PPC and ads guides
How to run search, Local Services and Facebook ads that bring calls, not just clicks. Written by the team that manages ad accounts for local businesses every day.
All ads guides
The first ads guides are on their way.
How local businesses get leads from ads
Paid ads reach people right when they search or scroll. The guides on this page show how each platform charges and what a fair price per lead is. They also show how to check the work.
- 01
Match the platform to intent
Search campaigns on Google and Local Services Ads reach people already looking for a service. Facebook and Instagram ads reach people before they search, so they suit offers, seasonal pushes and remarketing.
- 02
Budget from cost per lead
Start with what a booked job is worth and how many leads close. That math sets the most you can pay per lead, which then sets a daily budget you can sustain.
- 03
Track calls as well as forms
Most local leads arrive by phone. Call tracking and conversion tags show which campaign, keyword or ad produced each call, so budget moves to what works.
- 04
Read the search terms weekly
The search terms report lists the real queries behind your clicks. Adding negative keywords there stops spend on jobs you don't do and areas you don't serve.
- 05
Keep the account in your name
Your business should own the ad account, the billing and the tracking. Then an agency can manage it, and you keep every result if you switch.