Google Ads for Contractors: 7 Rules That Will Cut Your CPL in Half

Most contractors run Google Ads at a loss because they follow Google’s own recommendations — which are optimized for Google’s revenue, not yours. Here are the seven rules we live by.

1. Use tight, single-theme ad groups. One ad group per service per location. “Roof Replacement — Miami” and “Roof Repair — Miami” are two different ad groups, not one.

2. Negative keywords are non-negotiable. Add “free,” “cheap,” “jobs,” “salary,” “DIY,” “parts,” “supply,” and every competitor brand you don’t want to bid on. Update the list weekly for the first 90 days.

3. Landing pages must match ads 1:1. If the ad promises “same-day roof repair,” the landing page headline must say “same-day roof repair” — not “welcome to our website.”

4. Bid smart, not high. Manual CPC with a tight ceiling beats “Maximize Conversions” for accounts under 30 conversions/month.

5. Run call-only ads on mobile for high-intent keywords. “Emergency plumber near me” should drive calls, not clicks.

6. Track offline conversions. Push CRM data back to Google Ads so the algorithm optimizes for booked jobs, not form fills.

7. Cap your budget by service area. Waste happens in the last mile — geo-fence your radius tightly and let organic pick up the rest.