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The Marketing Mantra
This blog is meant to provide business owners with the tools and resources to manage digital marketing campaigns using Google tools. Find the answers to your questions and start reaching your business goals.
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What Should a Google Ads Landing Page Look Like for an HVAC Company?
Quick Answer: An effective HVAC Google Ads landing page has one job: get the visitor to call or submit a form. It should include a clear headline matching the search, a click-to-call phone number above the fold, 3–5 trust signals (reviews, licenses, years in business), a simple contact form, and zero navigation links that could pull visitors away. You paid for that click. Now what? Where you send paid traffic is just as important as the ad that brought them there. And in the
3 days ago5 min read


How to Set Up Google Ads the Right Way (Basic Structure)
Google Ads accounts get messy fast. If you don't set up the right structure from the beginning, you'll waste money and have no idea what's working. Here's the simple framework. I'm Kelsey with KaeRae Marketing. Before we talk about keywords or ads or targeting, you need to understand how a Google Ads account is organized. This is the foundation. Get this right and everything else is easier. A Google Ads account has 4 levels. Think of it like a filing cabinet: Account — that's
4 days ago3 min read


How to Write Google Ads That Actually Get Plumbing Calls
Most plumbing Google Ads look the same. "24/7 Plumbing Service. Licensed & Insured. Call Today!" Repeat that across 50 different plumbing companies in your market and you've got a wall of identical ads that nobody really reads. The good news: that sameness is an opportunity. Writing better ad copy than your competitors isn't hard when your competitors are barely trying. Here's a practical guide to writing Google Ads that actually get your plumbing business's phone ringing — n
5 days ago5 min read


What Is a Good Conversion Rate for a Home Service Google Ads Campaign?
Quick Answer: A good conversion rate for home service Google Ads is 8–15%, meaning 8–15 out of every 100 clicks should result in a phone call or form submission. Below 5% usually signals a landing page problem, a keyword relevance issue, or both. Above 15% means things are running very well. Conversion rate is one of those metrics that can tell you a lot about your Google Ads — but only if you know what you're comparing it to. Too many home service business owners look at the
Apr 165 min read


Google Ads Keyword Match Types Explained for Home Service Business Owners
Keyword match types are one of the most important settings in your entire Google Ads account — and one of the most misunderstood. Get them right and your ads show up for people who are actively looking to hire a plumber, HVAC technician, or electrician. Get them wrong and you're paying for clicks from people who have absolutely no intention of calling you. Here's the plain-English breakdown. What Are Keyword Match Types? When you add a keyword to your Google Ads campaign, you
Apr 145 min read


How Do I Know If My Google Ads Are Actually Working?
Quick Answer: Your Google Ads are working if they're generating tracked phone calls, form submissions, or booked jobs at a cost that makes financial sense for your business. Clicks, impressions, and CTR don't tell you if ads are working. Actual leads do. Here's how to measure what matters. This is one of those questions that sounds simple but exposes a real problem in how most Google Ads campaigns are reported. You look at your dashboard. Clicks are happening. Spend is happen
Apr 95 min read


7 Signs Your Home Service Google Ads Campaign Is Wasting Money
Google Ads waste is shockingly common in the home service industry. I've audited accounts where 40%, 50%, even 60% of the monthly ad spend was going to clicks that had zero chance of turning into customers. The worst part? Most of these business owners had no idea. Their agency was sending monthly reports. The clicks were happening. It just... wasn't turning into calls. Here are the 7 most common signs your Google Ads are leaking money — and what to do about each one. Sign #1
Apr 75 min read


What Questions Should I Ask Before Hiring a Google Ads Agency?
Quick Answer: Before hiring a Google Ads agency, ask: Who will manage my account? Do I own the account? How do you track calls and conversions? What does reporting look like? Do you require a contract? Can you show results for similar businesses? These questions reveal whether you're talking to a legitimate partner or a bad deal waiting to happen. Hiring a Google Ads agency can feel like a leap of faith. The work is invisible, the jargon is confusing, and you've probably alre
Apr 25 min read


How Long Does It Take for Google Ads to Work for a Plumbing Company?
Quick Answer: Google Ads for a plumbing company typically take 30–90 days to fully optimize. The first 30 days is data collection. Months 2 and 3 are when real optimization happens and leads start flowing more consistently. Anyone promising immediate, consistent results from day one is overselling. This is one of the most common questions I get from plumbing business owners who are considering Google Ads — and it's the right question to ask before you spend a dollar. The hone
Mar 265 min read


How to Find the Search Terms Report
The Search Terms Report shows you exactly what people typed into Google before clicking your ad. If you've never looked at this, you're probably wasting money and don't even know it. I'm Kelsey with KaeRae Marketing. The Search Terms Report is one of the most important reports in Google Ads — and most people don't even know it exists. Let me show you where to find it and what to do with it. Your keywords are what you tell Google you want to show up for. Your search terms are
Mar 252 min read


Google Local Services Ads vs. Google Ads: Which Is Better for Plumbers?
If you've ever Googled a local plumber, you've seen both. At the very top: those green "Google Guaranteed" listings with a phone number and star rating. Below that: the regular text ads. And below those: the map pack and organic results. Those two types of paid listings — Google Local Services Ads (LSA) and Google Ads — work very differently. They cost differently, they perform differently, and they're right for different situations. So which one should you be running for you
Mar 245 min read


What Does a Google Ads Agency Actually Do for Home Service Companies?
Quick Answer: A Google Ads agency builds your campaigns, manages your budget, optimizes keywords and bids, writes ad copy, and reports on results. For home service companies, they should also set up call tracking, build landing pages, and actively cut wasted spend — not just set things up and collect a monthly fee. Fair question. You're paying someone — sometimes $500, sometimes $2,000 a month — and the work feels invisible. No tangible product shows up at your door. Your pho
Mar 195 min read


How to Add Negative Keywords in Google Ads
If you're paying for clicks from people searching 'plumber salary' or 'DIY plumbing,' you're wasting money. Negative keywords fix this. Let me show you how. I'm Kelsey with KaeRae Marketing. Negative keywords are one of the most powerful tools in Google Ads — and one of the most ignored. Here's what they are, why you need them, and exactly how to add them. Negative keywords tell Google: 'Don't show my ad when someone searches for this.' So if you're a plumber and you add 'job
Mar 182 min read


How Much Should a Home Service Business Spend on Google Ads?
It's the question every plumber, HVAC company owner, and electrician asks before running a single ad. And it's the question most agencies completely dodge. "It depends" is technically true but completely unhelpful. So let's do what most people in this industry won't: give you real numbers. This post breaks down what a realistic Google Ads budget looks like for home service businesses — by market size, service type, and growth goal. No fluff, no vague ranges designed to upsell
Mar 175 min read


What Is the Best Way to Get More Plumbing Leads?
Quick Answer: The best ways to get more plumbing leads are Google Ads (for immediate visibility), local SEO and Google Maps (for long-term organic leads), and an optimized Google Business Profile (free and fast to set up). The right mix depends on your budget, your market, and how quickly you need results. Every plumbing business owner wants the same thing: a phone that rings consistently with real jobs — not tire-kickers, not DIYers, not people calling three times for a quot
Mar 127 min read


How to Set Up Ad Extensions in Google Ads
If your Google Ads look small and boring compared to your competitors, you're missing ad extensions. Let me show you how to set them up in the next few minutes. I'm Kelsey with KaeRae Marketing. Ad extensions are one of the easiest ways to make your ads bigger, more clickable, and more effective — and most people either skip them or set them up wrong. Here's exactly how to do it right. Ad extensions are extra pieces of information that show up below your main ad. Things like
Mar 113 min read


Why Google Ads Don't Work for Most Home Service Companies (And What Does)
You've been there. You set up Google Ads — or paid someone to do it — and watched your budget drain away while your phone stayed quiet. A few random calls came in. Maybe one turned into a job. But mostly? Nothing you could point to and say that worked. Sound familiar? Here's the thing: Google Ads absolutely can work for home service companies. Plumbers, HVAC companies, electricians — I've seen campaigns turn struggling businesses into booked-out operations. But the failure ra
Mar 107 min read


Jul 30, 20250 min read


KaeRae Guru's Google Empower Hour - Episode 13: eCommerce and Merchant Center
Kelsey Flannery discusses the importance of optimizing e-commerce businesses for Google through Merchant Center and Google Ads. She...
Jun 19, 20251 min read


How to Get Google Ads Certified (What They Don't Tell You)
Curious about getting Google Ads certified? Let me break down what it really takes. First, you'll need a Google Skillshop account -...
Apr 4, 20251 min read
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