Google Ads: people searching now
- Best for services people search for when they need them: emergency plumbing, AC repair, a lawyer after an accident, a locksmith.
- You pay per click, and the cost per click depends on competition. Legal and home services are among the most expensive.
- Local Services Ads, the “Google guaranteed” or “Google screened” ads at the very top, charge per lead instead and need a background and license check. Worth it in many trades.
Facebook and Instagram ads: people who fit
- Best for things people don’t search for but want when they see them: a restaurant, a bar’s event, a boutique, a new studio.
- You target by area, age and interests, and pay for reach or clicks.
- Video and real photos of your place beat graphics with lots of text.
What makes either work
- Send people to the right pageAn ad for roof repair should land on your roof repair page with a call button, not your home page.
- Track the calls and formsSet up conversion tracking so you know which ads lead to calls, forms and bookings, not just clicks.
- Start small and specificOne service, one area, a budget you can afford to learn with for a month.
- Fix the free stuff firstA complete Google Business Profile, reviews and a fast website make every ad dollar go further. Ads that send people to a slow, unclear site waste money.
Written by Nikita Huttenlocher, founder and lead engineer at Huttenlocher Technologies, a web design and software company in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.