Background
When I first spoke with the owner of a local septic cleaning company, he was skeptical—rightfully so. He had tried Google Ads in the past but saw little to no results. In his words, it felt like he was “burning money for clicks that led nowhere.”
Like many local service businesses, he had been promised leads but was left with disappointment. That’s when he came to me.
Listening First
Instead of rushing in with changes, I listened. I asked about his goals, his past experiences, and what a quality lead looked like to him. Only after that did I begin crafting a new strategy tailored to his business.
Starting From Scratch
The previous campaign setup had several red flags:
Broad match keywords with no control
No negative keywords
No conversion tracking
Targeting was too wide and not refined to his local service area
I shut it all down and rebuilt everything from the ground up.
My Approach
Research-Based Planning
I conducted keyword research focused on high-intent local queries like “emergency septic service near me” and “septic tank pumping [city].”
Then, I analyzed his top competitors. I reviewed their ads, landing pages, and offers to find gaps and opportunities.
Conversion Tracking Setup
Using Google Tag Manager, I set up tracking for both form submissions and phone calls—so we’d know exactly what was working.
Campaign Build & Launch
With tracking and research in place, I created a search campaign focused on:
Exact and phrase match keywords
Compelling ad copy with local relevance
Ad extensions (callouts, sitelinks, call extensions)
Geo-targeting his exact service area
The Results
The first week started slow—as expected with a fresh campaign and no historical data. But by week two, leads started to trickle in. By the end of month one, we hit 14 conversions—a huge leap from where he started.
Additional highlights:
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Increased to over 5.7%, which was unprecedented for his account
Cost per Conversion: Came in well below our target CPA
Lead Quality: Improved significantly, with phone calls from customers in his service area ready to book
Note: The client requested that I not share screenshots or direct account details for privacy reasons.
Takeaways
Google Ads isn’t broken—it just has to be done right. Most businesses fail not because PPC doesn’t work, but because the setup is flawed.
Tracking is everything. Without knowing what’s working, you’re flying blind.
Start small, scale smart. By refining targeting and messaging early on, we set the stage for long-term results.
If you’re running Google Ads and not seeing results—or thinking of giving up—it may not be your fault. The right strategy, structure, and guidance can change everything.
Want to learn what’s really possible with Google Ads for your service business? Let’s talk.
