If you're a plumber, electrician, builder, roofer, or any other tradesperson, Google Ads is the most direct route to people who need your services right now. "Plumber near me" searches happen thousands of times a day. The question is whether you're showing up — and whether your ads are converting.
The typical unmanaged trades Google Ads account has the same set of problems. Broad match keywords triggering on irrelevant searches — "plumbing jobs near me" (job seekers, not customers), "DIY boiler repair" (not your target), "plumber salary" (completely useless). Without rigorous negative keyword lists, you're paying for clicks that will never convert.
Then there's ad scheduling. If you run a Mon–Sat business but your ads run 24/7, you're paying for Saturday night and Sunday morning clicks on jobs you can't take. And if you're targeting a 30-mile radius when you only realistically cover 10, you're wasting budget on people you'll never serve.
The biggest problem of all is not knowing what's working. Without call tracking, you have no idea which keywords drive actual phone enquiries — so you can't optimise towards what converts. A properly structured and managed trades account typically sees 40–60% less wasted spend within the first 60 days.
Tight geographic targeting around your actual service area — not wasting budget on clicks from postcodes you don't cover.
Trades clients call rather than fill forms. Full call tracking so you know exactly which keywords and ads drive phone enquiries.
Run ads when you're available. Switch off overnight or on weekends if you don't work then — emergency trades can do the opposite.
Qualifying ad copy that filters out tyre-kickers — area signals, pricing context, and response time expectations set upfront.
Trades businesses live on local search intent. The right channel mix puts you in front of people who need a tradesperson right now — in your area, ready to book.
The workhorse for trades businesses. "Emergency plumber Edinburgh", "electrician near me Livingston", "roof repair Glasgow" — these are high-intent searches from people who need someone now. We build an intent-based keyword strategy around the exact searches your ideal customers make, back it with location and call extensions so your number is one click away, and layer in a comprehensive negative keyword list to eliminate wasted spend on irrelevant clicks from the start.
Trades businesses are the ideal candidates for Google Local Services Ads. They appear above standard Google Ads at the very top of the search results page, show your star rating and review count, and carry the "Google Guaranteed" badge — a powerful trust signal when someone's deciding who to let into their home. Crucially, you pay per verified lead rather than per click, which fundamentally changes the economics for trades searches. We handle the full LSA setup, verification process, and ongoing optimisation to maximise lead volume.
Bing is consistently ignored by trades businesses and their agencies — which is precisely why it's worth considering. Homeowners searching for tradespeople skew older, and Bing holds significant market share in the 45+ demographic. CPCs are typically 30–50% cheaper than Google for the same search terms, with comparable conversion intent. On a limited budget, adding Bing alongside Google can meaningfully increase total lead volume without proportionally increasing spend.
For larger jobs — home extensions, full rewires, bathroom renovations, new kitchens — homeowners take time to compare quotes and make a decision. Remarketing campaigns on Google Display and Meta keep your business visible while they deliberate, so when they're ready to commit, you're still in the frame. Particularly effective for trades businesses offering mid-to-high value project work where the decision window stretches across days or weeks.
Whether you're an emergency callout service or a project-based specialist, Google Ads can be structured around how your business actually works — your hours, your area, your job types.
The results have been phenomenal. Our Google Ads and Meta campaigns are now working harder than they ever have, and we're seeing strong returns across every channel. Jamie doesn't just manage the ads — he understands the business behind them.
PPC advertising lets you show ads at the top of Google search results when someone searches for your trade in your area. You only pay when someone clicks your ad. For tradespeople, the most important searches are local and high-intent — things like emergency plumber Edinburgh or electrician near me — and the goal is to convert those clicks into phone calls or booked jobs.
Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) appear above standard Google Ads at the very top of search results. They show your business name, star rating, and the Google Guaranteed badge — a trust signal that matters when homeowners are deciding who to let into their home. You pay per verified lead rather than per click, which can make the economics much better than standard PPC. Most tradespeople should be running LSAs alongside standard Search campaigns.
Wasted spend on trades PPC almost always comes from the same sources: broad match keywords triggering on irrelevant searches like plumbing jobs or DIY repair guides, targeting areas you do not cover, and running ads when you are unavailable. The fix is rigorous negative keyword management, tight geographic targeting matched to your actual service area, and ad scheduling aligned to your working hours.
You can target by radius around your location, by specific towns or postcodes, or a combination of both. Targeting is set to match the area you can realistically travel to and still make the job profitable. If you cover multiple areas — say, central Scotland — campaigns can be structured with separate bid adjustments for each to prioritise the most profitable locations.
Google Ads can start generating phone calls within days of going live — it is one of the fastest channels for new enquiries. The first few weeks are about gathering data and refining targeting, so results in month one may be slightly higher cost than once the account is properly optimised. Most trades businesses see meaningful improvements within 4 to 6 weeks.
For most UK trades businesses, a starting ad budget of £500 to £1,500 per month is workable, though £1,000 or more gives the algorithm enough data to optimise effectively. Management fees are charged separately, typically starting from £500 per month. The cost per click for trades keywords is generally £2 to £8, which compares favourably to traditional advertising given the local intent behind those searches.