When Google Ads is worth it for a contractor
Clicks in the trades are expensive because the jobs are valuable. In the GTA an emergency plumbing or HVAC click can run $20 to $45. That is fine if your average job is worth several hundred dollars and you close a reasonable share of calls.
| Input | Example |
|---|---|
| Cost per click | $25 |
| Clicks needed per call | 8 |
| Cost per call | $200 |
| Calls that book | 1 in 3 |
| Cost per booked job | $600 |
| Average job value | $2,400 |
Track cost per booked job, not cost per click. A cheap click that never books is the most expensive thing in the account.
Structure the account around the money
Do not put every service in one campaign. Split by profitability so a low value service cannot eat the budget for a high value one.
- One campaign per major service line, for example furnace replacement, AC repair, drain service.
- Tight ad groups so the ad matches the exact search.
- Location targeting set to presence in your service area, not interest.
- Ad schedule matched to when you can actually answer the phone.
- Call extensions and location extensions on every campaign.
- Landing page that matches the search, not the homepage.
The negative keywords that save the most money
Broad match will find you every DIY enthusiast, job seeker and student in Ontario. Block them on day one.
- Jobs, hiring, salary, apprentice, career, school, course, training
- Free, cheap, DIY, how to, tutorial, video, YouTube
- Parts, manual, diagram, wiring, error code, troubleshooting
- Rental, used, wholesale, supplier, for sale
- Cities and regions outside your service area
Then read the search terms report weekly for the first month. Every account has its own strange waste, and only the report will show you.
If you cannot measure calls, you are guessing
- Turn on call conversion tracking so calls from ads are counted.
- Track form submissions as conversions with the page they came from.
- Import booked jobs where you can, so Google optimises to revenue rather than raw leads.
- Record which calls turn into jobs, even if it is a spreadsheet. It beats no data.
Do not forget Local Services Ads
Google Local Services Ads sit above regular ads and charge per lead instead of per click. They require background checks and licence verification, which is exactly why they convert well. For most GTA contractors the right answer is LSAs plus a focused search campaign, not one or the other.
FAQ
What is a realistic Google Ads budget for a contractor?
In the GTA, most single trade contractors need at least $1,500 to $3,000 a month to gather enough data to optimise. Below that you can still get jobs, but the account learns slowly and results swing week to week.
Should contractors use Performance Max?
Not as the first campaign. Start with search, where you control the keywords and can see the search terms. Performance Max can be useful later once you have conversion data worth optimising against.
Why are my Google Ads leads bad quality?
Usually three causes: no negative keywords, broad match without supervision, and sending clicks to a generic homepage. Fix those before you blame the platform.
