Google Ads Management for Home Service Businesses

Q: What does Google Ads management include?

Campaign and keyword structure by type of job, negative keyword and search term reviews, call and form tracking so real leads are counted, ad and landing page testing, seasonal budget changes, and plain-English reporting.

Google Ads management means someone builds, watches and improves your Google Ads account so your ad money turns into real phone calls and booked jobs. Growth Hackr Ads does this done-for-you for local home service businesses: HVAC, roofing, plumbing, electrical, landscaping and pest control.

What Google Ads management actually includes

A good manager does more than turn ads on. For a local service business the work usually comes down to six things:

Account structure. Campaigns and keywords organized by the type of job, so an emergency repair search and a planned install search are not treated the same.
Search term and negative keyword reviews. Checking what people actually typed, and blocking the searches that waste money, like job seekers and do-it-yourselfers.
Call and form tracking. Making sure the phone calls and form fills Google reports are real leads, not noise. See our guide on Google Ads call tracking.
Ad and landing page testing. Trying new angles one at a time so you learn what makes people call.
Seasonal budget changes. Moving spend with the weather, your crew capacity and your slow periods.
Plain-English reporting. Telling you what changed, why, and what happens next, without jargon.

How to tell if your Google Ads management is working

You do not need to learn marketing terms to check. Ask three questions this week:

Can I listen to a handful of tracked calls and hear real customers asking for real jobs?
When I read the search terms report, do the searches look like people who would hire me?
Do I know what a booked job costs me from ads, not just what a click costs?

If any answer is no, that is where to start. Our free Google Ads audit looks at exactly these things and sends back the highest-leverage fixes first. If you are comparing providers, read how to hire a Google Ads freelancer without getting burned and our guide to Google Ads management pricing.

Prior results from John McIlhattan's work

These are results from client work John McIlhattan did at McIlhattan Media Buying before Growth Hackr. They are not results of the Growth Hackr product, and past results do not guarantee future ones.

$50K in business generated from $6K in ad spend for a B2C appointment business, using Google Search, Video and Performance Max together.
$5M+ in business generated from a $1M Google Search budget for a Fortune 500 company.
$250K+ in revenue generated via Google Ads for a B2C fitness brand.

Questions to ask before you hire anyone to manage your Google Ads

Will the Google Ads account be in my name, with my billing, so I keep it if we part ways?
How will you tell me which calls and forms were real jobs, not just clicks?
How often do you review search terms and block wasted searches?
How do fees work, and what happens to my ad budget versus your fee?
What will you report each month, and in what words?
What do you need from me, such as answering calls fast and sharing which leads booked?
Do you work with my kind of business and my service area?

Our guides on how to choose a Google Ads agency and what Google Ads management services include go deeper on each one.

What you should own

Your Google Ads account, your conversion data and your call recordings should belong to you. A manager should give you access to see the account at any time. If an agency owns the account, leaving can mean starting from zero.

Google Ads management by trade

Not sure what to budget? Try the free Google Ads budget and lead cost worksheet, and see how Growth Hackr Ads works.

Google Ads guides by trade

Frequently asked questions

What does Google Ads management include?

Campaign and keyword structure by type of job, search term and negative keyword reviews, call and form tracking, ad and landing page testing, seasonal budget changes, and plain-English reporting.

How much does Google Ads management cost?

It varies with your market, your ad budget and how much work the account needs. Our pricing guide explains the common fee models and what to ask before you sign.

How long until Google Ads management shows results?

Nobody can promise a timeline. Early weeks are mostly about getting tracking right and learning which searches bring real calls, then improving from there.

Next step

Start with the free Google Ads audit, or see how Growth Hackr Ads works.