Google Search ads for service businesses: how I set them up
Clinics, coaching centres, home services and B2B firms all sell to people nearby. This is how I set up Google Search ads so the leads are real, local and countable.
The short answer
For a local service business, run Google Search ads only in the city or area you serve, with location options set to Presence. Build one ad group per service with a short list of buying keywords, track calls, WhatsApp clicks and form leads separately, send each to a page about that service, and judge cost per qualified lead, not cost per lead.
Set up before spending
- Target your city, Presence
- One ad group per service
- Track calls and WhatsApp
- One service, one page
- Qualify every lead
In this post
A dental clinic in Gulberg, a tuition academy in Karachi, an AC repair service in Dubai and a B2B supplier all have the same problem with Google Ads. They don't sell to the whole country. They sell to people nearby who need the service now.
Most service accounts I review were set up like an online store. Broad targeting, too many keywords, and a lead counted every time someone tapped a button. This is how I set them up instead.
How should a local service business target locations?
Target only the cities, areas or radius you can actually serve, and set location options to Presence. That way your ads reach people who are in or regularly in your area, not people abroad who are only interested in it.
In campaign settings, under Locations, add your city or set a radius around your address. A clinic might use a few kilometres. A home services company might use the whole city. A B2B firm might use several cities. Then open Location options and pick Presence. The default also reaches people who have only shown interest in your location, and a person in Dubai can't book a home visit in Lahore.
Presence only
People in, or regularly in, the area you serve. Check the locations report after a week to see where clicks really came from.
The same settings logic applies to stores, and I cover the rest of it in the five settings I change on every new account.
How many keywords does a service campaign need?
Fewer than you think. Build one ad group per service, and give each one a short list of keywords that a person would type when they want to book or buy that service.
A clinic offering teeth whitening, braces and root canal treatment should have three ad groups, not one. Each one gets its own keywords, its own ads and its own landing page. Good service keywords usually include the service plus a signal of intent:
- The service and the city, like "dentist in Lahore" or "IELTS classes Karachi".
- Price and booking words, like "fee", "charges", "appointment" or "near me".
- The specific problem, like "AC not cooling repair".
Use phrase and exact match while the account is new, so you can see what you're paying for. Add negatives for jobs, training, salary, free and "how to" searches from day one. Then check the search terms every week, as I explain in my weekly search terms check.
How do I track calls and WhatsApp leads from Google Ads?
Track each type of lead as its own conversion action: calls from the ad, calls from the website, WhatsApp clicks and form submissions. If they all count as one "lead", you can't tell which one brings real customers.
- Calls from ads. Add a call asset to your ads. Where Google forwarding numbers are available you can count only calls above a minimum length, but Pakistan and the UAE aren't on that list, so there you'll see call clicks and should log real calls in your lead sheet.
- Calls and WhatsApp clicks on your site. Track clicks on the phone number and the WhatsApp button, usually through Google Tag Manager.
- Forms. Track the thank you page or the form submission, once per lead.
I set WhatsApp clicks as secondary at the start. A click on the WhatsApp button only means the chat window opened. Many people never send the message.
What should the landing page for a service ad include?
The landing page should be about the one service in the ad, in the city in the ad, with the phone number and WhatsApp button easy to find on a phone. Sending every ad to your home page makes people search for the answer again.
- A headline that matches the search, like the service name and the area.
- Call and WhatsApp buttons visible without scrolling on a phone.
- Timings, location and service area, so people know you can help them.
- Fees or a starting price, if you're comfortable showing it.
- Proof: real reviews, photos of your work or team, qualifications.
- A short form for people who don't want to call.
Why does cost per lead lie for service businesses?
Cost per lead counts every call, chat and form as equal. They aren't. Some people want a job, some want a free answer, some are outside your area, and some book. Until you know which leads were real, a low cost per lead can hide a campaign that brings no customers.
After a few weeks, divide spend by qualified leads, not all leads. Once you have the data, send qualified leads back to Google as offline conversions, so bidding learns from real customers instead of button taps.
A cheap lead that never books is not cheap. Judge the campaign on the leads your team would call good.
Before you spend on a service campaign
Check five things: city or radius targeting with Presence, one ad group per service, separate tracking for calls, WhatsApp and forms, a page for each service, and a sheet that marks lead quality. Get those right first, then work on bids and budget.
None of this needs a big budget. It needs a clear setup and someone honest about which leads were real.
If you'd like me to set up and run this for your business, see managed ads. If you want a second opinion on your current account first, book a strategy call.
Questions people ask me about Google Ads for service businesses
Should a local service business use Performance Max?
I start service businesses on Search. You choose the keywords, you see the search terms, and the leads come from people who are looking for the service right now. Performance Max can bring cheaper leads that are harder to qualify. Test it later, with lead quality tracking already in place, and compare on qualified leads.
Is a WhatsApp click a lead?
Not on its own. A click only means someone opened the chat. Some never send a message. Track WhatsApp clicks as a secondary action so you can see them, and count a lead only when a real conversation starts. Then mark which of those conversations turned into a booking or a quote.
Should I run ads in Urdu or another local language?
Google Search ads are matched to what people search, and people often search in a different language from the one they speak. In Pakistan, many search in English or Roman Urdu even when they speak Urdu. I write ads in clear, simple English with local details like the area name, timings and fees if you show them. Test local-language or Roman Urdu headlines if your customers write that way.
What budget does a local service campaign need?
It depends on how many people search for your service in your city and what each click costs there. Use Keyword Planner to check search volume and rough click costs for your area. Start with a budget that can buy enough clicks each day to get a few leads a week, then judge on qualified leads.
Got a question this didn't answer? Message me on WhatsApp.
Where this comes from
Everything in this post comes from setting up and fixing ad accounts myself. Platform menus and names change often, so if a screen looks different from what I describe, check the platform's own help pages for the current wording, or message me and I'll point you to the right one.
Written by Moiz Khan
Meta and Google Ads consultant, 13+ years in ad accounts
I'm Moiz Khan. I've spent 13+ years inside Meta and Google ad accounts and managed $12M+ in ad spend, for e-commerce and service businesses in Pakistan and abroad. Here I write down what I check, what I change and why, so you can fix your own account or know what to ask for.
