When You Should Not Run Google Ads for Your Business

When You Should Not Run Google Ads for Your Business

Google Ads is one of the most powerful tools for generating high-quality leads—especially for home service businesses. But here’s the hard truth: there are times when you should not be running Google Ads.

Over the years, I’ve seen businesses waste tens of thousands of dollars on ads because they weren’t prepared. The good news is that these mistakes are preventable. If you know what to look for, you can hit pause, fix the foundation of your business, and come back ready to run ads profitably.

In this guide, we’ll break down six clear red flags that indicate you’re not ready for Google Ads—and what to do about them.

Red Flag #1: Missed Calls and Slow Lead Follow-Up

If you’re paying for leads but nobody is answering the phone or responding to form submissions quickly, you’re throwing money away.

Speed is critical. Studies show that businesses that respond to leads within five minutes are 371% more likely to convert them into paying customers. Waiting hours—or even days—significantly lowers your chances of closing the job.

How to fix it:

 

  • Use a call answering service or call center, many of which start at under $100/month.

  • Set up text alerts for web form submissions using tools like Zapier. This allows you to call leads back immediately, even if you’re out in the field.

Red Flag #2: You Don’t Know Your Close Rate or Job Value

Running ads without understanding your numbers is like driving blindfolded. You need to know:

  • Average job value: How much revenue do you generate per job on average?

  • Close rate: Out of every 10 leads, how many do you convert into paying customers?

Accurate numbers help you determine what you can afford to spend on leads and whether your campaigns are profitable. Guessing or inflating numbers leads to unrealistic expectations and wasted ad spend.

Close Rate or Job Value

Red Flag #3: You Don’t Have a Testing Budget

Google Ads isn’t a light switch you flip on for instant results. Campaigns need 60–90 days to fully optimize. That means you need a testing budget.

For most home service industries in competitive areas, expect to spend at least $1,500/month to gather enough data. In some markets, you may need more. Smaller, niche services may get away with spending less, but if your cash flow is tight or you’re banking on an instant ROI, it’s not the right time to start running ads.

You Don’t Have a Testing Budget

Red Flag #4: Your Website and Landing Pages Are Weak

Your ads can be perfectly targeted, but if your website is slow, confusing, or lacking a clear call-to-action, leads won’t convert. Sending traffic to a poor-quality site is like sending a motivated customer to a locked storefront.

What to do first:

  • Build dedicated landing pages that load quickly and speak directly to the service you’re advertising.

  • Make sure your landing pages are mobile-friendly, as most home service searches happen on phones.

Red Flag #5: Poor Keyword and Location Targeting

Broad targeting is one of the fastest ways to burn through your ad budget. If you’re running ads across the entire country or bidding on vague terms like “repair” or “contractor,” you’ll waste money on unqualified clicks.

Instead, get specific. Use service-specific keywords that reflect urgent intent, like “emergency plumber near me” or “roof repair in [city].” Target a geographic area you can actually serve to ensure your budget is spent on the right leads.

Keyword and Location Targeting

Red Flag #6: Emotional Decision-Making

This is the biggest red flag—and it can sink your campaigns even if everything else is right. Running ads while stressed, desperate for quick results, or emotionally attached to every lead often leads to poor decision-making.

Successful campaigns require patience. Our data shows that most profitable campaigns take 90 days to fully optimize, and clients who stick with their campaigns beyond this point often see consistent growth. In fact, our average client stays with us for over 40 months, far above the industry average of 2–6 months.

If you can’t commit to at least 60–90 days of running ads, it’s better to wait until you can.

How to Know If You’re Ready to Run Google Ads

Google Ads works extremely well for home service businesses—but only when the right systems are in place. Here’s a quick checklist:

  • You answer every call or have a system to follow up with leads immediately.

  • You know your close rate and average job value.

  • You have a realistic testing budget for at least 2–3 months.

  • You’ve invested in a fast, optimized website or landing page.

  • You’re targeting specific services and service areas.

  • You’re prepared to run ads consistently for 60–90 days.

If you’re missing several of these items, pause your ads. Fix these issues first, then revisit Google Ads when you’re prepared to maximize your investment.

Google Ads can be a powerful growth engine for home service companies—but only if you’re ready. Without strong systems, clear data, and a solid budget, your ad spend can quickly turn into wasted cash.

If you’re confident you’re ready to scale, Google Ads is one of the fastest ways to generate high-quality leads. But if you’re not, take time to fix the foundation of your business first. When you come back to advertising with the right setup, your campaigns will deliver stronger results and higher ROI.

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Why Most Google Ads Agencies Fail (And How to Fix It)

Running a Google Ads agency can feel like juggling fire while riding a unicycle—you’ve got clients to manage, campaigns to optimize, and sales to keep alive. But here’s the truth most agency owners don’t realize: many Google Ads agencies fail not because of pricing, niche, or even performance, but because they’re solving the wrong problems at the wrong times.
 
That single mistake derails momentum, kills profitability, and leaves even experienced owners wondering why they can’t scale. The good news? Once you learn to identify which problem really needs fixing, growth gets a whole lot easier.
 
Let’s break down the three biggest pitfalls that cause agencies to stall—and more importantly, how to fix them.

1. Solving Campaign Problems Before You Have Clients

When starting out, many new agency owners get caught in the weeds. They obsess over click-through rates, perfect campaign structures, and quality scores—even though they only have one or two clients (or none at all).
 
Here’s the issue: you don’t need flawless campaigns if you don’t have clients to run them for. Spending weeks polishing ads is like building a race car for a race you’re not even entered in.
 
The real priority:
  • Focus on conversations with potential clients.
  • Get 3–5 paying clients under your belt.
  • Use those real accounts as the testing ground for improving your campaign skills.
Without clients, there’s no business. First secure revenue, then shift your focus to campaign performance.

2. Solving Client Problems When It’s Really a Campaign Issue

Fast forward—you’ve landed a few clients. That’s a big win. But now you notice calls aren’t coming in, leads are low quality, and campaigns aren’t converting.
 
Most agency owners panic and immediately throw energy into client management. They start sending long reports, holding extra meetings, and trying to “smooth things over.”
 
The problem? This isn’t a client problem. It’s a campaign problem. If the campaigns don’t deliver results, no amount of hand-holding will keep clients around.
 
Instead, focus on fixing the backend:
  • Make sure conversion tracking is set up properly.
  • Send traffic to dedicated landing pages, not generic homepages.
  • Use negative keywords to cut wasted spend.
  • Optimize for actual conversions, not just clicks.
Once the campaigns are fixed, clients will feel the difference—and you’ll spend less time in damage control mode.

3. Solving Marketing Problems When You’re Already Overloaded

Here’s the flip side. Imagine you’ve cracked the code: your campaigns are working, clients are thrilled, and referrals keep rolling in. Business is booming.
 
So what’s the next move? Many agency owners step harder on the gas. They invest heavily in lead generation, join every coaching program, or hire more salespeople. But soon they’re drowning in workload, missing deadlines, and losing clients because they can’t keep up.
This happens because you’re trying to increase demand when you don’t have the supply to deliver.
 
The smarter move:
  • Slow down new client acquisition temporarily.
  • Build systems and processes to handle fulfillment.
  • Hire a VA or account manager.
  • Outsource repeatable tasks.
  • Document workflows and create checklists.
Once your capacity matches demand, you can safely step on the gas again—without burning out or damaging your reputation.
Keyword and Location Targeting

The Simple Framework for Scaling an Agency

If you take nothing else away, remember this: solve the right problem at the right time.
Here’s the framework:
  1. No clients yet? Solve your sales and marketing problem.
  2. Clients but poor results? Solve your campaign problem.
  3. Great results but no time? Solve your fulfillment and systems problem.
Stick to this order, and you’ll avoid chasing the wrong solutions while your agency stalls.

Why Most Google Ads Agencies Fail

To put it simply, most Google Ads agencies fail because they focus on the wrong priorities. They’re either polishing campaigns with no clients, handholding clients instead of fixing campaigns, or chasing new leads when they don’t have the systems to serve the ones they already have.
 
Scaling an agency isn’t about doing everything at once. It’s about solving the single most important problem in front of you, then moving to the next.
 
Do that consistently, and you’ll build a business that not only grows—but lasts.

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Call Confirmation Page

You're Booked! Here's What Happens Next...

We’ll use this strategy session to identify where your ad dollars are leaking and how to fix it fast, even if we never work together. 

Thanks so much for booking a call with me. You should be receiving an email shortly with details about our upcoming call. This will be a Zoom call (unless you requested a phone call). 

If you do not receive that email, please email Support@ManciniDigital.com for additional assistance. 

Thanks so much again and I look forward to speaking with you at our scheduled time. 

** We Only Take 2–3 New Clients a Month **
We’re not a high-volume churn-and-burn agency. If we’re a good fit, you’ll have the opportunity to become one of just a few clients we take on this month. If not, no worries… you’ll still get the plan.

What to Expect on the Call

This is not a sales call. It’s information gathering for you. Here’s what we’ll cover:

To make this worth your time (and ours), do these 3 things:

1. Where your Google Ads are wasting budget
2. What’s missing from your funnel that’s costing you leads
3. The exact steps we’d take to get you more jobs, not just clicks

How to Get the Most Out of it

To make this worth your time (and ours), do these 3 things:

1. Show up on time
2. Be in front of a computer (if you can). I know a lot of people are in the field, and that’s OK as well. 
3. Bring access (logins) to any existing Google Ads accounts (if you have them)

You’ll leave with a complete roadmap—even if we don’t work together.

How to Get Google Ads Clients Without Spending Any Money

Starting a Google Ads agency can feel overwhelming—especially when you don’t have money to invest in marketing yourself. The good news? You don’t need to spend a single dollar to land your first PPC clients.
 
Whether you’re just getting started, still working a full-time job, or fresh out of school, there are smart, proven strategies to bring in high-quality clients using nothing but your network and resourcefulness. Below are three practical methods to find Google Ads clients without spending any of your own money—especially valuable when you’re building your agency from the ground up.

1. Leverage Your Existing Network (Without the Hard Sell)

Let’s address a common misconception: reaching out to family and friends doesn’t mean begging for business. Instead, it means starting with warm contacts who already trust you.
 
Here’s how to do it the right way:
Keyword and Location Targeting
  • Offer a free 30-day trial. Reach out to a business owner in your circle (maybe a relative or friend of a friend who runs a plumbing, electrical, or e-commerce business) and offer to run Google Ads for free for 30 days. They cover the ad spend, you cover the setup and management. After you prove results, then you can discuss long-term terms.
  • Ask for referrals. Not everyone in your network owns a business, but many know someone who does. Send a short, personal message or email explaining that you’re launching your PPC agency and asking if they know anyone who might need help getting more business.
Example message:
“Hey [Name], I’m launching my Google Ads agency and helping local service businesses get more leads online. Do you know any business owners—plumbers, electricians, landscapers, etc.—who might benefit from this? Happy to offer a 30-day free trial to get them started.”
Keep it genuine. This isn’t about pressure—it’s about visibility.

2. Offer a Referral Commission (Incentivize Referrals)

Incentivize Referrals
The second strategy works even better: pay people to refer clients to you.
 
Here’s the breakdown:
  • Offer a referral bonus (e.g., $400–$500) for every successful client signup.
  • This payment comes from your setup fee or the first month’s management fee, so you’re not paying out-of-pocket.
This gives people a real incentive to think of who they know—and act on it.
To make this work:
 
  • Email your network about the referral opportunity.
  • Be clear: The reward is only paid after the referred client becomes a paying customer.
  • Send reminder emails every couple of weeks (politely). People are busy—they need a nudge.
  • Make it clear you’re not spamming or adding them to a list. This is a one-time request to help launch your business.
Referrals are powerful because trust is already built in. A recommendation from someone they know carries far more weight than a cold call or an ad.

3. Target Businesses Already Spending Money on Marketing

This might be the most powerful strategy—and it’s completely free.
 
Instead of trying to convince a business owner to start marketing, target those who are already doing it. They’re more likely to understand the value of advertising and be open to better solutions.
 
There are two main sources:
HomeAdviser Users

1. HomeAdvisor Users

HomeAdvisor connects consumers with local service pros—plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, and more. Business owners pay for each lead, often $50–$75 per lead. The problem? Those leads are not exclusive and often go to multiple companies at once.
Here’s how to pitch:

“I noticed you use HomeAdvisor. If you’re open to testing something different, Google Ads could give you leads that are 100% exclusive—and often at a lower cost.”

Explain that instead of fighting over shared leads, Google Ads delivers high-intent traffic directly to their business. It’s a powerful positioning tool that sets you apart from their current vendor.
Google Ads

2. Businesses Already Running Google Ads

Open Google and search for local service providers—plumbers, landscapers, roofers. If they’re running Google Ads, their ads will appear at the top of the results.
 
Visit their websites and check their ads. Many are poorly written, lack extensions, or send traffic to weak landing pages. This is your opportunity.
 
Reach out and say:

“Hi, I saw your Google ad and wanted to let you know I didn’t click it (so I wouldn’t cost you money). I help businesses improve their Google Ads ROI. If you’re open to a second opinion or a free 30-day test, I’d be happy to help.”

You’re offering expertise—not asking for a favor.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to get Google Ads clients without spending money isn’t about shortcuts—it’s about smart strategy.
 
These methods work because they focus on:
  • Leveraging existing trust (friends and referrals)
  • Offering value first (free trials)
  • Targeting the right prospects (those already advertising)
If you’re serious about building a Google Ads agency, these three tactics can help you land your first few clients—without any upfront investment. Once you do that, you’ll have case studies, referrals, and momentum to grow.

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How Much Should You Charge for Google Ads Management? A Guide for PPC Agencies

How to Price Your Google Ads Management Services: A Guide for PPC Agencies

Pricing your Google Ads management services as a PPC agency owner can feel like a moving target. With so many variables at play—industry, ad spend, workload, and client expectations—it’s no surprise there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
 
If you’re trying to figure out the best way to charge for your services, this guide will walk you through common pricing models, the pros and cons of each, and some hard-earned lessons from running a successful Google Ads agency.

Why Google Ads Pricing Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

Before we dive into the models, it’s important to understand that no single method works for every agency or client. Your pricing should reflect:
 
  • The complexity of the account
  • The size of the advertising budget
  • The client’s industry
  • How hands-on your management style is
  • The level of customer service you provide
Now let’s break down the most common pricing models PPC agencies use—and which might work best for you.

1. Flat Fee + Percentage of Ad Spend

 

Example:
$400/month base + 10% of $1,000 ad spend = $500 total monthly fee
 
Pros:
  • Predictable base revenue
  • Scales with client growth
  • Gives you and your client a clear cost breakdown

 

 

Cons:
  • Can be tricky to bill if ad spend fluctuates
  • More administrative work (calculating monthly spend, delayed invoicing)
Best for:
Clients with moderate to high ad budgets who want transparency but can tolerate variable monthly fees.

2. Percentage of Ad Spend Only

 
Agencies often charge 15%–20% of the client’s monthly ad budget.
 
Pros:
  • Simple to explain
  • Scales with the client’s investment
Cons:
  • Less revenue from clients with small budgets
  • Requires accurate tracking and monthly reconciliation
  • Unpredictable monthly income for you
Best for:
Large-budget clients who want performance-based billing.
Close Rate or Job Value

3. Flat Monthly Fee

 

You charge a fixed rate, regardless of ad spend.
 
Pros:
  • Predictable income
  • Simple billing process
  • Clients know exactly what to expect
Cons:
  • May not scale well with high-growth clients
  • Low-budget clients may see this as expensive compared to their ad spend

 

 
Best for:
 
Agencies seeking stable revenue and clients who want simple, upfront pricing.
 

Tip: Use Sliding Tiers

Some agencies use flat fees with tiers. For example:
  • $1,500/month for ad spend up to $4,000
  • $2,000/month for $4,001–$10,000 ad spend
  • Custom quotes above that
This balances simplicity and scalability.

4. Pay Per Lead

You charge the client a set fee for each qualified lead.
 
Pros:
  • Easy to quantify ROI for the client
  • Great for high-conversion local businesses
Cons:
  • Constant back-and-forth over lead quality
  • Requires strong lead tracking systems
  • Risky if leads dry up
Best for:
Niche industries with consistent lead definitions (e.g., HVAC, plumbing, legal).
Pay Per Lead
Price of Google Ads Management

5. “Whatever You Can Get” Pricing (Avoid This)

Many new agency owners charge as little as $150–$200/month just to land clients. But this approach often leads to burnout and undervaluing your service.
 
If you’re delivering real results, you deserve to be paid accordingly.
 

A Better Model: Flat Monthly Fee + Setup Fee

Why You Must Charge a Setup Fee for New Clients

 
Even if the client already has a campaign, you’ll often need to rebuild or restructure it. That’s your time and expertise.
 
Charging a setup fee:
  • Covers the time spent auditing, restructuring, or rebuilding campaigns
  • Reduces the chance of clients taking your work and leaving
  • Establishes professionalism and value from day one
 
A Flat Monthly Fee Should Be Billed on the 1st of the Month
 
Why this works:
 
  • Predictable monthly income
  • Eliminates billing surprises
  • Avoids chasing payments after work is done
  • Setup fee ensures you’re paid for upfront campaign work

Adjusting for Ad Spend based on:

  • Industry difficulty
  • Budget size
  • Expected workload
For example:
  • Small, straightforward accounts: $500–$750/month
  • More competitive industries: $1,000–$2,000+/month
  • Large-budget clients ($30K+ in ad spend): Custom pricing

Final Thoughts: Price Based on Value, Not Just Time

If your Google Ads management consistently brings in high-value clients for your customers, your fee should reflect that. Don’t just base your pricing on hours worked—base it on:
 
  • ROI you deliver
  • Quality of your service
  • Expertise you bring
Do your research, compare with other agencies, and most importantly—know your worth.

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Google Ads Location Targeting: How to Avoid Wasting Your Budget


Google Ads Location Targeting: How to Maximize ROI and Avoid Common Mistakes

Running a successful Google Ads campaign starts with targeting the right audience—and that begins with your location settings. Whether you’re working with a $500 budget or managing a multi-state campaign, how and where your ads show up can be the difference between a profitable month and a drained budget.
 
In this post, we’ll walk you through the fundamentals of Google Ads location targeting, the common mistakes to avoid, and how to optimize your campaign based on real data—not guesswork

Why Location Targeting Matters (Especially on a Budget)​

 

Every click in Google Ads costs money. And if your budget is tight—say under $1,000/month—you can’t afford to waste it on low-performing areas.
 
Let’s say you’re targeting a metro area with 5 million people and your daily budget is $30. If your average cost-per-click is $5, that’s only six clicks per day. Now imagine those six clicks are scattered across the entire metro with no clear concentration. You’ll burn through your budget fast, without learning much about which areas actually drive conversions.
Instead, focus on smaller, more strategic zones. Then, as you gather data, you can scale into new territories.

Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Smart Location Targeting in Google Ads

  1. Open your campaign and go to Settings → Locations
  2. Click “Enter another location” → Advanced Search
  3. Start with your core service area (e.g., your city or ZIP codes where most customers come from)
  4. Use ZIP codes instead of broad city targets
    • ZIPs give you finer control and help isolate top-performing pockets.
  5. Exclude non-relevant areas (like airports, industrial zones, or competitor-heavy regions)
  6. Use Radius targeting sparingly
    • While easier, radius targeting can waste budget on low-interest areas unless you’re in a very dense, high-converting location.

Example: A Common Mistake in Manhattan

One business tried targeting all of Manhattan with a $1,000/month budget. That’s about 1.6 million people—and with high CPCs in New York, the client was getting spread thin fast.
 
Instead, we advised narrowing down to just 2–3 ZIP codes where they already had strong client volume. Not only did this make their ad spend more effective, but it also saved them time (and gas) by working within a tighter service area.

The Power of the 80/20 Rule in Google Ads

 
In nearly every campaign we run, 80% of conversions come from 20% of the locations. Once you identify those high-performing ZIP codes, double down.
 
Here’s what to do:
  • Sort your locations by conversions and cost
  • Pause locations with high spend and no conversions
  • Remove ZIP codes that aren’t producing results
  • Let Google reallocate that budget to better-performing areas
Over time, this simple pruning process can boost your conversion rate and lower your cost per lead.

 

Bonus Tip: Use “Presence” Targeting, Not Google’s Default

In your campaign’s Location Options, change the setting to:
People in or regularly in your targeted locations
Why? Because the default option allows people interested in your area (but not located there) to see your ad. This is how businesses in Minnesota end up paying for clicks from Florida.

How to Bulk Exclude Locations You Don’t Serve

Even with targeting set up correctly, rogue clicks can still slip through.
 
Here’s how to tighten things up:
 
  1. Go to Advanced Search → Add Locations in Bulk
  2. List the states or cities you don’t serve
  3. Click Exclude
  4. Hit Save
This step is especially helpful for local service businesses who never intend to work outside their region.

When to Expand Your Targeting

Once your core ZIP codes are converting well and your budget allows it, begin expanding by:
 
Look for an agency that customizes campaigns based on: Your specific service Your target location Your ideal customer

 

  • Adding adjacent ZIP codes
  • Layering in additional keywords
  • Testing a slightly broader radius target
 
But only do this once your base area is performing profitably.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

❌ Targeting the entire country on a $500–$700/month budget

Result: Dispersed data, high CPA, and no clear insight into what’s working.
✅ Instead: Start with your top 2–3 performing states or metro areas.
 
❌ Ignoring non-performing areas
Result: Money continues to flow into dead zones.
✅ Instead: Review performance weekly. Remove areas with high spend and low or no conversions.
 
❌ Forgetting to exclude non-service areas
Result: Paying for clicks in irrelevant or unreachable markets.
✅ Instead: Manually exclude out-of-scope locations—even entire states if necessary.
Location targeting isn’t just a setting—it’s a strategy. When done right, it’s one of the fastest ways to improve your campaign ROI, especially if you’re working with a smaller budget.
 
By focusing your spend on high-converting areas, cutting out waste, and adjusting your strategy based on data, you’ll stretch your budget further and get more qualified leads.
 
Don’t assume your ads are going where you think they are. Double-check the zip codes, location options, and exclusions regularly—especially in the first few weeks of a campaign.

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