0413 107 893Google Ads works extremely well for tradies — when it's set up properly. The intent is there. When someone searches "ceiling repairs Perth" or "junk removal near me", they're not browsing. They need a job done and they want to call someone today. The challenge isn't finding demand. It's making sure your ads capture that demand efficiently and that your phone is the one that rings.
We've managed Google Ads for several tradie businesses across Australia, and the stories are surprisingly consistent. Budget being wasted on irrelevant clicks. Conversion tracking set up incorrectly. Landing pages that send paid traffic to a generic homepage. Once those problems are fixed, the results tend to be dramatic and fast.
Why Tradie Google Ads Often Fails
The biggest single cause of wasted spend in tradie accounts is poor keyword targeting. In local service sectors, broad match keywords will pull in traffic from searches that have nothing to do with your business. We see this constantly. A junk removal company gets clicks from people searching for council kerbside collection dates. A ceiling repairer gets clicks from people searching for ceiling fan installation guides. A plumber gets clicks from people looking for DIY tutorials.
None of those clicks convert. They all cost money. And because tradies typically run on modest budgets where every dollar matters, this kind of bleed is serious.
The second major problem is conversion tracking. For tradies, the most valuable conversions are phone calls. Not just clicks on a phone number from the landing page — also calls directly from the ad extension, and calls to any phone number visible on the page. If you're only tracking form submissions and missing phone call data, you're making optimisation decisions with incomplete information.
Ceiling Fixers: From 3 Leads to 50 Per Month
When Perth Ceiling Fixers came to us in mid-2025, they were getting three leads a month from Google Ads despite spending nearly A$2,000. That's A$389.95 per lead — unsustainable for a local trade business, and demoralising after months of poor returns.
We rebuilt the account from scratch. The approach was straightforward: phrase match keywords in tightly focused ad groups, a comprehensive negative keyword list, demographic and device bid adjustments, and dedicated landing pages for each service. By September 2025, they were generating 50 leads a month at A$30.53 each — while spending A$1,526 per month, roughly A$500 less than before. The conversion rate had gone from 2.1% to 16.13%, with the Insulation Removal ad group peaking at 21.58%.
By February 2026, the results had continued to improve: 32 conversions at A$23.98 cost per conversion, 20.78% conversion rate, and 9.98% CTR.
Junk Removal: 1.9% to 24.5% Conversion Rate
The Junk Removalist Perth account told a similar story. Over A$452 per conversion, 1.9% conversion rate, and a campaign managed by an offshore team who didn't understand that a significant chunk of traffic was coming from people looking for free council collections — not a paid removal service.
Within two weeks of taking over: conversion rate up to 6.73%, cost per conversion down to A$111. By weeks five and six the conversion rate had reached 21.32% and cost per conversion had fallen to A$67.69. The six-month average conversion rate held at 18.33% with a peak of 24.5%.
The fixes were the same fundamentals: 10 tightly targeted keywords on phrase and exact match, 200-300 negative keywords pulled from the previous 30 days of search terms, corrected conversion tracking removing a duplicate action, and two new phone call conversion actions added.
Shower Sealing: Zero Leads to 27.5% Conversion Rate
Re-Seal Shower had spent A$1,100 with a previous provider and received absolutely zero leads. Not a few — none. Their budget had been burning through Demand Generation campaigns and a Performance Max campaign, neither of which are appropriate for a local service business that needs phone calls and booking enquiries from high-intent local searches.
We stripped it back to simple search campaigns with strict targeting. After two months, they hit a 23% conversion rate with 23 leads at A$49 each. Further refinements pushed this to 27.5% — all tracking calls and web enquiries only, no inflated metrics. Full details in our Re-Seal Shower case study.
Tradie Results at a Glance
| Business | Conversion Rate Before | Conversion Rate After | Cost Per Lead Before | Cost Per Lead After |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perth Ceiling Fixers | 2.1% | 16.13% (peak 21.58%) | A$389.95 | A$30.53 |
| Junk Removalist Perth | 1.9% | 18.33% avg (peak 24.5%) | A$452 | A$67.69 |
| Re-Seal Shower | 0% (after A$1,100 spend) | 27.5% | N/A | A$49 |
What We Do Differently for Tradie Campaigns
| Area | Our approach | Common problems we fix |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword matching | Phrase and exact match, tight ad groups per service | Broad match pulling irrelevant clicks |
| Negative keywords | 200+ negatives built from actual search term data | No negatives or token list not updated |
| Conversion tracking | Phone calls (ad extension + page) + form submissions, all tested | Missing phone call tracking, duplicate actions |
| Campaign type | Intent-driven Search campaigns for local services | Demand Gen or PMax used inappropriately |
| Landing pages | Dedicated conversion-optimised pages per ad group | Homepage used for all paid traffic |
| Local knowledge | Australian-based team, familiar with local market context | Offshore management missing local nuances |
Why Choose Pitch Black?
We've been managing Google Ads accounts since 2016 and hold Google Partner status with certifications in Search, Shopping, Display, and YouTube advertising. Every account is managed entirely in-house from Perth, Western Australia — no offshore account managers, no outsourcing.
Management fees start at $499 per month per account. We don't charge commissions on your ad spend, and we build dedicated landing pages to support your campaigns at no extra cost. No lock-in contracts — you stay because the results are there, not because you're contractually obligated.
We hold a 100% 5-star rating on Google. Read our Google reviews.
"Communication was clear, turnaround time was fast, and the end result exceeded our expectations. Highly recommend Pitch Black for anyone looking for top-quality service with zero hassle!" — Stephanie G.
"Always transparent and managing my expectations without promising the world. Patient with all our questions and always wanting to help." — Mark W.
"In just a few months Pitch Black have significantly improved our position in the digital landscape. They are a pleasure to work with and a valuable asset to our business." — Adam C.
Tradies don't need fancy campaigns. They need the right jobs coming through. Google Ads can deliver that — but only when the account is built to prioritise phone calls and local intent over clicks and impressions.
If your Google Ads account isn't delivering the leads you need, get in touch. We'll audit the account for free and give you an honest assessment of what's going wrong and what it would take to fix it.
Get a Free Tradie Google Ads Audit