Wasting Money on Google Ads? Here's What Tradies Get Wrong
Wasting Money on Google Ads? Here's What Tradies Get Wrong
You set up Google Ads. You spent $500. You got nothing back. Sound right?
You're not alone. Most tradies try Google Ads, burn through their budget in a week, and decide the whole thing is a scam. But Google Ads isn't the problem. The setup is.
A badly targeted ad is like handing out flyers in the wrong suburb. You're paying for every person who looks at it, even if they'll never hire you. And Google makes it very easy to do this by accident.
Let's look at why it happens and how to fix it.
Why Do Most Tradies Lose Money on Google Ads?
Google makes it very easy to start spending. Too easy. You pick a few keywords, set a daily budget, and hit go. Within an hour, your ad is live.
But here's what goes wrong:
1. Broad keywords eat your budget.
If you bid on "mechanic", your ad shows for "mechanic jobs", "mechanic school", "how to become a mechanic", and "mechanic salary." None of those people want to hire you. But you pay for every click.
2. No location targeting.
If you service Brisbane, your ads shouldn't show in Perth. But Google defaults to "all of Australia" unless you change it. Every click from outside your area is wasted money.
3. No negative keywords.
Without these, Google shows your ad for searches that have nothing to do with your business. A plumber bidding on "plumber" might pay for clicks from "plumber salary Australia" or "how to become a plumber."
4. Sending traffic to your homepage.
Your homepage isn't built to convert ad traffic. It's built for people who already know your business. Ad clicks need a landing page with one clear action: call, book, or get a quote.
5. No call tracking.
If you don't track which ad brought in which call, you're flying blind. You can't tell what's working, so you can't improve it.
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman recommends tradies set clear ad budgets and track results. Good advice. But tracking only works if your targeting is right first.
Here's What You Can Do About It
These five fixes cost nothing and take an afternoon. They can cut your cost per lead in half.
Fix 1: Use Specific Keywords
Replace broad keywords with longer, specific ones.
Instead of plumber → Use emergency plumber Sunshine Coast
Instead of mechanic → Use mobile mechanic near me Gold Coast
Instead of electrician → Use electrician for hot water system Brisbane
Longer keywords cost less per click and attract people who are ready to hire. Someone searching mobile mechanic near me is looking right now. Someone searching mechanic could be doing anything.
Fix 2: Set Your Location Radius
Only show ads where you actually work. If you cover a 30km radius from your base, set that in Google Ads under Location settings. Don't pay for clicks from 200km away.
You can also exclude areas you don't service. If you're a removalist in Melbourne but don't go past Geelong, exclude everything further out.
Fix 3: Add Negative Keywords
Block searches that waste your money. Start with these universal negatives:
- "jobs", "salary", "career", "training", "course"
- "DIY", "how to become", "apprenticeship"
- "free", "cheap" (if you don't want bargain hunters)
Review your Search Terms report weekly. Google shows you exactly what people searched before clicking your ad. Add anything irrelevant to your negative keyword list.
Fix 4: Build a Landing Page
Don't send ad clicks to your homepage. Build a simple page with:
- What you do (one sentence)
- Where you work (suburb or region)
- A phone number and a short form (name, number, job type)
- Two or three reviews from real customers
- One clear call to action
Nothing else. No navigation menu. No links to other pages. One job: get them to call or fill in the form.
Fix 5: Track Your Calls
Use call tracking so you know which ad brought in which job. Your Light Leads CRM connects ad clicks to real enquiries. You see exactly which keywords bring in paying work and which waste your budget.
Without tracking, you're guessing. With tracking, you can put more money behind what works and cut what doesn't.
What This Looks Like in Practice
A mobile mechanic on the Gold Coast was spending $50 a day on "car mechanic" as a broad match keyword. Most clicks came from people looking for workshops, not mobile services. His cost per lead was over $80.
After switching to phrase match on "mobile mechanic Gold Coast" and "car service at home Gold Coast", adding 30 negative keywords, and building a simple landing page, his cost per lead dropped to $35. Same daily budget. Twice the calls.
That's not magic. That's just targeting.
How Much Should a Tradie Spend on Google Ads?
There's no single answer, but here's a starting point:
- $20-$50/day is a good test budget for most local service businesses
- Run for at least 2 weeks before judging results (you need enough data)
- Expect to pay $2-$8 per click for trade-related keywords in Australia
- A good cost per lead is $20-$50 (varies by trade and location)
If you're spending $50/day and getting one lead, that's $50 per lead. If that lead turns into a $500 job, your return is 10x. The maths works if the targeting is right.
The Bottom Line
Google Ads works for tradies. But only when set up right. If you've tried it and lost money, the fix is usually in the keywords and targeting, not the budget.
Want someone to set up your ads properly? Book a free call.
