Start with what the customer typed
A bloke standing over a burst pipe at 7pm does not search for 'quality plumbing solutions'. He types 'emergency plumber near me' or 'blocked drain Parramatta'. Your ad has to sound like the answer to that exact search, not like a brochure.
The trick is simple: mirror the words your customer uses. If your keyword is 'hot water repairs Geelong', those words should appear in your headline. When the ad matches what they typed, Google shows it more, charges you less, and the customer feels like they have found the right person straight away.
Match the intent behind the search
- Someone searching 'cheapest electrician' wants a price, not a story
- Someone searching 'emergency electrician 24 hours' wants speed and availability
- Someone searching 'switchboard upgrade cost' is comparing quotes
- Write a different ad for each of these instead of one ad for all
Lead with the service and the suburb
Your first headline should say exactly what you do and where you do it. No fluff, no clever slogans. The customer is scanning a page of blue links and deciding in about a second.
Strong opening headlines look like this:
- Blocked Drains Cleared Today - Newcastle
- Licensed Electrician - Servicing Ipswich
- Emergency Plumber - Bendigo, 24/7
- Roof Repairs Sunshine Coast - Free Quotes
Notice how each one names the job and the location. That combination filters out tyre-kickers from other towns and pulls in the people who can actually book you.
Sell your points of difference
Every tradie in your area is running similar ads. What makes a customer pick you over the next three listings? Spell it out. These are your USPs, and they belong in your second and third headlines and your descriptions.
The stuff that makes people click
- Licensed and insured - takes the worry out of it
- Same-day service or 'On the road in 60 minutes'
- Upfront pricing or 'No call-out fee, fixed quotes'
- Fully guaranteed workmanship - backs your quality
- Local, family-run - people trust a name over a faceless outfit
- Reviews - '5-star rated on Google, 300+ jobs done'
Pick the two or three that are actually true for your business and lead with them. Real, specific claims beat vague ones every time. 'Upfront pricing, no surprises' works harder than 'great service'.
Finish with a clear call to action
Tell people exactly what to do next. A good CTA removes any thinking. It should feel like the obvious next step, not a big commitment.
- Call now for a free quote
- Book your job online in 2 minutes
- Text us your job and get a price today
- Same-day bookings - call before noon
Match the CTA to how your customer wants to reach you. Emergency jobs want 'Call now'. Planned work like a bathroom reno might prefer 'Request a free quote'. Give them the option that fits the moment.
Use ad extensions to take up more space
Extensions are the extra lines, links and buttons that sit under your ad. They are free to add, they make your ad bigger, and they give the customer more reasons to click. Skipping them is leaving space on the table for a competitor.
The extensions worth setting up
- Call extension - puts a tappable phone number right on your ad, perfect for mobile
- Location extension - shows you are local and links to Maps
- Sitelinks - extra links like 'Emergency Repairs', 'Our Services', 'Get a Quote'
- Callouts - short phrases like 'Free Quotes', 'Licensed', '7 Days a Week'
- Structured snippets - list your services so people see the full range
On a phone, a call extension can be the difference between a job and a scroll. The customer taps once and you are talking. No landing page, no form, just a ringing phone.
The click is only half the battle
You can write the sharpest ad on the page, but if the click lands on a slow, cluttered website the customer bounces and your money is gone. The landing experience has to keep the promise your ad made.
Send 'emergency plumber' clicks to a page about emergency plumbing, not your generic home page. Put your phone number up top, load fast, and make it dead easy to call or book on a phone.
Answer fast or lose the lead
Here is the part most tradies miss. A customer who clicks your ad is ready right now, and they will call two or three of you. Whoever picks up first usually wins the job. If you are up a ladder or under a house, that call goes to voicemail and then to your competitor.
This is where a tool like InstantLead earns its keep. When you cannot answer, it texts the caller back in under five seconds, works out their name, job and how urgent it is, then alerts you straight away. Your ad spend turns into booked work instead of missed calls.
Test, cut and keep improving
No one nails the perfect ad first go. Run a few versions, watch which headlines and CTAs get the most clicks and calls, then bin the losers and double down on the winners. Small tweaks to your wording can lift your results without spending a dollar more.
- Run at least two or three ad variations per group
- Check your click-through rate weekly, not daily
- Pause any headline pulling well below the others
- Add new keywords from the search terms customers actually used
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a Google Ads headline be?
Should I put my price in the ad?
How many ads should I run at once?
Why am I getting clicks but no calls?
Turn your ad clicks into booked jobs
A great Google Ad gets the phone ringing, but only if someone answers. InstantLead texts back every missed call in under five seconds, captures the job details, and alerts you on the spot - so the money you spend on ads turns into real work. Start free for your first month at portal.instantlead.com.au/register, or get in touch to see how it fits your business.