$250/month
Keep a small, focused campaign running.Useful for one service in one defined area where relevant clicks are affordable. If your market is expensive, $250 may not be enough to generate meaningful data — and we'll tell you that.
GOOGLE ADS
Get in front of people already searching for what you do.
Google Ads can put your business in front of potential customers at the point they're actively searching for your services.
Advertising spend is paid separately to Google.
Capture demand that's already there.
Facebook and Instagram are great for putting a business in front of people. Google Search works differently.
Someone searching “roofer Auckland”, “mobile mechanic New Plymouth” or “heat pump installation Hamilton” has already told us something important: they're looking for that service.
That makes Google particularly useful for trades and service businesses where customers commonly search online when they need something done.
Higher intent can make Google particularly valuable.
Someone who sees your business while scrolling through social media may be interested, but they weren't necessarily looking for it.
Someone searching “roof replacement Auckland” or “emergency plumber North Shore” is further along. That is the basic idea behind search intent.
Google Ads lets us focus on searches that suggest somebody may actually be in the market for the service.
Advertise the work you actually want.
A roofing company might offer roof repairs, roof replacements, commercial roofing, asbestos roofing, roof coatings, spouting and maintenance. We don't automatically need to advertise all seven.
If roof replacements are the work you want, focus on roof replacements. If asbestos roofing is a valuable specialist service, give it its own campaign or budget. Limited budgets usually work better when they have a clear job to do.
THE ECONOMICS MATTER
One good job can change the maths.
A click or lead can sound expensive in isolation. But the right question is what a worthwhile new customer is worth to the business.
If a roofer spends $500 on Google Ads and generates a handful of genuine reroof enquiries, the campaign may look expensive compared with a business selling a low-cost product. But if one of those enquiries becomes a $35,000 roof replacement, the economics look very different.
That is an example, not a promise. A $35,000 job is not $35,000 profit, and no advertising budget guarantees a sale.
What does a Google Ads budget look like?
There is no single budget that makes sense for every service or city. These examples show how we would think about the scope.
$500/month
Start separating the services that matter.A roofer might split attention between everyday repair enquiries and higher-value work such as reroofing or asbestos roofing, then see which searches produce useful opportunities.
$1,000/month
Give successful campaigns more room.There is more room to target several valuable services, cover a wider area and collect enough data to make sensible decisions. More budget still does not automatically mean better results.
You don't have to advertise aggressively.
Some businesses simply keep a small Google Search campaign running in the background. It might target a handful of valuable searches in the areas you actually service.
If the campaign produces profitable work, increase it. If it doesn't, don't blindly throw more money at it. Sometimes the targeting needs changing, sometimes the page needs improving, and sometimes the market simply doesn't justify more spend.
The search matters.
There is a big difference between somebody searching “roof” and “roof replacement company Auckland”. Likewise, “car repair” is different from “mobile mechanic New Plymouth”.
A sensible campaign is not about buying as many clicks as possible. It is about trying to get clicks from searches that actually make sense for the business.
Part of management is also reducing obvious waste: irrelevant locations, job seekers, DIY searches and other traffic that is not a potential customer.
Where does somebody go after they click?
The advert is only one part of the journey. If somebody searches “asbestos roof replacement Auckland” and lands on a generic homepage that barely mentions asbestos roofing, that isn't ideal.
A strong destination page should make it immediately clear they've reached the right business: what the service involves, where it is available, relevant experience, projects, photos, common questions and how to request a quote.
Need a landing page first?
You don't need to spend thousands building a landing page before you can test Google advertising.
A cheap lead isn't always a good lead.
One campaign might produce enquiries at $35 each, but most are tiny jobs the business doesn't really want. Another might produce enquiries at $100 each, but they're genuine prospects for high-value work.
The second campaign may be considerably more useful. That is why we do not want to optimise blindly around the lowest number on a dashboard.
Google Ads for trades and service businesses.
MANAGEMENT
Straightforward Google Ads management.
Google Ads management is scoped to the campaign. Your advertising spend is separate and paid directly to Google.
- Initial campaign setup
- Keyword and search-intent setup
- Location targeting
- Search ad copy
- Basic conversion setup
- Search-term monitoring
- Negative keyword management
- Budget adjustments
- Campaign monitoring and reasonable optimisation
- Basic reporting and WhatsApp communication
FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM
Put the business in front of people.
Useful for projects, awareness, offers and lead generation.
Facebook Ads →GOOGLE ADS
Reach people already searching.
Useful for high-intent searches, local services, urgent work and valuable specialist services.
SEO
Build organic visibility.
Develop search visibility over time without paying for every click.
SEO Services →Google Ads FAQs.
Is Google Ads better than Facebook Ads?
Not necessarily. Google is particularly useful when people already search for your service. Facebook and Instagram are useful for awareness, project showcases and generating interest.
How much should I spend on Google Ads?
It depends on the service, location and competition. A focused $250 campaign can be useful in some markets, while more competitive searches may need $500, $1,000 or more.
Can you guarantee leads?
No. Google Ads can put your business in front of relevant searches, but no provider can legitimately guarantee a particular number of leads or sales.
Can I advertise one service?
Yes. With a smaller budget it can make more sense to concentrate on one valuable service rather than spread the budget across the whole business.
Do I need a special landing page?
Not necessarily. If your existing site has a strong page for the service being advertised, we can use it. If not, Caerus can build a suitable page.
GOOGLE ADS
Get StartedWant to get in front of people searching for your services?
Start focused, see what the campaign produces and scale it when there is a reason to.