You set up a Google Ads campaign. You picked some keywords. You entered your credit card. And now you're watching dollars drain out of your account while your phone sits silent on the dispatch desk.
You're not alone. Most contractors we talk to have the same story. They spent money on Google Ads, got nothing to show for it, and walked away thinking the platform doesn't work. But Google Ads works. It works extremely well when the campaign is built for phone calls instead of vanity metrics.
Here are the seven reasons your ads aren't booking jobs. And exactly how to fix each one.
1. You're Targeting the Wrong Keywords (Broad Match Is Killing You)
This is the single biggest budget killer for contractors on Google Ads. Google's default keyword match type is broad match. That means Google decides what searches trigger your ads. And Google is generous with your money.
What happens when a contractor bids on broad match keywords?
Bid on "HVAC" as a broad match keyword and Google will show your ad to people searching for HVAC careers, HVAC certification programs, appliance repair, and DIY furnace troubleshooting. None of those people are picking up the phone to book a service call. But you're paying for every single click.
How should contractors set up keyword match types?
Use phrase match and exact match keywords. Google's match type documentation explains the differences. Instead of "HVAC," target "[emergency AC repair near me]" and "furnace repair + your city." These are the searches that come from homeowners with a broken system and a credit card ready. That's who you want clicking your ad.
What's the difference between a click and a call?
Everything. A click costs you money. A call books a job. Your campaign should be built around keywords that signal buying intent: people who need a contractor right now, not people browsing or job hunting. Every keyword in your account should pass one test: would the person searching this pick up the phone and call?
2. You Have No Negative Keyword List
If you don't have a negative keyword list, you're paying for garbage traffic. Period. Google will match your ads to searches that are adjacent to your keywords but completely irrelevant to your business.
What are negative keywords and why do contractors need them?
Negative keywords tell Google which searches to exclude. They're a filter that keeps tire-kickers, job seekers, and DIYers from burning through your ad budget. Without them, you have no control over who sees your ads.
What negative keywords should a home service company add immediately?
Start with these today: "jobs," "careers," "DIY," "how to," "cheap," "free," "salary," "training," "certification," and "YouTube." These terms signal someone who will never become a paying customer. Add them right now. Every day you wait, you're writing checks to Google for leads that will never call.
How often should you update your negative keyword list?
Weekly. Use the search terms report in Google Ads every single week. You'll find searches triggering your ads that have nothing to do with your services. Add them to the negative list. This is not optional maintenance. It's the difference between a campaign that generates revenue and one that generates regret.
3. Your Landing Page Sends People to Your Homepage
Your homepage is built to introduce your company. It has your about section, your service list, your blog feed, maybe a photo of your crew. It is not built to convert a stranger into a phone call in under 10 seconds. And that's exactly how long you have.
Why do homepages kill Google Ads conversion rates?
A homepage gives visitors too many options. They can read your about page. They can browse your services. They can scroll your blog. What they don't do is call. Homepages convert paid traffic at roughly 1-2%. That means for every 100 people who click your ad, 98 leave without picking up the phone.
What should a contractor's Google Ads landing page look like?
One service. One location. One phone number. One action. A dedicated landing page built for a single service in a single market converts at 8-12%. That's 4x to 6x more calls from the same ad spend. Same budget, dramatically more jobs on the schedule.
Does the landing page need to match the ad?
Yes. If your ad says "24/7 Emergency Plumber in Dallas," the landing page headline better say "24/7 Emergency Plumber in Dallas." Not "Welcome to ABC Plumbing, serving the greater DFW area since 1987." Match the promise. Deliver on it. Make the phone number impossible to miss.
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Get My Free Growth Audit4. You're Not Running Call-Only Ads for Mobile
70% of home service searches happen on a phone. Not a laptop. Not a desktop. A phone, the device that's already built to make calls. If your mobile ads send people to a website instead of a dialer, you're adding friction to the one thing you want them to do.
What are call-only ads and how do they work?
Call-only ads skip the website entirely. When someone taps your ad on their phone, it opens the dialer with your number pre-loaded. One tap and they're talking to your front desk. No website to load. No form to fill out. No bouncing around looking for a phone number. Just a direct line to your dispatch.
Are call-only ads better than regular search ads for contractors?
For mobile traffic, yes. A homeowner with a flooded basement isn't sitting down to research contractors on a laptop. They're standing in water, searching on their phone, and calling the first company that makes it easy. Call-only ads make it easy. Regular search ads make them work for it.
When should you use call-only ads versus standard ads?
Run call-only ads during business hours when your team can answer. Run standard search ads with landing pages during off-hours so leads can submit a form. This combination captures calls when you're available and captures contact info when you're not. No lead falls through the cracks.
5. Your Ads Run 24/7 When Your Best Leads Come at Specific Times
Google will happily spend your money at 2 AM on a Tuesday. But unless you're an emergency service running a 24/7 dispatch, those clicks aren't turning into booked jobs. Your budget gets spread thin across hours that don't produce revenue.
What is ad scheduling and why does it matter?
Ad scheduling lets you control which hours and days your ads run. You concentrate your budget on the hours when homeowners actually search for and call contractors. For most trades, that's weekday mornings and early afternoons. That's when the phone rings hottest.
How do you figure out the best times to run Google Ads?
Look at your call data. When do your best leads actually come in? For most home service companies, the window is 7 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Saturday. Run your ads hard during those hours. Cut the late-night and early-morning spend unless your business model supports it.
Should emergency service contractors run ads 24/7?
If you answer the phone at 3 AM and dispatch a crew, then yes, run ads around the clock. Emergency calls carry premium pricing and high close rates. But if your office closes at 5 PM and nobody picks up, you're paying for clicks from desperate homeowners who call your competitor instead because you didn't answer.
6. You're Not Tracking Which Keywords Actually Generate Calls
If you can't tell which keywords produced phone calls and which produced nothing, you're flying blind. You'll keep funding keywords that waste money and starve the ones that actually fill your schedule. This is where most contractor campaigns fall apart.
How do you track phone calls from Google Ads?
Use call tracking with dynamic number insertion. Every visitor sees a unique tracking number on your landing page. When they call, the system logs which keyword, which ad, and which campaign drove that call. You'll know exactly what's working and what's dead weight. Our Google Ads management service includes full call tracking from day one, because running ads without tracking is just guessing.
What metrics should contractors watch instead of clicks?
Forget clicks. Forget impressions. Forget click-through rate. The only metrics that matter for a contractor are: calls received, cost per call, calls that turned into booked jobs, and revenue per job. Everything else is noise that makes a dashboard look busy without putting money in your account.
What does proper call tracking reveal?
It reveals the truth. You'll find that 80% of your calls come from 20% of your keywords. You'll find keywords you thought were winners are actually producing tire-kickers. You'll find hidden gems buried in your account that deserve triple the budget. Tracking turns opinions into facts.
7. Your Budget Is Too Small to Compete in Your Market
Google Ads is an auction. You're bidding against every other contractor in your market for the same homeowner's attention. If your daily budget runs out by 10 AM, you miss the homeowner who searches at noon with a broken AC unit and a willingness to pay whatever it takes to get it fixed today.
How much should a contractor spend on Google Ads?
There's no universal number. It depends on your market, your trade, and your competition. But here's the reality: if you're spending $500/month in a metro area where competitors spend $3,000-$5,000, your ads show up for a fraction of available searches. You're leaving jobs on the table every single day.
Is it better to have a small budget spread thin or focused?
Focused. Every time. If your budget is limited, pick your highest-margin service in your tightest geographic area and dominate that space. A roofer with $1,500/month should own "roof replacement" in their core city rather than chasing ten services across three counties. Depth beats width when money is tight.
Can a small contractor compete with big companies on Google Ads?
Absolutely. JMT Cabinets generates over 20+ calls per month from Google Ads with a focused campaign structure. They're not the biggest cabinet company in their market. But their campaign is built right: tight keywords, strong landing pages, call tracking, and aggressive ad scheduling. Proper campaign structure beats a big budget when the big budget is poorly managed.
If you're a specialty contractor unsure whether Google Ads or Local Services Ads are the better fit, the answer depends on your trade and market. Sometimes the right move is both, working together.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for Google Ads to start generating calls for a contractor?
A properly built campaign should produce calls within the first 7-14 days. The first two weeks are about gathering data: which keywords produce calls, which times convert best, which ads get tapped. By week three, your campaign should be tuned and your phone should be ringing consistently. If it's been a month with nothing, the campaign has structural problems.
Should contractors manage Google Ads themselves or hire an agency?
Most contractors should hire someone who does this every day. Google Ads rewards expertise. A well-managed campaign will outperform a DIY setup by a wide margin because the details (match types, negative keywords, bid strategies, landing pages) require constant attention. Your time is better spent running your crew and closing jobs. Leave the campaign management to people who eat this for breakfast.
Are Google Ads worth it for small home service companies?
Yes, if the campaign is built for calls and not clicks. A small plumbing company spending $1,500/month on a well-structured campaign can generate 30-50 calls per month. At an average job value of $350-$500, that's a return that funds your growth. The platform works. The question is whether your campaign is built to use it properly.
What's the biggest mistake contractors make with Google Ads?
Treating it like a set-it-and-forget-it tool. Google Ads needs weekly attention. Search terms reports need reviewing. Negative keywords need adding. Bids need adjusting. Landing pages need testing. The contractors who fail are the ones who launch a campaign and never touch it again. The ones who win treat it like a living system that gets sharper every week.
How do Google Ads compare to SEO for contractors?
Google Ads produce calls immediately. SEO strategies for contractors build long-term organic visibility that generates calls without paying per click. The smartest contractors run both. Ads fill the schedule now while SEO builds a pipeline that reduces your ad dependence over 6-12 months. One is the engine. The other is the fuel. You need both to stay booked out year-round.
Ready to Stop Losing Leads?
Watson & Co. builds Google Ads campaigns that ring phones, book jobs, and fill your schedule. Not campaigns that fill spreadsheets with impressions nobody cares about. If your ads aren't producing calls, we'll find the problem and fix it.