If you’re a tradie looking to run Google Ads, we’ve implemented a powerful strategy combining conversion-focused bidding with smart cost controls and advanced lead capture techniques. This comprehensive approach is designed to maximize your return on investment and ensure that no potential customer goes unattended. Let’s dive deep into how we’re maximizing results for trade businesses across Australia.
Before we delve into the specifics of our strategy, it’s crucial to understand the unique challenges and opportunities that tradies face in the digital advertising space:
High competition: Many trade services are in high demand, leading to fierce competition in online advertising.
Local focus: Most tradies operate within specific geographic areas, requiring precise targeting.
Urgency factor: Many customers searching for trade services need immediate assistance, affecting search behavior and ad responsiveness.
Seasonality: Demand for certain trade services can fluctuate based on seasons or weather conditions.
Trust and credibility: Potential customers often prioritize reliability and expertise when choosing a tradie.
With these factors in mind, let’s explore our multi-faceted approach to Google Ads for tradies.
At the heart of our approach is the Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) bidding strategy. This advanced bidding method leverages Google’s machine learning capabilities to optimize your ad placements and bids.
Goal setting: We work with you to determine an acceptable cost per lead or customer acquisition.
Automated bidding: Google’s algorithm adjusts bids in real-time to achieve your target CPA.
Signal analysis: The system considers millions of signals at auction time, including:
User location
Device type
Time of day
Search query relevance
Historical performance data
Efficiency: Focuses spend on conversions likely to meet your cost targets.
Adaptability: Automatically adjusts to market changes and seasonality.
Time-saving: Reduces the need for manual bid adjustments.
A plumbing business in Sydney set a target CPA of $75 for emergency call-outs. The system learned to bid higher during evenings and weekends when emergency calls were more likely, resulting in a 30% increase in after-hours leads while maintaining the target CPA.
While Target CPA bidding is powerful, we’ve added an extra layer of control to ensure your budget is used efficiently.
We implement maximum CPC (Cost Per Click) caps to prevent overspending on individual clicks. This approach:
Sets an upper limit on what you’re willing to pay for a click.
Balances aggressive conversion pursuit with budget efficiency.
Provides a safety net against unexpected market fluctuations.
We strategically allocate your budget across different ad groups and campaigns based on:
Historical performance data
Seasonal trends
Business priorities (e.g., promoting new services)
We schedule ads to run during the most effective times:
Analyze when your leads are most likely to convert.
Adjust bids higher during peak conversion times.
Reduce or pause ads during low-performing hours.
For many tradies, phone calls are the primary form of lead generation. Our call tracking integration provides valuable insights into which ads and keywords are driving phone conversions.
Dynamic number insertion: Unique phone numbers are displayed for each ad or keyword.
Call recording: Conversations are recorded for quality assurance and training.
Integration with Google Ads: Call data is fed back into your Google Ads account for optimization.
Accurate attribution: Understand which ads and keywords drive phone leads.
Quality assessment: Listen to calls to improve customer service and lead qualification.
Optimization insights: Use call data to refine ad copy and keyword targeting.
To ensure no potential lead slips through the cracks, we’ve implemented a missed call text back feature using Go High Level. This automation instantly responds to missed calls with a customized text message.
Missed call detection: The system identifies when a call goes unanswered.
Instant text response: A customized SMS is sent to the caller within seconds.
Lead nurturing: Follow-up messages can be scheduled to keep the lead engaged.
“Hi there! Sorry we missed your call. Our team is currently assisting other customers. Can we call you back in the next 15 minutes? Reply YES if that works for you. – [Your Business Name]”
Immediate engagement: Keeps leads warm until you can reach them.
Competitive edge: Prevents losing business to competitors who might answer first.
Customer satisfaction: Shows responsiveness and care for potential customers.
Our keyword strategy for tradies focuses on capturing high-intent searches while filtering out irrelevant traffic.
Service-specific: “emergency plumber,” “electrician near me”
Problem-based: “leaking tap repair,” “power outage fix”
Location-specific: “Melbourne 24/7 electrician,” “Sydney northern beaches plumber”
Brand terms: Your business name and variations
We also implement a robust negative keyword list to prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches:
DIY terms: “how to,” “tutorial,” “guide”
Job seekers: “jobs,” “careers,” “apprenticeships”
Unrelated services: Terms specific to trades you don’t offer
Compelling ad copy is crucial for standing out in competitive search results. Our approach includes:
Highlighting unique selling points: “30-minute response time,” “No call-out fee”
Including trust signals: “Fully licensed and insured,” “20+ years experience”
Using ad extensions: Location, call, and sitelink extensions to maximize ad real estate
A/B testing: Continuously testing different ad variations to improve performance
Your Google Ads are only as effective as the landing pages they lead to. We focus on:
Fast load times: Optimizing images and code for quick loading, especially on mobile devices
Clear call-to-action: Prominent phone numbers and contact forms
Trust-building elements: Customer testimonials, accreditations, and guarantees
Mobile optimization: Ensuring a seamless experience on smartphones and tablets
Our work doesn’t stop once the campaign is live. We continuously monitor and optimize your campaigns:
Weekly performance reviews: Analyzing key metrics and making necessary adjustments
Monthly strategy sessions: Discussing performance, insights, and future plans
Quarterly business reviews: In-depth analysis of campaign performance and ROI
To illustrate the effectiveness of our approach, let’s look at a case study of an electrician in Melbourne:
Initial CPA: $120 per lead
Target CPA set: $80 per lead
After 3 months:
CPA reduced to $75
Lead volume increased by 40%
25% increase in emergency call-out bookings
Key factors in success:
Refined keyword targeting focusing on high-intent searches
Implementation of missed call text back, reducing lost leads by 30%
Ad copy optimization highlighting 24/7 availability and fast response times
By combining Target CPA bidding, smart cost controls, advanced call tracking, and innovative lead capture techniques, we’re able to drive more qualified leads for your trade business while optimizing your ad spend. This comprehensive approach ensures that you’re not just getting clicks, but actual customers, and that no potential lead goes unattended.
Whether you’re a plumber in Perth, an electrician in Sydney, or a carpenter in Brisbane, our tailored Google Ads strategy can help you stand out in a competitive market and grow your business efficiently.
Alpha Omega Digital is a marketing agency based in Melbourne, Australia but also services clients from Sydney, Brisbane, Newcastle, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin and Hobart. Have a project in mind? Contact me here.
