From $171 Per Lead to $27.36 — In 30 Days
A residential cleaning company came to me getting 11 leads a month at $171 each. Broken conversion tracking, no negative keywords, and a campaign structure burning budget on people researching cleaning products — not booking a service.
I fixed the tracking first, rebuilt the campaign structure around high-intent keywords, and loaded negative keywords. Month 1 generated 52 verified conversions at an efficient $27.36 cost per lead.
See Full Case Study →Another local lead generation build: 253 leads at $15.89 CPL in 4 months →
Search Ads and PMax Aren't the Same Thing. I Use Both for a Reason.
Search catches someone the moment they type "plumber near me." PMax follows warm visitors across YouTube, Gmail, and Maps. One is a sniper. The other is a net. You need both if you want to stop leaving leads on the table.
When Someone's Ready to Book, They Search First
Search Ads show at the top of Google when someone types exactly what you sell. "House cleaning near me." "Emergency HVAC repair." "Roofer in [city]." These people are already decided. The ad just has to not screw it up.
Reach People Who Visited and Didn't Call
PMax runs one campaign across Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and Display. Google's system finds the people most likely to convert and shows them your ads wherever they are. Left alone, it wastes a lot. Properly built and monitored, it brings in jobs Search doesn't reach.
Why I Run Both, and How I Keep Them From Stepping on Each Other
Search is precise. You set the keywords, you see which terms triggered clicks, and you can cut what's not working the next day. PMax is broader. Google's algorithm decides where your ads show, which makes it powerful if it's set up correctly and expensive if it isn't.
The main risk when running both is that PMax starts poaching the traffic your Search campaign was already capturing. I prevent that by using separate budgets, excluding brand terms from PMax, and watching the Insights reports weekly. Each campaign earns its budget share based on actual CPL, not assumptions.
Search Ads - the sniper
Keyword-triggered, fully visible, and easy to cut when it's not working. Converts the person who was already going to call someone today.
Performance Max - the net
Follows people who visited your site but didn't book, shows up on YouTube and Gmail, and picks up jobs in areas your Search campaign can't reach on its own.
What Actually Happens After You Reach Out
Same process every time. No skipped steps, no launching before tracking is confirmed.
Market and Competitor Research
I look at what your competitors are bidding on and what they're missing. I find the keyword gaps Search can fill immediately and the audience segments PMax can go after. This takes two to three days and shapes the whole build.
Conversion Tracking Verification
Before either campaign goes live, I verify GTM, GA4, call tracking, and form submissions are firing correctly. If a call isn't being tracked, we're flying blind. I've seen accounts spend $3,000 a month without knowing which keywords drove a single call. That doesn't happen here.
Search Campaign Build
I write the ad copy, structure the ad groups, set bid adjustments by location and device, and load the negative keyword list. You get a spreadsheet to review before anything publishes. No surprises.
Performance Max Build
I build asset groups for each service you offer, add your top keywords as search themes, exclude brand terms, and block low-quality placements. PMax without these guardrails tends to spend money on things that look like conversions but aren't.
Launch and Ongoing Management
Both campaigns go live together. I check search terms daily in the first week, pull negatives, adjust bids, and review PMax Insights every week. Monthly, I shift budget toward whichever campaign is delivering the lower cost per lead. You get a report. I'm reachable by WhatsApp or email if something comes up.
How Much Does Google Ads Management Cost?
There are two numbers to know: the ad spend (what goes to Google) and the management fee (what you pay me).
Ad spend: Most local service businesses I work with spend between $500 and $2,500/month on ads. Below $500/month, clicks come in too slowly to generate meaningful data. Above $2,500/month, the account typically needs more advanced campaign structures to handle the volume.
Management fee: My fee starts at $300/month for an active campaign with existing conversion tracking. A full account build — campaigns built from scratch plus conversion tracking setup — is priced separately based on scope.
I don't take a percentage of ad spend. The management fee is flat so there's no incentive for me to push you toward a bigger budget than your business actually needs.
If you're not sure what makes sense for your situation, book a free account review. I'll tell you exactly what I'd recommend and what it would cost before you commit to anything.
Book a Free Account ReviewGoogle Ads Questions, Answered
Do I need Search Ads and PMax, or just one?
How much should I expect to spend?
How long before I see actual leads?
Won't PMax just steal traffic from my Search campaign?
Do I own the account when we stop working together?
Do I need both Search Ads and PMax, or is one enough to start?
What monthly budget do I need to see results?
What is Performance Max in Google Ads?
Should I use Performance Max or Search campaigns for my local service business?
How much does Google Ads cost for a local service business?
How long does it take to see results from Google Ads?
See If Google Ads Makes Sense for Your Business
Get in touch for a free 15-minute call. I'll look at your business, your market, and your budget — and tell you honestly whether Google Ads makes sense right now and what a realistic cost per lead looks like for your trade.
No pitch deck. No proposal you'll never read. Just a specific plan you can take to any other provider if you decide not to work with me.
Request Campaign Plan
I typically respond within 12 hours.