After auditing dozens of Google Ads accounts for local service businesses, I see the same three mistakes in almost every one. They’re not complicated to fix, but they’re expensive to ignore.
1. Broad match everything
The default keyword match type in Google Ads is broad match. Google wants you to use it because it spends more of your budget faster. For a local business with a limited budget, this is poison.
Your “emergency plumber Calgary” broad match keyword is triggering on searches like “plumber salary” and “how to become a plumber.” These clicks cost $8-15 each and will never convert.
Fix: Use phrase match and exact match for your core keywords. Reserve broad match for discovery campaigns with tight negative keyword lists.
2. No negative keywords
Related to mistake #1: without negative keywords, you’re paying for every tangentially related search. “Jobs,” “salary,” “DIY,” “free,” “how to” — these should be blocked from day one.
Fix: Review your search terms report weekly for the first month. Build your negative keyword list aggressively. This alone can cut wasted spend by 20-40%.
3. Sending traffic to your homepage
Your homepage serves many audiences. A Google Ads click from someone searching “emergency plumber near me” needs a page that says exactly one thing: “We’re the emergency plumber near you. Here’s how to contact us right now.”
Your homepage, with its navigation links, service menu, about section, and blog feed, gives that person a dozen reasons to get distracted before they convert.
Fix: Build dedicated landing pages for your top 3-5 keyword themes. Match the headline to the search intent. Remove navigation. Make the form or phone number the only action available.
None of these fixes require more budget. They require more attention to the fundamentals. That’s usually where the biggest gains are hiding.