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When Google Ads makes sense for a business that serves one area
It makes sense when customers look for you on Google at the moment they need you. Think of a plumber in la Selva, a dental clinic in Girona or a car repair shop in Cassà. Someone types the service and the town, and wants to call today. Search ads can show up right then, before that person picks who to call.
It also helps when you open a new business and do not rank in organic results yet, or when your season is short and you cannot wait months. SEO and your Google Maps listing are still the foundation. Ads are a way to be visible while that foundation grows, or to push the services you most want to sell.
When it is better to wait
Hold off if nobody can pick up the phone or answer forms the same day. You pay for every click, even when the person never gets through to you. It is also a poor idea if the ad lands on the home page of a slow or confusing website, where the visitor cannot find the service they searched for.
Before spending anything, go through these points calmly. If one of them fails, fix it first and run the campaign afterwards. A campaign only sends more people to your website and your phone. If the site does not convince or nobody answers, those clicks are wasted.
- People search for your service in your area, using words you would use too.
- You have a page for each key service, with your phone number and a short form.
- Someone answers calls and messages during the hours your ads run.
- You know how many enquiries a month would make the campaign worthwhile.
How much do I need to spend to start with Google Ads?
You choose the average daily budget for each campaign and can change it at any time. Bear in mind that on a single day it can spend up to twice that amount, but over the month it will not exceed 30.4 times the daily budget. The right figure depends on local search volume and how many enquiries you need.
How to limit ads to the area you serve
Google Ads lets you choose where your ads appear. You can pick a country, areas within a country or a radius around an address. Depending on the country, areas can be regions, cities or postcodes. Google lists the radius option as a fit for local businesses whose customers live near the premises.
The radius has to be at least one kilometre. Google warns that with a very small radius or area your ads may only show now and then, or not at all. So a shop in central Girona can start with a radius that covers the neighbourhoods and towns its customers actually come from, then adjust it once there is data.
Want us to check whether your area and your website are ready for a campaign? Leave your details and we will explain.
Take a lookPresence or interest. Who sees your ads
Google Ads gives you two main options. With presence or interest, the ad reaches people who are in the area and also people who have shown interest in it. Google recommends this for search campaigns. Someone in Barcelona looking for a restaurant in Palamós for the summer could see the ad.
If you only want to reach people who are physically in the area, choose the presence option. That fits a home repair service or an emergency call-out. Google says location is worked out from several signals and is not 100 per cent accurate. If you run ads in English for visitors from abroad, Google advises keeping language and location targeting consistent and writing the ads in English.
If I already rank well on Google Maps, do I need ads?
Not always. If your listing already brings in enough calls, you may not need them. Ads can help if you want to appear in searches where you do not show up yet, if you launch a new service or if your season is short. You can also link your Business Profile to Google Ads so the ad can show your address and distance.
Calls and your address inside the ad
A local ad can carry your phone number. With call assets, mobile users see a button to call you straight away. You can schedule the number to show only when someone can answer. A tap on that button costs the same as a click on the headline. If you turn on call reporting, Google uses a forwarding number and can count calls as conversions. This only works on the Search Network.
With location assets, the ad can show your address, a map or the approximate distance to your premises. That data comes from Google Maps and your Google Business Profile, which you can link to your Google Ads account. If the profile has the wrong address or phone number, so will the ad. And if you mark the business as closed, those assets stop showing.
Can I show ads only when the business is open?
Yes. You can schedule a campaign so ads only run on certain days and at certain hours. The call button can also be scheduled to appear only when someone is available to answer. Bear in mind that with a schedule the campaign still paces towards a monthly spend of 30.4 times the daily budget, however few days it runs.
How the daily budget works
In Google Ads you set an average daily budget for each campaign, and you can change it at any time. On a given day the campaign may spend up to twice that amount when there are more searches. Over the month, though, it will not spend more than 30.4 times the daily budget. If you think in monthly terms, divide that figure by 30.4.
What nobody can tell you in advance is how many enquiries you will get. It depends on how many people search in your area and how many competitors advertise. That is why it pays to track calls and form submissions from the ads from day one, not just clicks.
