Learn how to stop wasting your Google Ads budget on low-intent traffic and start driving high-converting leads. Strategy insights for serious service businesses.
If you’re running Google Ads and not seeing great ROI, you’re not alone. Most service businesses are wasting a majority of their ad budget—and don’t know it. The problem usually isn’t the platform. It’s the strategy behind it. Good news: most of what’s broken is fixable with clearer targeting, sharper intent filters, and ruthless focus on conversion.
Let’s break down where Google Ads spend gets flushed, how to stop the bleeding, and how to scale your leadgen with confidence.
1. Intent is everything. Get ruthless about it.
Most wasted spend in Google Ads comes from targeting the wrong intent. That’s it. Not ad copy, not your website design, not even your budget. It starts with bidding on keywords that bring in curious browsers or DIYers—not real buyers.
If someone searches “how to repair a leaking roof” at 10 p.m., they’re probably not ready to hire. But “roof repair near me open now” is someone ready to make a call.
Here’s the trap: Google makes it easy to waste money. Broad match keywords throw your ads in front of low-intent searches constantly. Even phrase and modified broad match can get loose if you’re not actively monitoring search terms.
If your agency says, “It’s about brand awareness” or “Impressions are up,” that’s code for: “We’re not tracking qualified leads.”
At B&G, we’ve audited dozens of Google Ads accounts for contractors, tech pros, and licensed services. In 80% of cases, up to half the spend was going to:
If you’re paying for clicks, every one needs to have a shot at turning into a real lead. Stop funding research and curiosity—buy serious intent.
2. Your landing page isn't converting the way you think it is
Clicks aren’t your goal. Calls, bookings, or qualified form fills are.
When someone clicks your ad, they’re not impressed by pretty. They want answers fast. What do you do? Are you local? Can you help this week? What’s the next step?
Most landing pages fall flat because they prioritize “design” over focus. We’ve seen $75K websites that couldn’t convert a hot lead if it tried. Why? No visible phone number, no trust markers, too much text, and zero urgency.
Example from a real B&G client before they worked with us:
A remodeling company in Texas was spending $12K/month on Google Ads. They were getting leads, but closing less than 5%. We looked closer—turns out 60% of clicks were bouncing in under 10 seconds. Their landing page buried the call-to-action halfway down, used stock images, and loaded slow on mobile.
We rebuilt a faster, cleaner landing page with a bold call button, clear headline, real project photos, a map, and a Google Reviews widget. Result? Same traffic, 2.6x the lead volume.
Copy this:
ROI lives at the intersection of traffic and conversion. Nail both.
3. Don’t fight national brands—outlocal them
Big brands can outspend you. But they can’t outlocal you.
A surprising number of service businesses are running location-targeted campaigns that are either too broad (“entire state”) or too stacked with irrelevant ZIP codes. Worse, they’re spending money to show ads to people 40 miles outside their service radius.
If you’re a remodeler in Scottsdale, why are you spending money on clicks from Phoenix, Tempe, and beyond—unless you've got boots on the ground there?
Specific beats general every single time. Hyperlocal campaign structures let you:
Service businesses win when they go tight, not wide. Use radius settings, ZIP codes, and city-level targeting that reflect your actual reach—not your hopes.
Here’s the upside: when we helped a roofing client in Ohio switch from state-based targeting to a 15-mile radius around their office, their qualified lead cost dropped from $115 to $52 in four weeks. Less waste, higher close rate.
4. Break free from "set it and forget it" agencies
If your current agency doesn't show you where every dollar went—and what it produced—they’re not earning their keep.
The biggest red flag in Google Ads management is silence. Or worse: reports filled with CTRs, impressions, and cost-per-click graphs, but no mention of qualified leads or closed revenue.
You deserve hard numbers—not spin.
We’ve taken over PPC accounts where:
If you’re spending serious money, here’s what you need to demand:
And if your agency can’t do that? Fire them. Fast.
5. Scale only once the math checks out
You don’t scale spend because you feel like it. You scale when the funnel economics support it.
Ask yourself:
Let’s use a straightforward example.
You’re a design-build contractor getting $25K average projects. Your net take-home per project is around $6K. If you close 1 in 5 qualified leads, then each lead is worth about $1,200 to you. That means you can afford to spend up to $300 per qualified lead and still get a 4x return.
So if your Google Ads funnel is producing leads at $150, it’s time to scale. You’ve got room.
But if you're getting flooded with low-quality leads (or no tracking at all), don’t scale. Fix before you pour gas on it.
Effective scaling is about doubling down on tight funnels—not throwing more money at loose ones.
The Real ROI from Google Ads Comes Down to Strategy
Here’s the truth most agencies won’t tell you: Google Ads is a powerful platform, but it’s not magic. If you’re not seeing the ROI you want, the first step isn’t more spend—it’s better structure.
Get disciplined about intent. Kill every keyword that’s not tied to a real buyer.
Refine your landing pages. They should guide serious leads straight to your goal.
Own your territory. Use hyperlocal targeting to optimize per area.
Demand real tracking. You can’t improve what you can’t see.
And only scale once your system is reliably producing ROI.
If you’re tired of guessing and want a direct, BS-free strategy to fix what’s broken and finally make Google Ads work the way it's supposed to? That’s our lane.
Book a free audit—no fluff, no pressure. We’ll show you exactly where your ad dollars are leaking and what to fix.
Let’s un-waste your budget.
Want help fixing low-ROI Google Ads? Book a zero-pressure audit and see what a clean strategy looks like.
No sales pitch. Just a strategy you can use.
