While SEO is the long-game for appearing in Google search, Google Ads is the way to get immediate visibility for those crucial keywords that signal someone is ready to hire or needs help urgently. The beauty of Google Ads is that you can target high-intent keywords – searches that indicate the user is actively looking for a service, and put your business at the top of the results page. Let’s cover how to use Google Ads effectively for a home improvement business:
Bidding on Local, Urgent Keywords
Identify the keywords that likely lead directly to hiring. These often include words like “near me”, “in [City]”, “quote”, “repair”, “emergency”, etc. For example:
- “emergency roof repair Leicester”
- “bathroom installer near me”
- “loft conversion company [YourArea]”
- “Plasterer available now [Town]”
These are the kinds of searches where a person might click an ad and call immediately. Focus your budget on these as they’re lower in the funnel.
You might create an ad group for each service type with its own set of keywords, e.g., one for Roofing (covering “roof repair”, “roof leak fix”, etc.), one for Bathroom/Kitchen (like “bathroom renovation [town]”, “kitchen remodel contractor”, etc.), and so on.
Use Ad Extensions to Stand Out
Google Ads allows you to add extra pieces of information to your text ads, called ad extensions. These can really improve click-through rate because they make your ad larger and more informative:
- Sitelink Extensions: You can add additional links below your main ad. For example, your main ad might link to your Contact page, but you can have sitelinks like “Our Services”, “About Us”, “Testimonials”, “Portfolio”, which take users directly to those pages if that interests them.
- Callout Extensions: Short snippets that highlight key selling points. E.g., “Free Quotes”, “20 Years Experience”, “Fully Insured”, “Checkatrade 5 star Rated”. These appear as part of the ad and give quick reasons to choose you.
- Location Extension: If you have a physical office or showroom, linking your Google Business location can show your address or “Distance: 2 miles away” – which reinforces that you’re local.
- Call Extension: Perhaps the most important for contractors – this puts a phone number on the ad (on mobile, it becomes a “Call” button). Many people will just tap and call without even visiting your site. If you can take calls, absolutely use this. For urgent services, especially, people prefer to call.
- Image Extension: A newer feature, you can attach an image to your search ad (showing on mobile currently). For home improvement, showing a finished project thumbnail could attract the eye.
Dedicated Landing Pages with Conversion Tracking
Ensure that the traffic from Google Ads is going to an effective landing page, not just your homepage (unless your homepage is brilliantly designed for conversion). If someone clicked an ad about “Emergency Roof Repair Leicester”, don’t drop them on a generic page; send them to a page about roof repair with a clear “Call now for urgent help – 24/7 service” message.
Align the page headline with what the ad promised. Conversion tracking is a must – set up goals for contact form submissions, calls (if possible, through a call tracking number or at least clicks on the number), and any other actions (like brochure downloads).
Start Small and Optimise
You don’t need a huge budget at first. Start with a modest daily budget (maybe £10-£20 per day per campaign, or whatever you’re comfortable testing with).
Monitor what happens for a couple of weeks: Which keywords are getting clicks? Are they converting? You might find, for instance, “kitchen renovation cost Leicester” gets clicks, but those users were just price shopping, not ready to commit.
Meanwhile, “kitchen fitters in Leicester” might have fewer clicks, but those who click often call you. With that insight, you can allocate more budget to the better-performing terms and pause or bid down on the less effective ones. Over time, you’ll hone in on a set of keywords that consistently bring good leads.
A/B Test Ad Copy
Create at least 2-3 ad variants for each ad group. Some angles to try:
- Emphasise experience: “Leicester Home Improvements: 25 Years Experience. Trusted & Local. Get Free Quote.”
- Emphasise speed/availability: “Need a Builder Fast? We Can Start Your Project ASAP. Call Now!”
- Emphasise quality: “Stunning Kitchen Remodels: Award-Winning Design & Workmanship. View Our Portfolio.”
Track ROI and Refine
With Google Ads, it’s easy to equate spend to results. If you spent £300 in a month and got 10 leads that turned into 2 projects worth £10k, that’s obviously great ROI.
If not, where’s the bottleneck? Low conversion on the landing page? Wrong audience? Or maybe lots of leads but low close rate, maybe refine your screening or see if you’re attracting budget shoppers if that’s an issue. Because everything is measurable, don’t be afraid to tweak bids, pause things, or try new keywords to improve that return.
For a full breakdown, see our complete Home Improvement Marketing Guide or book a free consultation with Loop Digital and find out how we can boost your home improvement marketing.
