Google Ads for Small Business: A Plain-English Guide

Google Ads lets you show ads in Google search results, on Google Maps and across other Google services. You choose the searches you want to appear for, set a budget, and pay when someone clicks your ad. For local businesses, the most useful type is usually a search campaign - ads that appear when someone types a search like "emergency plumber near me" or "wedding cake Melbourne".

How Google Ads works

When someone searches, Google runs a quick auction to decide which ads to show and in what order. It's not just about who bids the most. Google also looks at how relevant your ad and landing page are to the search. A well-built, relevant campaign can often appear above competitors who are bidding more.

You can control:

• Keywords - the searches you want to appear for
• Locations - the suburbs, cities or radius you serve
• Budget - a daily average that you can change at any time
• Schedule - the days and hours your ads run
• Ads - the headlines and descriptions people see

Choosing the right keywords

Good keywords show intent - the person is ready to buy or book. "Bathroom renovation Geelong" is a strong keyword. "Bathroom ideas" is mostly people browsing.

Two settings matter a lot:

• Match types control how closely a search must match your keyword. Very broad settings can show your ad for loosely related searches.
• Negative keywords stop your ads showing for searches you don't want - like "jobs", "free" or "DIY". Adding negatives is one of the quickest ways to stop wasting money.

Writing ads that get clicked

Your ad should match what the person searched for, explain why they should choose you, and tell them what to do next. Use your real strengths - local, licensed, fast response, family-owned - and add extras like call buttons, location and links to key pages. Never make claims you can't back up.

The landing page matters as much as the ad

Sending paid clicks to a slow, cluttered homepage is one of the most common ways small businesses waste money. A good landing page:

• Matches the ad the person clicked
• Loads fast on mobile
• Makes the next step obvious - call, book or enquire
• Shows reviews, photos and a short explanation of your service
• Has a short form that's easy to fill in on a phone

Tracking: know what you're paying for

Without tracking, you're guessing. Set up conversion tracking so you know which keywords and ads lead to calls, form enquiries and bookings - not just clicks. Then put more budget behind what works and cut what doesn't. When enquiries land in a CRM, you can go a step further and see which ads turn into paying customers. Our guide to automating enquiry follow-ups covers that side.

How much should you spend?

There's no single right answer - it depends on your industry, location, competition and how many new customers you can handle. Start with a budget you're comfortable with, track results for a few weeks, then adjust. You stay in control and can change or pause it at any time. Be wary of anyone who guarantees a set number of leads.

Common mistakes that waste money

1. Sending every click to the homepage
2. No conversion tracking
3. Very broad keywords with no negative keywords
4. Showing ads outside the area you actually serve
5. Running ads when nobody is available to answer the phone
6. Setting it up once and never checking it again

Should you manage it yourself?

You can - Google's tools have become easier to use. But a campaign needs regular checking: new negative keywords, ad tests, budget changes and landing page improvements. If you'd rather spend that time on your business, our Google Ads management service sets it up properly, keeps the account in your name, and reports results in plain English every month.