does It Matter?
The Power of PPC Advertising for Home Service Businesses
If you're in the home services industry—whether you're a plumber, electrician, HVAC contractor, or roofer—you know that getting new leads is the lifeblood of your business. Traditional marketing methods like word-of-mouth and local print ads still have their place, but in today's digital world, the fastest way to get more calls and booked jobs is through Google Ads.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising allows you to place your business at the top of Google search results, ensuring that when someone searches for "emergency plumber near me" or "roof repair services," your business is front and center. Unlike SEO, which can take months to show results, PPC delivers instant visibility and high-quality leads—as long as it's done right.
Why PPC Works So Well for Home Service Businesses
High Intent Searches: When people search for home services, they usually need help right now—which means they’re ready to book.
Top Placement in Search Results: With Google Ads, you don’t have to wait months to rank organically; you can appear at the top immediately.
Only Pay for Clicks: Unlike traditional advertising, you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad, making it highly cost-effective.
Control Over Budget & Performance: You can adjust your bids, target the right locations, and optimize based on real-time data.
The Difference Between Google Search Ads & Local Service Ads
When it comes to PPC for home services, there are two primary Google ad types you should focus on:
1. Google Search Ads
These are the text-based ads that appear at the top of Google’s search results. When someone searches for "HVAC repair near me," you can bid on that keyword to show your ad. These ads are highly effective because they capture high-intent users actively looking for your service.
✅ Best for: Businesses that want full control over their ads, targeting, and landing page experience.
2. Local Service Ads (LSAs)
These are the ads that appear at the very top of Google under the "Google Guaranteed" badge. Instead of paying per click, you pay per lead (phone call or message). Google screens businesses before they can run LSAs, which can boost credibility.
✅ Best for: Home service businesses looking to maximize phone call leads without managing complex campaigns.
PPC vs. Other Digital Marketing Methods
Marketing Channel | Speed of Results | Cost Control | Lead Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
Google PPC Ads | Fast | High | High |
SEO | Slow (Months) | Moderate | High |
Social Media Ads | Fast | High | Lower |
Email Marketing | Slow | Low | Moderate |
While SEO is great for long-term growth, PPC offers quicker visibility and predictable lead flow. Social media ads work well for brand awareness, but Google PPC delivers high-intent leads who are ready to book a service.
How to Set Up a Profitable PPC Campaign
1. Start with Manual CPC Bidding
One of the biggest mistakes home service businesses make is jumping straight into Google’s automated bidding strategies without enough conversion data.
Here’s the best approach:
Start with Manual CPC Bidding – This gives you full control over your cost per click and prevents Google from overspending before it understands your audience.
Switch to Max Conversions Bidding – Once you have 15-20 good leads over 30-45 days, you can let Google optimize for conversions automatically.
Example: For our client AmishCo, we started with manual CPC, collected conversion data, and then switched to Max Conversions bidding. Over time, we cut their cost per lead from $216 to $117.
2. Choose the Right Keywords
The success of your PPC campaign starts with choosing the right keywords. Focus on keywords with high intent—meaning people searching are ready to hire, not just looking for information.
Best Keyword Types for Home Services
✔ "Emergency HVAC repair near me"
✔ "Plumbing services in [your city]"
✔ "Best roofing contractor in [your city]"
✔ "Garage door repair 24/7"
🚫 Avoid Broad Keywords Like:
"HVAC tips"
"DIY plumbing repairs"
"How to fix a leaky faucet"
These keywords attract researchers, not buyers—wasting your ad spend.
3. Use Highly Targeted Ad Copy
Your ad copy needs to be clear, specific, and compelling.
Here’s a simple formula that works:
Headline: Emergency Plumber Available 24/7 in [City]
Description: Fast, Affordable Plumbing Services. Call Now for Immediate Help!
Call-to-Action (CTA): Schedule Your Service Today!
💡 Pro Tip: Mention your unique selling points (e.g., "Licensed & Insured," "Same-Day Service," "5-Star Rated") to stand out.
4. Optimize Your Landing Pages
Driving traffic is just half the battle—you need a high-converting landing page to turn clicks into leads.
Key Landing Page Elements:
✔ Clear Headline: Reinforce your offer (e.g., "Fast & Reliable HVAC Repairs – Call Now!")
✔ Strong CTA: Make it easy to book a service (e.g., "Call Now" or "Get a Free Quote")
✔ Trust Signals: Display reviews, badges, or certifications.
✔ Mobile Optimization: 70%+ of searches for home services happen on mobile devices—make sure your page loads fast and is easy to navigate.
5. Set Up Accurate Conversion Tracking
If you’re not tracking conversions properly, you’ll have no idea what’s working and what’s not.
Set up Google Ads conversion tracking to measure:
Phone calls
Form submissions
Live chat inquiries
This ensures you can track cost per lead and return on ad spend (ROAS).
6. Improve Ad Relevance & Quality Score
Google assigns a Quality Score to your ads based on relevance, landing page experience, and expected click-through rate (CTR). A higher Quality Score lowers your cost per click (CPC) and improves your ad rank.
Steps to Improve Quality Score:
✔ Write Highly Relevant Ad Copy: Match your ad text to the keywords you’re targeting.
✔ Optimize Landing Pages: Ensure the page provides a seamless experience that matches the ad.
✔ Improve Click-Through Rate (CTR): Test different headlines, descriptions, and CTAs to see what gets the most engagement.
3. Adjust Bids Based on Performance Data
Once your campaign has been running for a few weeks, analyze the data and adjust bids based on performance.
Increase bids on keywords driving high-quality leads.
Lower bids or pause keywords that are getting clicks but not converting.
Use bid adjustments to target specific devices, locations, and times when conversions are highest.
4. A/B Test Your Ads & Landing Pages
Even small tweaks can make a big difference. Continuously test different versions of your ads and landing pages to improve performance.
✅ Test Ad Variations: Experiment with different headlines, offers, and CTAs.
✅ Test Landing Page Elements: Try different headlines, images, and form placements to see what converts best.
5. Scale Up with Smart Bidding
Once you have 15-20 good leads within a 30-45 day period, you can test Google’s smart bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions or Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition).
Pro Tip: Don’t switch to smart bidding too early! Google needs enough conversion data to optimize properly.
Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
Even experienced advertisers can make mistakes that hurt their PPC performance. Here are some common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
1. Not Tracking Conversions Properly
Without proper conversion tracking, you won’t know what’s working and what’s wasting money.
Solution: Set up conversion tracking for phone calls, form submissions, and booked appointments in Google Ads and Google Analytics.
2. Targeting Too Broad an Audience
If your targeting is too broad, you’ll waste money on clicks from people who aren’t your ideal customers.
Solution: Use exact match and phrase match keywords instead of broad match. Also, exclude irrelevant locations if you only serve specific areas.
3. Ignoring Negative Keywords
Failing to add negative keywords leads to wasted spend on low-intent searches.
Solution: Regularly review search terms and add negative keywords like “DIY,” “cheap,” and “free.”
4. Sending Traffic to a Generic Website Page
Your homepage is not optimized for conversions—sending PPC traffic there will reduce your lead generation potential.
Solution: Use dedicated landing pages with strong CTAs, trust signals, and mobile-friendly designs.
5. Setting & Forgetting Your Campaigns
PPC campaigns require ongoing optimization. If you don’t monitor them regularly, your performance will decline.
Solution: Review your campaign weekly, analyzing performance metrics like CTR, conversion rate, and cost per lead. Make adjustments based on data.
Key Takeaways & Next Steps
PPC is one of the best ways to generate leads for home service businesses.
Start with manual CPC bidding, then switch to smart bidding once you have conversion data.
Use high-intent keywords and write ad copy that speaks directly to your ideal customer.
Optimize your landing pages for mobile and conversions.
Monitor and refine your campaign weekly to maximize ROI.
Ready to Get More Leads for Your Home Service Business?
If you need expert help setting up or optimizing your PPC campaigns, Good Growth specializes in high-performing Google Ads for home service businesses.
Contact us today to see how we can help you get more leads at a lower cost!
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