Locals Ads Guide

Daniel Dimsey

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  • Dan Dimsey: The Best Google Ads Campaign Structure for Home Service Businesses

    If you run a home service business and want more leads from Google Ads, Dan Dimsey teaches a simple principle that changes everything: structure your account around the services you actually sell, then make your ads and landing pages tightly relevant to the search. That one move helps you control budget better, improve click-through rates, and give yourself a stronger shot at conversions.

    This approach is especially useful for businesses like window cleaning, pressure washing, HVAC, plumbing, roofing, electrical, landscaping, pest control, appliance repair, and other local service companies. The goal is not to create a messy account with random keywords stuffed into one campaign. The goal is to build a clean Google Ads account where every campaign, ad group, ad, and landing page matches search intent as closely as possible.

    Why campaign structure matters so much

    The biggest mistake many home service businesses make is lumping too many services together. If you offer multiple services and put them into one broad campaign, your relevance drops fast.

    Dan Dimsey recommends creating specific campaigns for specific services. So if you offer:

    • Window cleaning
    • Pressure washing
    • Gutter cleaning

    Then each of those services should usually have its own campaign.

    Why? Because someone searching for pressure washing is not necessarily looking for window cleaning. And if your ad tries to speak to both at once, it usually becomes weaker for both. Relevance is the whole game here. The more your ad matches what someone typed into Google, the more likely they are to click and convert.

    That is the core of the Dan Dimsey method: make the account structure reflect the real services you sell so your budget goes to the right places and your messaging stays sharp.

    Start with service-based campaigns

    At the campaign level, keep things straightforward. Build one campaign per major service.

    Using a window cleaning business as the example, your account might look something like this:

    • Window Cleaning campaign
    • Pressure Washing campaign
    • Gutter Cleaning campaign

    This gives you a few clear advantages:

    • You can control budget by service
    • You can see which service is actually producing leads
    • You can write more specific ad copy
    • You can send traffic to more relevant pages

    That last point matters more than most advertisers realise. If your service campaigns are separate, it becomes much easier to keep the whole user journey aligned from keyword to ad to landing page.

    Build ad groups around intent, not convenience

    Inside each service campaign, the next step is to organise ad groups based on the type of search intent you want to capture.

    In the window cleaning example, Dan Dimsey suggests using about three different ad groups. Two of the key ones are:

    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Competitor

    This setup works because people searching for residential window cleaning often want something completely different from people searching for commercial window cleaning. Different job types, different concerns, different wording.

    If those searches are all mixed together, your ads become generic. If they are separated properly, your ads can speak directly to what the person wants.

    Residential ad group

    The residential ad group should focus on searches tied to home window cleaning. That includes broad local intent searches like:

    • window cleaning near me
    • residential window cleaning
    • two-storey home window cleaning

    The exact keyword list will vary by business, but the principle is simple: group together searches from people who want window cleaning for their home.

    When someone types in residential window cleaning, they should see an ad that clearly speaks to residential work. That is the relevance standard Dan Dimsey pushes throughout the account structure.

    If your ad says “Residential Window Cleaning” right away, you are matching the search. If your ad talks vaguely about cleaning services in general, you are leaving money on the table.

    Commercial ad group

    The commercial ad group should be built for commercial-specific searches. This is where the language changes.

    Commercial work often includes things like:

    • Factories
    • Warehouses
    • High-rises
    • Other business properties

    So if someone searches for factory window cleaning, your ad should mention factory or commercial cleaning directly. If it does not, there is a good chance the searcher assumes you are not the right fit.

    This is a point Dan Dimsey makes really clearly. If the search includes “factory” and your ad does not mention factory or commercial at all, it feels less relevant immediately. Even if you do offer that service, the searcher may skip your ad because it does not look tailored to their need.

    That is why ad group separation is so important. It lets you write ads that sound like the perfect answer to the search.

    Relevance is what drives clicks and conversions

    The biggest theme in the whole structure is relevance.

    Google Ads is not just about bidding on keywords. It is about matching intent. The better your match, the more likely you are to earn:

    • The click
    • The lead
    • The sale

    For residential searches, your ad should look residential.

    For commercial searches, your ad should look commercial.

    For competitor searches, your ad should clearly differentiate your business.

    This is where many local businesses go wrong. They write one set of generic ads and try to use them for everything. But generic ads usually underperform because they do not mirror what the person typed into Google.

    Dan Dimsey keeps the strategy practical: if somebody searches for a specific service type, your ad should reflect that exact service type. That simple adjustment can make the ad feel much more relevant and trustworthy.

    Your landing page has to match the ad

    Good campaign structure does not stop at the keyword or the ad.

    The landing page matters just as much.

    If someone clicks an ad for factory window cleaning and lands on a generic homepage with no mention of factory or commercial services, there is a much higher chance they bounce. That click still costs money, but now the traffic is far less likely to convert.

    That is why Dan Dimsey stresses sending people to a page that is relevant to the ad they clicked.

    Here is the alignment you want:

    • Keyword: factory window cleaning
    • Ad: commercial or factory window cleaning messaging
    • Landing page: a page clearly about factory or commercial window cleaning

    When those three pieces line up, the user experience is cleaner and the campaign becomes more efficient.

    It also helps reduce wasted spend. If your landing page does not continue the message from the search and the ad, you are paying for clicks that are more likely to disappear without converting.

    How competitor campaigns fit into the structure

    The third ad group type Dan Dimsey highlights is competitor targeting.

    This strategy is different from residential and commercial intent campaigns. Instead of targeting service-based searches, you bid on the names of your competitors.

    For example, if a competitor is called “Rise and Shine Window Cleaning,” you can run ads on that brand name so your business appears alongside or below their result.

    This can be a smart move for businesses that want to capture high-intent traffic from people already shopping around.

    Why competitor campaigns can work

    Someone searching a competitor may be ready to hire. They may be comparing quotes, checking reviews, or looking for alternatives. If your ad appears there with a compelling reason to choose you instead, you can win clicks that would have gone elsewhere.

    Your ad might focus on a clear differentiator, such as:

    • Better pricing
    • More affordability
    • A stronger service angle

    The key is not to be vague. If you are going after competitor searches, your message should make it obvious why someone should consider you.

    The downside of competitor campaigns

    There is an important warning here.

    Dan Dimsey points out that competitor keywords usually cost more money than standard residential or commercial searches. That means this strategy is not always the right starting point for smaller businesses or those with tighter ad budgets.

    If you do not have much budget, it often makes more sense to focus first on the highest-intent, service-based searches. In other words:

    • Cover your core residential and commercial terms first
    • Make sure those campaigns are performing well
    • Only add competitor campaigns when budget allows

    That is a sensible order of operations. Competitor targeting can work, but it should not come at the expense of the searches most directly connected to your main services.

    When competitor targeting makes the most sense

    According to Dan Dimsey, competitor campaigns become more attractive when you have the budget and you are already approaching the search volume limits for your main keywords.

    In plain English, if you are already doing a good job covering the obvious searches for your service and area, and there is only so much additional search volume available there, competitor keywords can open another way to generate leads.

    That makes them more of a scaling tactic than a basic setup tactic.

    So the priority stack looks like this:

    1. Separate campaigns by service
    2. Split ad groups by intent, such as residential and commercial
    3. Write highly relevant ads for each group
    4. Send traffic to matching landing pages
    5. Add competitor campaigns if budget and search volume justify it

    A simple example of the full structure

    Here is the kind of account organisation this approach points toward for a business that offers window cleaning and pressure washing:

    Campaign 1: Window Cleaning

    • Ad Group 1: Residential Window Cleaning
    • Ad Group 2: Commercial Window Cleaning
    • Ad Group 3: Competitor Window Cleaning Terms

    Campaign 2: Pressure Washing

    • Ad Group 1: Residential Pressure Washing
    • Ad Group 2: Commercial Pressure Washing
    • Ad Group 3: Competitor Pressure Washing Terms

    You can see how this keeps everything organised. Budget decisions get easier. Ad writing gets easier. Landing page matching gets easier. Reporting gets easier too, because you can actually tell which service and which type of search is producing results.

    What this structure helps you avoid

    Just as important as what to do is what to avoid.

    This framework helps prevent a few classic Google Ads mistakes for home service businesses:

    • Mixing unrelated services together, which muddies ad relevance
    • Using generic ads for all search types, which weakens click-through rate
    • Sending paid traffic to the wrong page, which increases bounce risk
    • Blowing budget on expensive competitor terms too early, before core campaigns are dialled in

    Those issues are common, and they quietly drain performance. The Dan Dimsey structure is effective because it is simple enough to implement while still being strategic enough to improve results.

    The core takeaway

    If you want a cleaner, more profitable Google Ads account for a home service business, the answer is not more complexity. It is better structure.

    Dan Dimsey breaks it down to a practical system:

    • Create separate campaigns for each major service
    • Use ad groups that reflect real search intent, such as residential and commercial
    • Write ads that clearly match what the person searched for
    • Send traffic to landing pages that continue that same message
    • Use competitor campaigns selectively, especially if you have a bigger budget

    That is how you maximise budget, improve relevance, and give your ads a better chance of turning clicks into leads.

    For local service businesses, that structure is not just tidy account management. It is a real performance advantage. And that is exactly why the Dan Dimsey approach stands out.

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  • Daniel Dimsey: How to Set Up Google Ads for Your Roofing Business Step by Step

    video thumbnail for 'How to Set Up Google Ads for Your Roofing Business (Step-by-Step Guide)'

    If you want more roofing leads from Google, Daniel Dimsey lays out a very practical way to build a campaign that actually targets the right searches, controls spend, and turns clicks into calls and quote requests. The whole point is not just to “run Google Ads”, but to set them up properly for a roofing company so you are showing up for high-intent local searches instead of wasting money on junk traffic.

    This guide walks through the exact setup process Daniel Dimsey uses for roofing campaigns, from keyword research through to bidding, location targeting, ad copy, and campaign structure.

    Start in Google Ads and claim the ad credit if you are new

    The first stop is your Google Ads account. If the account is brand new, check whether you can claim Google’s introductory ad credit offer. In the example shown, spending $1,800 in the first 60 days unlocked $1,200 in ad credit.

    If you are just getting started, that is worth taking advantage of. It reduces the risk of testing and gives you more room to gather data early.

    Find the right roofing keywords before building anything

    One of the best parts of the Daniel Dimsey approach is that he does not start by building the campaign first. He starts with keyword research, because if you bid on the wrong searches, the rest of the setup does not matter.

    Where to find the keyword data

    Inside Google Ads, go to:

    • Tools
    • Keyword Planner
    • Discover new keywords

    Then paste your website into the tool and choose use the entire site. Google will pull keyword ideas based on your services.

    Set the location to your actual service area

    This step matters. Change the location from a broad region to your actual city or the nearest relevant city. That way, the keyword data reflects the local demand and the local click costs you are actually dealing with.

    For example, if you serve Melbourne, set the location to Melbourne rather than all of Australia. The data becomes far more useful.

    Sort by average monthly searches

    Once the results load, sort the list by Average monthly searches so the highest-volume keywords rise to the top.

    From there, select the terms that are genuinely relevant to your roofing business. Examples shown included:

    • roof repairs
    • roofing and repairs
    • roofing Melbourne
    • roof plumbing

    In Australia, “roof plumbing” is commonly used to refer to metal roofing work, so local phrasing matters.

    Use the bid estimates to understand what competitors are paying

    Pay close attention to these two columns in Keyword Planner:

    • Top of page bid low range
    • Top of page bid high range

    That gives you a rough sense of what advertisers are paying to appear near the top of the search results for that keyword.

    For example, when someone searches for a term like roof repairs, the sponsored listings at the top are ads, and advertisers may be paying anywhere from around $10 to $37 per click for that position depending on the keyword and competition.

    Copy the keywords you want to target and save them somewhere safe. You will need them when you build the campaign.

    Create a new Google Ads campaign with the right objective

    Now you can move back to the campaign dashboard and create a new campaign.

    Choose Leads, not Sales

    Select Leads as the objective.

    That fits roofing businesses much better than sales because the goal is normally to generate:

    • phone calls
    • quote requests
    • form submissions

    You want the campaign optimised around real enquiries, not ecommerce-style purchases.

    Add your conversion actions

    The recommended conversion action is phone call leads, and ideally you will also track form submissions from your website.

    Conversion tracking does matter, but it does not have to stop you getting the campaign built first. You can set the campaign up now and finish tracking shortly after.

    Use Search as the campaign type

    For roofing companies, Search is the preferred campaign type.

    Daniel Dimsey is very direct on this point: do not waste money on the other campaign types if you are trying to get local roofing leads. Performance Max is mentioned as the only possible second option, but only with a very large budget and even then not as the preferred starting point.

    For most roofing businesses, search ads are where the intent is highest and the targeting is clearest.

    Set the goal as website visits

    When prompted for how you want to reach your goal, choose Website visits and enter your website URL.

    The bidding mistake most roofers make

    According to Daniel Dimsey, one of the biggest setup mistakes is choosing a bid strategy focused on conversions when the Google Ads account has little or no conversion data.

    Start with clicks, not conversions

    Instead of optimising for conversions straight away, switch the bid strategy to Clicks and set a maximum cost per click.

    This gives you control early on.

    Set your max CPC based on the high-range bid estimate

    Use the keyword data you found earlier. If the average top-of-page high range for your target terms is about $35, set your maximum CPC at roughly $35.

    The reason is simple: if you do not cap your CPC, Google can spend far more than you expect on a single click. That could mean $60, $70, $80, or even $100 for one click, which is not where you want to start unless you have a very specific reason and enough data to justify it.

    The cap keeps Google under control while you gather performance data.

    Turn off the parts of Google that waste budget

    This is another strong recommendation from Daniel Dimsey: remove both of these options during setup:

    • Google Search Partners
    • Display Network

    The argument here is that they are harder to track and often lower quality. If you cannot clearly track where spend is going and what it is producing, you probably should not be paying for it.

    Set your locations properly or you will burn money

    Location targeting is where a lot of roofing campaigns go wrong.

    Target your actual service areas

    Use Enter another location and then Advanced search to manually add the towns, suburbs, postcodes, or zip codes you serve.

    You can use a radius pin if you really want the quick version, but the professional setup is to target actual areas individually. That gives you more control later, especially when you want to make bid adjustments based on which areas convert better.

    If you only drop a giant radius pin, you lose a lot of that precision.

    Use Presence, not Presence or Interest

    This is the big one.

    Most roofing advertisers leave the location setting on Presence or interest. That means people outside your service area can still see your ads if Google thinks they are “interested” in your location.

    That is how you end up paying for irrelevant clicks from people you cannot service.

    Set it to:

    • Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations

    This helps make sure your ad budget is going toward homeowners in the areas you actually want to work in.

    Add audience segments on Observe

    You can also add audience segments that seem relevant to your roofing business, but do not put them on targeting mode. Put them on Observe.

    The reason is not to restrict delivery too tightly at the start. It is to collect useful data. Later, you can see which audience segments convert better and make more informed bidding decisions.

    That is a smart data-collection move without limiting reach too early.

    Use your own keywords, not the random ones Google suggests

    When Google starts generating assets from your website, edit the suggestions rather than accepting everything as-is.

    The first thing to change is the keyword list. Remove the weaker suggestions and paste in the high-intent keywords you already selected from Keyword Planner.

    This keeps the campaign focused on the searches that actually matter.

    Always use exact match for roofing keywords

    Daniel Dimsey is very clear here: for roofing campaigns, his recommendation is to stick with exact match and ignore broad match.

    Why broad match is a problem

    Broad match can send your ads to all sorts of loosely related searches. That opens the door to irrelevant traffic and wasted spend.

    With exact match, the search has to closely match the keyword you chose, which keeps intent much higher.

    That is especially important in local service businesses where each click can be expensive.

    There is already enough search volume in roofing to avoid getting too loose. You do not need to chase every possible variation if your core local service terms already have strong demand.

    The four pillars of a high-converting roofing ad

    This is the core ad copy framework from Daniel Dimsey. Every roofing ad should include these four ingredients:

    1. Keyword relevance
    2. A call to action or callout fee
    3. Discounts or offers
    4. Social proof

    That framework keeps the ad closely aligned with the search, gives people a reason to click, and builds trust quickly.

    1. Keyword relevance

    Your ad should mirror what the person searched for as closely as possible.

    The method used here is keyword insertion in the headline. Set it to title case, insert one of your target keywords, and pin that headline in position one.

    That way, if someone searches for “roof repairs Melbourne”, the ad can dynamically show that phrase in the headline. This makes the ad feel highly relevant to the search.

    And yes, pinning headlines may lower Google’s “ad strength” rating. The point made here is that ad strength is not something to obsess over if pinning helps you control relevance and messaging.

    2. Call to action or callout fee

    Your second headline should push action.

    If you offer a $0 callout fee, lead with it. If you do not, use something direct like Get Your Free Quote.

    That gives people an immediate reason to contact you now instead of later.

    3. Discounts or offers

    If you have a promotion, put it in the ad. A discount can create urgency and improve click-through rate.

    One example used was:

    • $50 off today

    If you have a real offer, use it. If you do not, do not invent one.

    4. Social proof

    People want to know they can trust you.

    Use trust indicators like:

    • number of five-star reviews
    • how many customers have used your business
    • guarantees or risk-reversal messaging

    An example description pulled all of that together with messaging around service type, location, a callout fee, an offer, review count, fast quotes, and a confidence-building guarantee.

    Include a phone number directly in the ad

    Make sure you add your business phone number as an asset so people can call straight from the ad.

    That gives you two conversion paths:

    • they click the number and call you directly
    • they click the ad and fill out the form on your website

    For a roofing company, both are valuable, and both should be available.

    Build separate campaigns for separate services

    This is an important structural recommendation from Daniel Dimsey.

    Do not dump every roofing keyword into one giant campaign and call it done. If you want stronger relevance and better performance, break things out by service.

    That means separate campaigns for services like:

    • roof repairs
    • roof tiling
    • roof plumbing
    • new roofs or roof replacement

    Why? Because each campaign can then have:

    • keywords that all match one service
    • ad copy written specifically for that service
    • landing page messaging aligned with that service

    That tighter relevance usually improves lead quality and conversion rate.

    Add images and site links

    Images

    You can add image assets to support the ad. While before-and-after project photos can work, the recommendation here is to use photos of you and your team where possible.

    The thinking is simple: people often respond better when they can see who they are hiring.

    Site links

    Use site links to send people to helpful, relevant pages on your website. You can align these with the same four-pillar logic:

    • a service-specific page such as roof repairs
    • a quote page
    • a social proof page with reviews
    • a page for a current offer or discount

    That gives searchers more options and lets you support the ad with stronger supporting paths.

    Callout assets and some of the extra add-ons are not considered essential here, so the focus stays on the parts that tend to matter most.

    How to think about daily budget

    The recommendation is to spend as much as you can reasonably afford, especially because roofing is a high-ticket service and one booked job can justify a meaningful ad budget.

    A simple budgeting formula

    If you want a rough target of at least 10 clicks per day, multiply your maximum CPC by 10.

    For example:

    • Max CPC: $35
    • 10 clicks per day: 35 × 10 = $350/day

    That should give you a baseline for daily spend. In practice, you may get more than 10 clicks depending on the actual CPCs you end up paying.

    The broader point from Daniel Dimsey is that if your website converts well, even conservative numbers can make the economics work. If 10 clicks produced around three quote opportunities and roofing jobs are high value, the campaign can pay for itself very quickly.

    Of course, if that budget is too high for your current situation, start with what you can afford. It is better to begin with a controlled campaign than to avoid running ads altogether.

    Publish the campaign, then fix the keyword match type

    After entering the budget, publish the campaign.

    Then go into:

    • Audience, keywords and content
    • Keywords

    Select all keywords, edit the match type, and change them to Exact match.

    That final clean-up step locks the campaign into the keyword control you want.

    The setup philosophy behind the whole method

    What makes the Daniel Dimsey setup useful is that it is built around control and relevance.

    Instead of letting Google make every decision for you, the strategy is to:

    • choose keywords based on real local search data
    • cap your CPC based on competitor bid ranges
    • turn off low-clarity traffic sources
    • target only the areas you actually serve
    • show ads only to people physically in those areas
    • write ad copy that directly matches the search
    • split campaigns by service for stronger relevance

    That is how you reduce waste and improve the odds of getting genuine roofing leads instead of random clicks.

    Final checklist for setting up roofing Google Ads

    • Claim the Google Ads credit if your account is new
    • Use Keyword Planner with your website URL
    • Set the location to your actual city or service area
    • Sort keywords by average monthly searches
    • Use top-of-page bid ranges to estimate CPCs
    • Create a Leads campaign
    • Choose Search as the campaign type
    • Optimise for Clicks at the start
    • Set a maximum CPC based on the high-range estimate
    • Turn off Search Partners and Display Network
    • Target specific service areas manually
    • Set location targeting to Presence, not Presence or interest
    • Add audience segments on Observe
    • Replace Google’s keyword suggestions with your own researched keywords
    • Use Exact match
    • Build ads around keyword relevance, call to action, offers, and social proof
    • Add your phone number as an asset
    • Create separate campaigns for separate services
    • Add team photos and relevant site links
    • Set a realistic daily budget based on your CPC target

    If you follow the setup the way Daniel Dimsey outlines it, you end up with a roofing campaign designed for local intent, tighter control, and far less wasted spend. That is what gives you a real shot at dominating page one for the searches that actually turn into jobs.

    Speak With Daniel

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  • Daniel Dimsey’s Google Ads Setup for a Window Replacement Business That Actually Brings in Clients

    If you want more leads fast, Daniel Dimsey’s approach to Google Ads for window replacement is simple: stop guessing, stop copying generic tutorials, and build a campaign around high-intent searches, tight local targeting, and ad copy that gets people to call or request a quote.

    A lot of window replacement businesses burn money on Google Ads because they bid on the wrong keywords, use the wrong bidding strategy, and let Google show their ads to people who were never going to become customers. Daniel Dimsey’s method fixes that by focusing on the things that actually matter: buyer intent, cost control, relevance, and conversion setup.

    This guide walks through the full process, from keyword research to launch, using the exact structure Daniel Dimsey recommends for a profitable search campaign.

    Why most Google Ads campaigns for window replacement fail

    The biggest problem is not the platform. It is the setup.

    Most campaigns fail because they do one or more of the following:

    • Bid on low-intent keywords
    • Use broad match and attract irrelevant clicks
    • Start with automated bidding before there is any conversion data
    • Target the wrong locations
    • Send traffic to weak ads or weak landing pages
    • Ignore conversion tracking

    Daniel Dimsey’s advice is to strip the process back to what works. For a local service business like window replacement, that means building a search campaign around people who are actively looking for the service right now.

    Start with keyword research in Google Keyword Planner

    Before creating anything inside the campaign builder, use Google Keyword Planner to find out:

    • What people in your area are actually searching for
    • Which keywords have strong buying intent
    • How much competitors are paying per click

    How to find the right keywords

    Inside Google Ads, go to:

    • Tools
    • Planning
    • Keyword Planner
    • Discover new keywords

    Then enter a core service keyword such as:

    • window replacement

    Next, set the location to your exact service area. If you are not based in a major city, use the nearest city that represents your market. The same logic applies whether you are in Australia, the UK, the US, or somewhere else.

    Once the results load, sort by average monthly searches. This helps you identify the most searched terms first, but search volume alone is not enough. Relevance and intent matter more.

    Keywords worth bidding on

    Daniel Dimsey recommends focusing on terms that clearly signal someone is looking to hire a window replacement company, such as:

    • window replacement
    • window glass replacement
    • replacement windows near me
    • house window replacement near me
    • window installers near me
    • window contractors near me
    • installing double glazed windows

    These are the kinds of searches that tend to produce enquiries, not just traffic.

    Keywords to be careful with

    Not every search with decent volume is worth paying for.

    A term like window replacement cost might sound useful, but Daniel Dimsey flags it as a poor keyword because the intent is often weak. Many people searching that phrase are still researching, price checking, or just browsing. They are not always ready to book.

    That does not mean cost-related keywords can never work, but if your goal is to protect budget and generate leads quickly, they are usually not the best place to start.

    Use competitor bid data to set your maximum CPC

    One of the most useful parts of Keyword Planner is the Top of page bid data.

    You will see two columns:

    • Top of page bid low range
    • Top of page bid high range

    This tells you roughly what advertisers in your area are paying when someone clicks on their search ad for that keyword.

    For example, if the keyword window replacement shows a top of page bid range of around $3.83 to $11.85, that means competitors are paying somewhere in that range when someone clicks.

    This is important because Daniel Dimsey uses the average top of page high range across selected keywords as the basis for the campaign’s maximum cost per click.

    In the example campaign, the average high-range CPC worked out to roughly $16 once a few specialty terms were excluded.

    Why this matters

    If your max CPC is too low, your ad may barely show. If it is set in line with the market, you give yourself a much better chance of appearing in strong positions and generating enough traffic to get data.

    Daniel Dimsey’s point here is practical: you need enough exposure to learn what works. Starting too conservatively can choke the campaign before it has a chance.

    Split out specialty services into separate campaigns

    Not all keywords belong in one campaign.

    Daniel Dimsey recommends breaking out specific services when the search intent is distinct enough that the ad copy should change. Two examples stand out:

    • Emergency window replacement
    • Commercial window replacement

    If somebody searches for emergency work, your ad should speak directly to that urgency. The same goes for commercial jobs. Keeping these services in separate campaigns makes your ads more relevant, which improves click quality and can improve profitability over time.

    The same logic can apply to high-value niches like skylight window replacement. If advertisers are bidding heavily on those terms, the economics and messaging are probably different enough to justify their own campaign.

    Choose the right campaign objective and type

    Once your keyword list is ready, go back to the campaign section and create a new campaign.

    Objective

    Select Leads.

    The whole point is to generate:

    • form submissions
    • phone calls

    Conversion goals

    Use conversion actions that match real enquiries, such as:

    • Page views for a thank-you page after someone submits a quote form
    • Phone call leads

    Daniel Dimsey also stresses the importance of conversion tracking. If you are not tracking thank-you page completions and calls, you are flying blind. Set it up properly while Google is reviewing the campaign so your account starts collecting useful data from day one.

    Campaign type

    Select Search.

    This is the classic Google search ad format where someone types in a service query and your sponsored result appears above or among the organic listings. For a window replacement business, this is usually the highest-intent traffic available.

    Name your campaign based on the service

    Keep the campaign name straightforward and specific.

    For example:

    • Window Replacement Near Me
    • Emergency Window Replacement
    • Commercial Window Replacement
    • Skylight Window Replacement

    Daniel Dimsey keeps naming tied directly to the service and search intent. That makes the account easier to manage later as you expand.

    The beginner bidding strategy Daniel Dimsey recommends

    This is one of the most important parts of the whole setup.

    If your account has no conversion data yet, do not start with a conversion-based automated bidding strategy.

    Daniel Dimsey’s advice is to begin with:

    • Clicks as the bidding strategy
    • Maximum CPC enabled

    Then set that max CPC using the average top of page bid high range from your keyword research.

    So if your high-range average is around $16, that becomes your max CPC.

    Why not start on conversions?

    Because Google has nothing to optimise against yet.

    Without conversion history, telling the platform to maximise conversions can lead to poor delivery and weak decision-making. Starting with manual click control gives you cleaner traffic and helps generate the initial data needed for smarter optimisation later.

    Turn off the junk and tighten your targeting

    When setting up the campaign, Daniel Dimsey recommends removing the extra network options that tend to dilute search intent.

    Specifically, turn off:

    • Google Search Partners if you want tighter control
    • Display Network

    His view is blunt: these extras are usually a waste of time for this kind of local lead generation campaign.

    Use advanced location targeting properly

    Local targeting can make or break profitability.

    Rather than dropping one giant radius pin and hoping for the best, Daniel Dimsey recommends using Advanced Search and including target areas individually wherever possible.

    Why individual area targeting is better

    Because it gives you the option to make bid adjustments by location later.

    That matters a lot.

    If one suburb or service area consistently brings in profitable jobs, you can increase bids there. If another area sends poor-quality leads, bargain hunters, or DIY-minded enquiries, you can decrease bids and protect your budget.

    You lose a lot of that control when you rely only on one big radius.

    Use the correct location option

    This setting is critical.

    Choose:

    • Presence: People in or regularly in your included locations

    Do not use:

    • Presence or interest

    Daniel Dimsey is very clear on this. You do not want ads showing to people who are merely interested in your location. You want people who are actually in your service area. Otherwise, you end up wasting time and budget on leads you cannot serve.

    Add audience segments in observation mode

    Audience segments are not there to narrow your campaign aggressively. In this setup, they are there for observation.

    Go into audience segments, browse the available suggestions, and select the relevant audiences Google provides.

    The reason Daniel Dimsey includes these is similar to the location strategy: data and future bid adjustments.

    By keeping audiences in observation, you can later see which segments convert better or worse and adjust bids accordingly without restricting reach too early.

    Set an ad schedule that matches your business

    If you want to limit when your ads appear, use the ad schedule in campaign settings.

    For example, you might run ads:

    • Monday to Friday
    • 6:30am to 5:30pm

    If you operate around the clock, you can leave the campaign running 24/7.

    Daniel Dimsey presents scheduling as a practical option rather than a universal rule. The right setup depends on how your business handles calls, enquiries, and job scheduling.

    Build your keyword list with exact or phrase match only

    After settings are configured, it is time to paste in your selected keywords.

    This is where many campaigns go sideways.

    By default, Google may treat pasted keywords as broad match. Daniel Dimsey strongly advises against this for a window replacement business.

    Why broad match is risky

    Broad match can trigger your ads for searches that are only loosely related to your actual service. That leads to irrelevant clicks, wasted spend, and poor lead quality.

    What to use instead

    • Phrase match
    • Exact match

    Daniel Dimsey’s preference here is to use exact match for tight control.

    Here is the basic difference:

    • Broad match: shows ads for anything Google sees as somewhat related
    • Phrase match: shows ads for searches related to the phrase and often includes close variants
    • Exact match: focuses on the exact search intent you are targeting

    To make a keyword exact match, wrap it in square brackets.

    For example:

    • [window replacement]
    • [window glass replacement]
    • [replacement windows near me]

    Daniel Dimsey even suggests using a tool like ChatGPT to quickly convert a plain list of keywords into exact match format, which is a smart way to save time when building campaigns.

    Write ad copy that gets the click and the enquiry

    Once the keywords are in place, build the ad around what the customer wants to see immediately:

    • the service they searched for
    • a clear offer
    • a reason to trust you
    • a reason to act now

    Headlines

    Daniel Dimsey uses headlines that combine the service, location, and offer.

    Examples include:

    • Free Measuring Quote Today
    • Window Replacement Melbourne
    • New Windows From $499

    This kind of headline does a few things at once. It confirms relevance, introduces an offer, and signals local service coverage.

    Description lines

    The sample ad copy he builds follows the same formula:

    • Need a window replaced?
    • Choose Dan’s Windows
    • Lower bills
    • 10-year guarantee
    • Windows built to last
    • We supply and install
    • Fast quotes
    • No pushy sales

    That is exactly the type of messaging that works for local trades and home improvement services. It addresses concerns people actually have before they enquire:

    • Will this fix my problem?
    • Can I trust the company?
    • How quickly can I get a quote?
    • Will I be pressured into buying?

    Pinning headlines

    You can pin certain headlines into fixed positions if you want the most important message to show consistently. Daniel Dimsey notes that this may affect Google’s ad strength score, but he does not place much value on that metric.

    His stance is simple: ad strength is not what makes the campaign profitable. Relevance, intent, and conversion quality matter far more.

    Use call assets, images, branding, and site links strategically

    Call asset

    Add your phone number as a call asset so people can ring directly from the ad experience. For many window replacement businesses, calls are one of the best lead types you can get.

    Images

    If available, add real business images. Daniel Dimsey recommends using photos of you or your team installing glass or working on-site. Real images tend to feel more trustworthy than generic stock visuals.

    Business name and logo

    Add your business name and logo to strengthen recognition and give the ad a more established feel.

    Site links

    Use site links to push people toward the most useful pages on your website.

    Examples might include:

    • Get Free Quote
    • Skylight Replacement
    • Window Glass Replacement
    • Residential Installation

    Each site link should point to the most relevant page, not just your homepage.

    Callouts

    Callouts are the short punchy value statements that sit alongside your ad. Daniel Dimsey uses them to reinforce what is already in the description and add extra reasons to click.

    Think of them as quick trust and value boosters.

    Examples in this style include:

    • Fast Quotes
    • 10-Year Guarantee
    • No Pushy Sales
    • Supply & Install

    Skip the extra fluff

    Daniel Dimsey’s view on many of the additional asset options inside Google Ads is that they are not worth the effort for this type of campaign. His focus stays on the essentials that directly improve relevance and conversions.

    How to set your daily budget

    Daniel Dimsey uses a very straightforward budgeting rule.

    Take your maximum CPC and multiply it by 10 clicks.

    If the max CPC is $16, the daily budget becomes:

    • $160 per day

    Why 10 clicks?

    Because the goal is to get enough daily traffic to produce consistent lead flow and useful performance data.

    According to Daniel Dimsey, if the website is strong, a campaign like this can convert at around 20% to 30%. On 10 clicks, that could mean 2 to 3 quotes per day.

    In practice, you may get more than 10 clicks because not every click will cost the full $16. Some may come in closer to the lower end of the bid range, which means the same budget could generate 15 to 20 clicks depending on the auction.

    Final checks before launch

    Before publishing, Google may flag the bidding strategy with a warning because you are using clicks rather than conversions.

    Daniel Dimsey makes it clear that this is not a problem. For a fresh account with no conversion data, this is the setup he wants.

    You may also need to complete an identity confirmation step before the campaign can go live. That is a standard Google security measure.

    Once verified, you can publish the campaign and let it begin collecting data.

    The core strategy behind Daniel Dimsey’s method

    If you strip everything back, Daniel Dimsey’s Google Ads system for a window replacement business comes down to a few key principles:

    • Bid on high-intent keywords only
    • Use Keyword Planner to understand CPCs before launching
    • Start with clicks and max CPC if you do not have conversion data
    • Target your real service areas precisely
    • Use exact or phrase match to avoid junk traffic
    • Separate specialty services into their own campaigns
    • Write ads that match the search and offer a clear next step
    • Track form submissions and phone calls properly

    That is what makes the campaign practical, not theoretical. It is built to generate leads for an actual local service business, not just produce clicks on a dashboard.

    What makes this setup profitable

    The reason Daniel Dimsey’s approach stands out is that it avoids the usual beginner traps.

    It does not rely on broad targeting. It does not hand control to automation too early. It does not chase vanity metrics. It focuses on qualified local traffic, tight campaign structure, and enough daily volume to create momentum.

    For a window replacement business, that is the difference between “running ads” and running a campaign that can actually support growth.

    If you implement the campaign the way Daniel Dimsey lays it out, you give yourself a much better shot at turning search demand into booked quotes and profitable jobs.

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  • Daniel Dimsey’s Google Ads Tutorial for Beginners: How to Set Up Google Ads Properly in 2026

    If you are brand new to Google Ads and want a setup that actually makes sense, Daniel Dimsey’s approach is simple: stop letting Google build a messy campaign for you, and set it up manually so you control the keywords, the budget, and where your money goes. This guide breaks down the exact beginner-friendly process Daniel Dimsey uses to create a Google Ads search campaign that is built for leads, not wasted spend.

    The focus here is on what matters most:

    • Choosing the right campaign type
    • Researching keywords before building anything
    • Understanding what competitors are paying per click
    • Avoiding the two biggest beginner mistakes
    • Writing ads that are highly relevant and get clicked
    • Setting budgets and locations the right way

    Start with the Google Ads account setup, but skip Google’s guided campaign builder

    The first step is straightforward. Go to Google Ads, sign in if you already have an account, or create a new one if you do not.

    Before anything else, check the available promotional offers. Google often gives new advertisers ad credit when they spend a certain amount within the first 60 days. Depending on the offer, that can range from hundreds to well over a thousand dollars in ad credit.

    Daniel Dimsey recommends paying attention to these offers early because they can significantly reduce the cost of getting started. Once you choose the offer, create the account, enter your business details, add your billing profile, and complete the basic setup.

    Then comes the important part.

    When Google tries to push you into building a campaign immediately, skip it.

    That beginner setup flow often creates a campaign packed with auto-generated settings that are poorly aligned with how a serious advertiser should structure an account. If you want control, you want manual setup.

    A few setup choices Daniel Dimsey recommends

    • Skip the early campaign creation prompts
    • Set your correct currency and time zone
    • Decline personalised strategist support from Google
    • Complete your payment profile and billing details

    Once that is done, you are in the actual Google Ads dashboard, which is where the real work starts.

    Do keyword research before you create a campaign

    This is one of the biggest differences in the Daniel Dimsey method. Most beginners go straight into campaign setup. That is backwards.

    Before you build a campaign, you need to know:

    • What people are actually searching for
    • Which searches are relevant to your business
    • How many searches those terms get
    • How much advertisers are paying per click

    To do that, go to Tools, then Planning, then Keyword Planner.

    Use seed keywords based on what a customer would type into Google if they were actively looking for your service.

    Daniel Dimsey uses a window cleaning business as the example, with terms like:

    • window cleaning near me
    • window cleaning service
    • residential window cleaner
    • window washers near me
    • exterior window cleaning

    This logic applies to almost any business.

    • If you run a plumbing company, use plumbing service terms
    • If you run a Chinese restaurant, use food-related local intent searches
    • If you sell products online, use product-specific search terms like “blue Hawaiian shirts”

    If you are a service business or lead generation business, a search campaign is the starting point. If you are in ecommerce, a search campaign can still work, but you may also want a shopping campaign later.

    Use local data, not generic national estimates

    Once your seed terms are entered, set the location to the city or area you actually serve. Daniel Dimsey stresses this because location changes the accuracy of both search volume and cost-per-click data.

    If your service area is Melbourne, use Melbourne. If your business serves a different city, use that city. The point is to research based on the actual market you are competing in.

    What the keyword planner data tells you

    The keyword planner shows two especially useful things:

    • Average monthly searches, which gives you demand
    • Top of page bid ranges, which shows what advertisers are paying

    That top-of-page bid range matters because Google Ads works on a cost-per-click model. You do not pay when someone merely sees the ad. You pay when they click it.

    So if the keyword planner shows competitors are paying anywhere from around $3 to $10 per click for a keyword, that is your rough benchmark for entering that auction.

    Choose keywords based on intent, not just search volume

    A common beginner mistake is chasing broad keywords because they look big and exciting.

    That is a fast way to burn money.

    Daniel Dimsey’s advice is to choose keywords that clearly signal buying intent. In the window cleaning example, “window cleaning near me” is strong because it suggests someone is actively looking to hire. On the other hand, a broad term like “window cleaning” is too vague.

    Someone searching “window cleaning” could be:

    • Looking for satisfying cleaning videos
    • Researching equipment
    • Another cleaner looking for supplies
    • Casually browsing with no intent to buy

    That is why intent matters more than raw volume.

    Build separate campaigns around separate search intent

    This is a major point in the Daniel Dimsey strategy.

    If your business serves multiple types of customers or offers multiple services, do not lump them together in one campaign.

    For example:

    • Residential window cleaning should have its own campaign
    • Commercial window cleaning should have its own campaign
    • High-rise window cleaning should likely have its own campaign

    Why? Because the person searching each term wants something different. If someone searches for commercial window cleaning and sees an ad written around residential work, the ad is less relevant, less likely to get clicked, and more likely to waste budget.

    The same rule applies if you run a business with multiple services such as:

    • pest control
    • landscaping
    • lawn care
    • other distinct service categories

    Each service gets its own campaign, using the same process: research the keywords, note the intent, and build around it.

    Create the campaign: use Leads and Search

    After collecting your keyword list, go to Campaigns and create a New Campaign.

    For most local and service businesses, Daniel Dimsey recommends:

    • Objective: Leads
    • Campaign type: Search

    Use Sales only if the business collects payment directly without a sales conversation, such as an ecommerce store. If the goal is to get someone’s details and then follow up with a quote, consultation, or phone call, Leads is the better fit.

    Search is the campaign type to use because it targets people already expressing intent by searching. That is why it is such a strong option for beginners.

    What about local shop visits?

    Daniel Dimsey points out that if your Google Ads account uses the same email as your Google Business Profile, your business listing can connect automatically with your search ads. That means you do not need to build a separate campaign just for local shop visits in order to appear with local business ad formats.

    Pick a conversion goal, but understand tracking needs to be set up properly

    For the example campaign, the main conversion goal is form submissions on your website.

    That is fine to select during setup, but Daniel Dimsey is very clear on a bigger issue: you need proper conversion tracking in place if you want to know whether your ads are actually working.

    You should be able to track:

    • Form submissions
    • Phone calls
    • Other lead actions that matter to your business

    Without conversion tracking, you are basically spending money blind.

    Even if your campaign goes live before tracking is fully configured, get the campaign built and then make sure tracking is completed immediately after. Google often takes time to review and publish campaigns anyway, so there is room to finish that setup properly.

    Name campaigns clearly so you know what they target

    This sounds small, but it matters once you have multiple campaigns running.

    Daniel Dimsey recommends naming campaigns based on what they target. If the campaign is built for residential window cleaning, call it that. If it targets commercial work, make that obvious in the name.

    Clear naming helps you quickly understand what each campaign is supposed to do when you return later for optimisation.

    The first big beginner mistake: starting with conversion bidding too early

    This is one of the most important parts of the whole setup.

    When you reach the bidding strategy section, Google will often push you toward a conversion-based bidding strategy. Daniel Dimsey says this is one of the biggest mistakes beginners make.

    If your account has no conversion data yet, Google does not know what a good conversion looks like for your business or what it should be paying to get one. If you tell it to optimise for conversions immediately, it can spend aggressively and inefficiently while it is essentially guessing.

    What to do instead

    Start with:

    • Clicks as the bidding focus
    • A maximum cost-per-click bid limit

    Daniel Dimsey’s logic is simple. If the keyword planner showed your relevant keywords topping out around $10 per click, set your max CPC at $10. That creates a ceiling so Google does not run wild and overspend.

    Once the campaign has generated around 30 or more conversions, you have enough data to consider moving to a conversion-focused bidding strategy.

    That sequence matters:

    1. Start with clicks
    2. Limit the max CPC
    3. Gather real conversion data
    4. Switch to conversion bidding later

    For a beginner account, that is the safer and more controlled path.

    Turn off Search Partners and Display for a cleaner setup

    Daniel Dimsey also recommends removing:

    • Google Search Partners
    • Display Network

    The reason is simple: they are harder to track cleanly, especially for a beginner. If something is difficult to track and evaluate, it is usually not where you want to start spending money.

    For a first campaign, keep things tight and focused.

    Location targeting: do it the advanced way, not the lazy way

    Most people set a big radius around their business and call it a day.

    Daniel Dimsey does not recommend that if you want stronger optimisation later.

    The better option: target individual areas

    Use Advanced Search and include the specific suburbs, postcodes, or service areas you actually cover.

    Yes, it takes longer.

    But it gives you a major advantage: later, you can make bid adjustments by location.

    That means if one suburb generates lots of leads profitably, you can bid more aggressively there. If another area burns budget and barely converts, you can reduce your bids there.

    That level of control is impossible if you simply drop one giant radius pin over the map.

    The second big beginner mistake: the wrong presence setting

    This is the other major mistake Daniel Dimsey calls out.

    By default, Google often selects Presence or interest for location targeting. That setting can allow people outside your target area to see your ads if they are merely interested in the location or include it in their search.

    That is bad for local businesses.

    If you only serve a specific region, you do not want clicks from people who live nowhere near it.

    So change the setting to:

    • Presence: People in or regularly in your included locations

    This keeps the campaign focused on real prospects inside your service area and cuts down wasted clicks from irrelevant searches.

    Add audiences on observation mode for future bid adjustments

    One of the more advanced tips Daniel Dimsey gives beginners is to add audience segments in Observation mode, not Targeting.

    This step is not about narrowing who can see your ads right now. It is about collecting extra data so you can optimise later.

    By adding audience segments like interests, home-related categories, and other demographic or behavioural groups, you create the ability to compare performance across those segments once the campaign gathers data.

    For example:

    • If homeowners convert well, you may increase bids there
    • If a certain interest segment performs poorly, you may reduce bids there

    The important part is to keep this on Observation. If you set it to Targeting, you risk restricting your traffic too early.

    Ad scheduling: 24/7 can actually be the smart move

    Google Ads allows you to choose a schedule for when your ads run. If your business only wants leads during specific hours, you can certainly set that.

    But Daniel Dimsey says he often prefers running ads 24/7.

    Why? Because weekends and off-peak periods can sometimes produce cheaper leads simply because fewer advertisers are competing. So unless there is a strong operational reason not to, a full-time schedule can uncover lower-cost opportunities.

    For ad rotation, the default preference for best-performing ads is fine.

    Skip Google’s keyword and asset generation tools

    Google offers automated keyword and asset generation during setup. Daniel Dimsey recommends skipping it.

    His reason is practical, not theoretical. These tools can be unreliable and can even create publishing issues. More importantly, manual setup gives you much better control over the ad message.

    If you want ads that actually speak to your customer’s intent, write them yourself.

    Keyword match types: use exact match or phrase match, not broad match

    Once you paste your keywords into the ad group, Google may leave them as broad match by default.

    Daniel Dimsey does not recommend broad match for beginners.

    Broad match can trigger your ad for a wide range of loosely related searches, which means more irrelevant traffic and more cleanup later.

    Better options

    • Exact match for maximum control
    • Phrase match if you want a bit more flexibility

    His personal preference is exact match because it keeps the targeting tighter and reduces the amount of work needed later with negative keywords.

    To make a keyword exact match, place square brackets around it.

    For example:

    • [window cleaning near me]
    • [window cleaning service]

    If you are formatting a large list, Daniel Dimsey suggests using ChatGPT to convert the list into exact match format quickly.

    How to write ads that actually get clicks

    This is where the campaign becomes visible to searchers, so the ad copy matters a lot.

    Daniel Dimsey recommends building strong relevance into the ad from the first headline.

    Use keyword insertion in headline one

    His favourite tactic here is keyword insertion.

    This allows Google to dynamically insert the actual search term that triggered the ad into the first headline. If someone searches “exterior window cleaning”, your ad can show “Exterior Window Cleaning” as the first headline. If they search “window cleaning near me”, that phrase appears instead.

    That makes the ad incredibly relevant to the search.

    And relevance usually helps with click-through rate.

    Use a clear call to action in headline two

    For the second headline, Daniel Dimsey likes a strong call to action, such as:

    • Get Your Free Quote
    • Book Your Consultation
    • Call Now

    This tells the person exactly what to do next.

    Study competitors for angles, not copy

    Another useful tip is to look at what other advertisers in your market are doing.

    If a competitor has likely been advertising for a long time, their headlines may reveal useful patterns. For example, if they emphasise social proof with wording like “five-star reviewed” or “trusted”, that suggests those angles may be resonating.

    The goal is not to copy their ads word for word. The goal is to understand the message types that appear to be working in your market.

    Descriptions should support the click and the conversion

    Your descriptions should reinforce trust, explain the offer, and point toward the next action. Keep them clear and useful rather than stuffing in random phrases just to satisfy Google’s ad strength meter.

    Daniel Dimsey is blunt about ad strength: do not obsess over it. It is not a reliable indicator of whether the ad will perform well. It often reflects quantity more than quality.

    He also likes pinning certain headlines and descriptions so he can better understand what messaging is actually converting rather than letting Google completely mix everything without structure.

    Use assets that support the sale

    After the main ad copy, Google lets you add assets such as sitelinks, callouts, phone extensions, and more.

    Sitelinks

    Daniel Dimsey recommends linking to pages that push the prospect closer to action, such as:

    • Get a Quote
    • Read Our Reviews
    • Book a Consultation
    • Specific service pages

    These should direct people to pages that move them toward becoming a lead.

    Callouts

    Callouts can be added, though he does not place huge weight on them. They can help make the ad look a bit fuller, but they are not the main event.

    Call asset

    If you want phone calls, add your phone number as a call asset. On mobile devices, this gives people the option to tap and call directly from the ad.

    What to avoid

    Daniel Dimsey is not a fan of Google’s built-in lead forms in this setup and considers them poor quality for lead generation.

    He is also dismissive of structured snippets for this use case.

    Set the daily budget based on your max CPC

    When it is time to choose a budget, Daniel Dimsey gives a simple rule of thumb:

    Take your maximum cost per click and multiply it by 10.

    If your max CPC is $10, start with a $100 daily budget if you want to guarantee the possibility of roughly 10 clicks per day.

    That does not mean every click will cost the full $10. Some may come in lower, so you may get more than 10 clicks. But the formula gives you a workable baseline.

    Of course, if you want to start smaller for safety, you can set a lower budget and increase it later.

    Do not panic when Google shows a warning on the bidding strategy

    If Google flags the bidding strategy because you chose clicks instead of conversions, Daniel Dimsey says not to worry.

    That warning is not a sign that the campaign is set up incorrectly. In this method, it is there because you intentionally started with a click-focused strategy to avoid wasting money before the account has enough data.

    Once you complete advertiser verification and confirm the account, you can publish the campaign.

    The Daniel Dimsey beginner framework, simplified

    If you want the whole process boiled down, this is the Daniel Dimsey structure:

    1. Create the Google Ads account and claim any promotional ad credit
    2. Skip Google’s guided campaign builder
    3. Use Keyword Planner before building anything
    4. Choose high-intent keywords only
    5. Split campaigns by service type and search intent
    6. Create a Search campaign with the Leads objective
    7. Use form submissions as the conversion goal
    8. Start bidding for clicks, not conversions
    9. Set a max CPC based on top-of-page bid estimates
    10. Turn off Search Partners and Display
    11. Target individual service areas, not just a wide radius
    12. Change location setting to presence only
    13. Add audiences in observation mode
    14. Use exact match or phrase match keywords
    15. Write ads manually with keyword insertion and strong calls to action
    16. Add useful sitelinks and a phone asset
    17. Set budget using the max CPC x 10 rule
    18. Publish and gather data before moving to conversion bidding

    Final thoughts

    What makes the Daniel Dimsey approach useful for beginners is that it strips away a lot of Google Ads nonsense and focuses on control, relevance, and data. Instead of letting automation make bad early decisions, you guide the campaign with sensible keyword choices, sensible bidding, and sensible targeting.

    That does not mean the campaign will be perfect on day one. It means you are starting from a much stronger position.

    And for a beginner, that matters a lot.

    If you follow the Daniel Dimsey setup properly, you will avoid two of the biggest money-wasting errors right out of the gate: using conversion bidding before the account has data, and using the wrong location presence setting. Get those right, keep your keywords tight, and build your ads around genuine search intent, and you give yourself a far better shot at profitable Google Ads in 2026.

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  • Daniel Dimsey: How to Actually Run Google Ads for a Home Service Business

    If your Google Ads are chewing through budget and giving you nothing but random clicks, Daniel Dimsey’s approach is the reset button. The issue usually is not that Google Ads do not work. It is that the campaign was built the wrong way from day one. Daniel Dimsey’s method is built for home service businesses that want real leads, real quotes, and real jobs instead of gambling money on broad targeting and bad setup.

    This strategy is built around one simple idea: show up when high-intent local customers are actively searching for your service, and stop paying for everyone else.

    Why most home service Google Ads campaigns fail

    The same problems show up again and again in local service accounts:

    • Targeting the wrong keywords
    • Paying for clicks that never turn into quotes or estimates
    • Using the wrong bidding strategy too early
    • Targeting areas too loosely
    • Letting Google “help” too much

    Daniel Dimsey’s core point is blunt but accurate: most campaigns are not losing because of the platform. They are losing because the setup is sloppy.

    If you run a window cleaning business, pressure washing business, pest control company, gutter cleaning service, domestic cleaning service, rubbish removal business, or anything similar, the fundamentals are the same.

    Start with keyword research before building the campaign

    Before creating anything, go into Google Ads and use Keyword Planner.

    The goal here is not to find every possible keyword. The goal is to find the ones that signal buying intent.

    How to research the right keywords

    1. Open Tools
    2. Go to Planning
    3. Select Keyword Planner
    4. Click Discover new keywords
    5. Type the phrase a real customer would use, such as window cleaning near me
    6. Set the location to your city or the closest relevant city
    7. Get results and sort by average monthly searches

    This gives you two things:

    • The keywords people are actually searching
    • The estimated top-of-page bid range your competitors are paying

    Focus on high-intent keywords only

    Daniel Dimsey recommends pulling keywords that clearly show someone wants to hire a service, not just browse.

    Examples of high-intent keywords include:

    • window cleaning near me
    • window cleaners in my area
    • local window cleaners
    • residential window cleaning company

    The same logic applies to other trades. Swap in your service and stick to terms that suggest the person wants the job done now.

    What to avoid

    Daniel Dimsey is especially strong on avoiding broad, vague, or low-quality intent terms.

    • Avoid broad keywords like “window cleaning” on their own
    • Avoid price-hunter keywords such as anything with “prices” if those searches usually attract difficult, low-value clients

    His reasoning is practical. Some searches are too broad to trust, and some attract people who care only about price and become a headache from the start.

    Split residential and commercial campaigns

    One of the smarter structural decisions Daniel Dimsey recommends is separating your campaigns by service type.

    • One campaign for residential
    • One campaign for commercial

    That keeps your keywords cleaner, your ad copy more relevant, and your data easier to act on later.

    Use keyword planner to estimate your max CPC

    Once you have your keyword list, look at the Top of page bid high range in Keyword Planner.

    This gives you a rough idea of what advertisers are paying for top visibility on those searches.

    For example, if a keyword shows a high range of $4 to $12 per click, that means top advertisers are likely paying somewhere in that zone when someone clicks.

    Daniel Dimsey uses this information to set an initial maximum cost per click. If most relevant keywords sit around $8 to $12, he might cap CPC at around $10.

    That number becomes important later when setting budget and bidding.

    Build the campaign the right way from the start

    Campaign objective

    Create a new campaign and choose Leads as the objective.

    The ideal outcome is a form submission or a call that turns into a quote or estimate.

    Campaign type

    Select Search.

    For the conversion path, Daniel Dimsey recommends using website visits, not Google’s lead form option and not a phone-call-only campaign.

    His take is clear:

    • Google lead forms are poor quality
    • Phone-call campaign types often get little to no meaningful traffic
    • Website visits give you more control and better lead flow

    Name the campaign properly

    Keep the campaign name simple and descriptive, such as:

    • Residential Window Cleaning
    • Commercial Pressure Washing

    That makes account management much easier once you scale.

    The first costly mistake: choosing the wrong bidding strategy

    This is one of Daniel Dimsey’s biggest warnings.

    If your account has no conversion data, do not start with a conversion-focused bidding strategy.

    Why? Because Google has nothing useful to optimise around yet.

    Instead, start with:

    • Clicks as the bidding strategy
    • A manually considered maximum CPC cap based on Keyword Planner data

    The logic is simple. First, gather data. Then, once you know what your conversions cost, move to a conversion-based strategy with a target CPA.

    Starting on conversions with no data often means pouring money into an algorithm that is guessing.

    Set the max CPC

    Use your average top-of-page high range as the reference point.

    If your key terms suggest a likely range around $10, use that as your initial maximum CPC cap. The aim is to stay competitive without letting costs run wild.

    Turn off the junk traffic sources

    When configuring the campaign, Daniel Dimsey recommends turning off:

    • Google Search Partners
    • Display Network

    For local home service lead generation, this keeps the traffic tighter and more relevant. You want people actively searching, not random placements that dilute spend.

    Target locations with precision, not laziness

    This is where Daniel Dimsey gets particularly opinionated, and for good reason.

    Do not just drop one huge radius pin over your area and call it done.

    Instead:

    1. Go to Locations
    2. Choose Enter another location
    3. Open Advanced search
    4. Select and include the individual towns, suburbs, or service areas you actually cover

    Yes, it is more work. But it gives you something that broad radius targeting does not:

    control.

    Why individual locations matter

    When you target areas one by one, you can later apply bid adjustments based on performance.

    That means:

    • Increase bids in suburbs that bring profitable jobs
    • Reduce bids in suburbs that produce poor leads or weak demand

    If one area is full of ideal customers and another area is full of tyre-kickers, your campaign should not treat them the same.

    This is one of the clearest examples in Daniel Dimsey’s system of doing the extra work upfront so the campaign gets more profitable over time.

    The second costly mistake: wrong location setting

    This one quietly burns a lot of budget.

    Inside location options, do not leave your campaign on:

    • Presence or interest

    If you do, your ads can be shown to people outside your service area who are merely interested in it.

    For a local service business, that is a terrible trade.

    Use:

    • Presence: People in or regularly in your included locations

    That keeps your spend focused on people who actually live in or are regularly in the places you serve.

    Use audience segments for observation only

    Daniel Dimsey also recommends adding audience segments, but not for direct targeting.

    The better use is Observation.

    That lets you collect data on which audience types perform better, without restricting who can see your ads.

    For example, a home service business might want to observe categories related to:

    • Home and garden
    • Home improvement
    • Other household-related interests

    Later, once enough data builds up, you can increase or decrease bids depending on which audience segments convert best.

    The same principle applies here as it does with suburb targeting: observe first, optimise later.

    Ad schedule is optional, but useful

    If you only want leads during specific hours, set your ad schedule accordingly.

    For example, if you only answer the phone Monday to Friday during business hours, you can limit ads to those times.

    This part is flexible. The key is to match your ad delivery to your capacity to respond.

    Skip Google’s keyword and asset generation

    When Google offers to generate keywords and assets for you, Daniel Dimsey’s recommendation is simple: skip it.

    Use the keyword list you researched yourself.

    That keeps quality high and stops Google from expanding into irrelevant territory too early.

    Use exact match keywords, not broad match

    Once you reach the keyword section, paste in your selected terms and convert them to exact match.

    Exact match uses square brackets, like this:

    [window cleaning near me]

    Why exact match is the best starting point

    • Exact match keeps targeting tight and relevant
    • Phrase match expands to additional related queries
    • Broad match can pull in a lot of irrelevant traffic

    Daniel Dimsey’s stance is that broad match is usually too messy for a new local campaign. Exact match gives you control and protects your budget while you gather clean search term data.

    Build ads that actually get clicked

    Once the keyword targeting is sorted, the next job is building an ad that gets attention and makes people act.

    Add a call asset

    Start by adding your phone number as a call asset.

    This lets someone tap to call directly from the ad, especially on mobile. For home service businesses, that is a strong option because many people just want to speak to someone and get a quote quickly.

    Write better headlines

    According to Daniel Dimsey, the headlines do most of the heavy lifting.

    They are the first thing people notice, and they determine whether anyone bothers reading the rest.

    So remove Google’s weak default suggestions and replace them with clear, punchy headlines that match what the searcher wants.

    The “ultimate headline” trick: keyword insertion

    This is one of the strongest tips in the whole setup.

    Use keyword insertion in the first headline and pin it into position one.

    What this does is insert the user’s searched keyword directly into your ad headline when possible.

    That means if someone searches:

    • window cleaning services near me
    • window cleaners in my area
    • cleaning windows near me

    Your ad can mirror that language in the headline itself.

    That creates an enormous boost in relevance. And in Google Ads, relevance usually means a stronger click-through rate.

    In plain English: if someone searches for exactly what you offer and your ad reflects that exact intent, you are in a much better position to win the click.

    Use the rest of the headlines to sell trust and action

    After the inserted keyword headline, the remaining headline slots should reinforce the reasons to choose you.

    Good themes include:

    • Same day service
    • Reliable response
    • Local business
    • Special offer
    • Instant quotes

    The point is to show that you are real, responsive, and worth contacting right now.

    Write descriptions that explain the offer and reduce doubt

    Your ad descriptions should do three things:

    1. Explain what is included
    2. Show proof or trust
    3. Tell people what to do next

    Daniel Dimsey’s example for window cleaning includes the service details, social proof, and a clear call to action.

    That formula works because it answers the natural questions in the prospect’s head:

    • What do I get?
    • Can I trust you?
    • How do I book?

    Add images, logo, and business name

    If image assets are available in your account, use them.

    Daniel Dimsey prefers photos of the actual worker or team because they build trust faster than generic branding. A real face beats a faceless business most of the time.

    Also add:

    • Your business name
    • Your logo

    These additions make the ad look more established and credible.

    Use sitelinks to make the ad bigger and more clickable

    Sitelinks are one of the easiest ways to improve ad real estate and give people more reasons to click.

    Daniel Dimsey recommends adding sitelinks that act like mini calls to action, each pointing to a different page on your site.

    Examples include:

    • Book Now linking to a booking page
    • $50 Off linking to a discount page
    • View Pricing linking to a pricing page
    • See Our Reviews linking to a reviews page

    Each sitelink should have:

    • A unique destination URL
    • A useful label
    • A short description where possible

    The purpose is simple: make the ad as clickable as possible from multiple angles.

    Add callouts, but skip most other assets

    Callouts are the short snippets that appear with your ad and make it look larger and more informative.

    Useful examples include:

    • Get Instant Quotes
    • Highly Recommended
    • Residential & Commercial
    • Spotless Windows

    These do not replace your core message, but they help reinforce benefits and make the ad more prominent.

    As for other extra assets, Daniel Dimsey’s advice is to keep it lean. He is not a fan of Google lead forms, and he does not recommend cluttering the ad with unnecessary extras.

    How to set your daily budget

    Daniel Dimsey uses a straightforward budgeting rule:

    Maximum CPC × 10 clicks = daily budget

    So if your maximum CPC is $10, your daily budget would be:

    $100 per day

    The reason is practical. If $10 is the most you expect to pay for a click, a $100 daily budget should allow for at least 10 clicks.

    And if your website converts in the 20% to 30% range, that can produce roughly:

    • 2 to 3 quotes per day at the high end of your click costs

    In reality, not every click will come in at your maximum CPC. Some may land lower in the range, which can push click volume higher.

    One more important note on conversion tracking

    Although the campaign setup can be built first, conversion tracking still matters. Form submissions, page views, and phone call leads should be tracked properly so the account can learn from real outcomes.

    The sequence Daniel Dimsey recommends is:

    1. Build the campaign correctly
    2. Let Google review it
    3. Set up conversion tracking while that review is happening

    That way the campaign can launch with the right structure and start collecting useful data as soon as possible.

    The Daniel Dimsey philosophy for profitable local campaigns

    What makes the Daniel Dimsey approach effective is not some magic hack. It is disciplined setup.

    The whole framework is built around:

    • High-intent local keywords
    • Exact match control
    • Clicks-based bidding first
    • Precise location targeting
    • Observation-based optimisation
    • Ads written to get action, not just impressions

    That combination gives a home service business a far better shot at turning ad spend into booked work.

    Final checklist to copy Daniel Dimsey’s setup

    • Research keywords in Keyword Planner before building anything
    • Choose high-intent local service terms only
    • Separate residential and commercial campaigns
    • Use the top-of-page high range to estimate max CPC
    • Create a Search campaign for Leads
    • Use website visits, not Google lead forms
    • Start with Clicks bidding, not conversions
    • Turn off Search Partners and Display
    • Target individual suburbs or service areas manually
    • Set location option to Presence, not Presence or interest
    • Add audience segments in Observation mode only
    • Use exact match keywords
    • Add a call asset
    • Use keyword insertion in headline one
    • Write descriptions with service details, proof, and CTA
    • Add images, logo, sitelinks, and callouts
    • Set daily budget at roughly 10 times max CPC

    If your campaigns have felt random, Daniel Dimsey’s system gives you a much cleaner way to run them. It is built for local service businesses, it prioritises control, and it avoids the two traps that cost beginners the most money: wrong bidding strategy and wrong location settings.

    Done properly, Google Ads can become one of the best lead sources in a home service business. But only if the campaign is built to attract buyers, not just traffic.

    Speak With Daniel

    (Service Business Owners Only)

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  • Facebook Ads, Daniel Dimsey: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Local Lead Generation

    If you run a local business or manage lead generation for clients, there is a good chance your ad account is not the real problem. More often than not, the issue is setup. That is where most people go wrong with Facebook Ads, Daniel Dimsey style. They launch campaigns, hope for a few leads, get inconsistent results, and assume Facebook just does not work for local businesses.

    That is usually not true.

    The platform absolutely works for local lead gen, but only if the campaign structure, targeting, forms, and creative testing are set up properly. Once those pieces are in place, Facebook becomes a very effective way to generate enquiries for service businesses, agencies, and local operators.

    This guide breaks down the exact system behind Facebook Ads, Daniel Dimsey for local lead generation, including campaign setup, budget, location targeting, instant forms, and a testing structure that helps you stop wasting money and start finding winning ads.

    Why most local Facebook ads fail

    The biggest mistake is not that people use Facebook ads. It is that they use them badly.

    A lot of local businesses set up campaigns without understanding how Meta Ads Manager actually works. They choose the wrong objective, use messy targeting, skip lead qualification, and then wonder why they get poor-quality enquiries or none at all.

    The common result looks like this:

    • A few random leads come in
    • Most of them are outside the service area
    • The form is too easy, so low-intent people submit it
    • No clear testing process exists
    • Budget gets burned with no consistency

    The fix is not complicated, but it does require doing the basics properly.

    Start with the right campaign objective

    For local lead generation, the campaign objective should be Leads.

    That sounds obvious, but it matters because this objective is built to optimise for people more likely to submit an enquiry. From there, you need to decide where those leads will come from.

    The main options are:

    • Website leads
    • Instant forms inside Facebook
    • Messenger conversations

    The recommended option here is instant forms.

    Why? Because they are easier to launch, they remove the need for a separate landing page, and they can still produce high-quality leads if you build the form correctly. Messenger is not the preferred route, and website forms are only worth the extra effort if you already have a strong conversion-focused landing page in place.

    Understand the 3 levels of a Facebook ad campaign

    One of the easiest ways to simplify Meta Ads Manager is to understand that there are three levels:

    1. Campaign level

    This is mainly where your budget decisions live.

    The preferred setup is campaign budget rather than ad set budget. That allows Facebook to distribute spend based on which ad sets and ads are performing best.

    2. Ad set level

    This is where you control:

    • Targeting
    • Your Facebook page selection
    • Conversion location
    • Audience settings

    This is also where you choose instant forms as the conversion method.

    3. Ad level

    This is the actual ad people see.

    It includes:

    • Your image or video
    • Primary text
    • Headline
    • Description
    • Call to action
    • The instant form itself, if you are using one

    Once you understand these three layers, campaign setup becomes much more straightforward.

    Recommended starting budget for local lead gen

    For a typical small or local business, a sensible testing budget is:

    • $50 to $100 AUD per day
    • $35 to $70 USD per day
    • £25 to £50 per day

    That range is a solid starting point for many service businesses.

    If the offer is lower-ticket, like window cleaning, that budget can be enough to start learning what works. If the service is higher-ticket, like roofing, it makes sense to start higher because each lead is more valuable and the sales cycle is usually more competitive.

    The key is to give the campaign enough budget to actually test properly. Starving a campaign makes it hard to gather meaningful data.

    Choose the right conversion setup

    Inside the ad set, the recommended conversion location is instant forms.

    That keeps the process simple and reduces friction. Instead of sending people off-platform to a website that may or may not convert well, you let them submit their details directly inside Facebook.

    For the performance goal, keep it on maximise number of leads.

    There is an option to optimise for conversion leads, but the advice here is clear: it tends to cost more without producing a meaningful increase in actual lead quality or close rate. If you are trying to keep acquisition costs under control, maximise number of leads is the better play.

    The local targeting mistake that wastes a ridiculous amount of money

    This is one of the biggest reasons local campaigns fall apart.

    You can set a local area in Facebook, but if you leave the default setup alone, your ads can still drift into places you do not actually service. That means you end up paying for leads you cannot use.

    To tighten this up, there is a crucial setting: further limit the reach of your ads.

    That setting needs to be turned on. If you skip it, Facebook will often chase the cheapest lead it can find, even if that person is outside the practical service area.

    How to set up location targeting properly

    1. Go to the location section in the ad set.
    2. Search for the area you want to target so the map jumps there quickly.
    3. Drop a pin in the service area.
    4. Set the radius around that pin based on how far you actually travel.
    5. Create exclusion zones around the outside of your target area.
    6. Switch those surrounding pins to exclude.

    The reason for using exclusion zones is simple. They act as a buffer around your service area and help stop your ads spilling into nearby suburbs or towns where you do not want jobs.

    There is an important catch here: exclusion zones work properly only when you also use the setting that further limits reach. Without that, Facebook may still show ads in excluded areas.

    For local lead generation, this is one of the most practical setup tweaks you can make.

    What about age and audience targeting?

    The recommendation is to keep things fairly broad.

    You can raise the minimum age to around 25 if that makes sense for the service, but heavy manual interest targeting is not the focus here. Facebook’s algorithm is generally smart enough to identify who is likely to care about a local service such as roofing, drain cleaning, or other home services.

    In other words, do not overcomplicate the audience. The location setup matters more.

    How to build the ad itself

    Video ads are the preferred format overall, but image ads can still work and are easier to demonstrate.

    At the ad level, use a single image or video format. Then build the copy with a very specific structure.

    Primary text

    The primary text should feel personal.

    Think less like a polished corporate advertisement and more like a post in a local community group. That style often performs better because it feels more natural and relevant to nearby people.

    Headline

    Your headline should be a direct call to action.

    Examples:

    • Get Your Windows Cleaned
    • Get Your Drains Unblocked
    • Book Your Free Roof Quote

    The job of the headline is not to be clever. It is to make the offer obvious.

    Description

    The description under the headline should be used for social proof.

    That could mean a short credibility statement or a line that reinforces trust. The point is to back up the offer, not repeat it.

    Enhancements and AI tools

    The approach here is conservative. If AI-generated image options do not look good, do not use them. The same goes for unnecessary creative enhancements. Keep what works, ignore the fluff, and focus on clarity.

    How to create an instant form that gives you better leads

    This is where a lot of lead quality is won or lost.

    If your instant form is too easy, you will attract tyre-kickers, low-intent enquiries, and people who submit because it takes almost no effort.

    To improve lead quality, create the form with these settings:

    • Choose More Volume
    • Keep the form open
    • Remove flexible delivery

    Then simplify the rest of the form strategically.

    Remove the greeting

    The greeting section is not doing much for you. It adds friction without adding much value, so remove it.

    Use 3 to 4 qualifying questions

    This is the real quality filter.

    You want people to manually work through the form. Someone who is not serious usually will not bother answering several questions. Someone who genuinely wants a quote is far more likely to complete it properly.

    The questions do not need to be incredibly sophisticated. They just need to force a bit of engagement.

    A simple example:

    • How should we contact you?
      • Text message
      • Phone call
      • Email

    That question does two jobs at once. It helps qualify the lead and also improves your follow-up process because you know how they prefer to be contacted.

    Use mostly multiple choice, plus one short-answer question

    A strong form structure is:

    • 2 to 3 multiple-choice qualifying questions
    • 1 short-answer question

    The short-answer question is especially valuable because it requires real effort. If someone takes the time to type out their issue, their needs, or a bit of context about the job, that is usually a much better lead than someone who just taps through a form in five seconds.

    You can also set minimum and maximum character limits so they cannot simply type nonsense to get through.

    If Facebook warns that too many questions may reduce submission rate, that is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, here it is intentional. Fewer but better leads usually beat a flood of junk.

    Collect the right contact details

    Do not make key fields optional.

    You need the basics for proper follow-up, and for service businesses it can also help to collect:

    • Street address
    • Postcode or ZIP code

    That makes it easier to verify service areas and can help with quoting, especially for jobs where location matters.

    Keep the description simple

    You do not need fancy copy inside the form. A simple instruction such as please fill out the form is enough.

    Privacy policy

    You can link to your privacy policy through your website, add it manually, or remove it depending on your setup.

    The underused feature that can improve follow-up

    One of the most useful additions to the form is enabling the option to start a conversation in Messenger.

    This gives you another direct follow-up channel tied to the same Facebook account the person used when submitting the form. If they ignore phone calls or emails, you still have a direct line through Messenger.

    For local lead generation, that can be a very practical backup.

    Best ending screen setup

    The thank-you screen should be simple and expectation-based.

    A good structure is:

    • Thanks, you’re all set
    • Tell them when to expect a quote or response, such as within 24 to 48 hours
    • Add a Call Business button for urgent enquiries

    This gives the lead clarity and creates one more chance for immediate contact.

    The best testing structure for local Facebook ads

    Good campaigns are not built by guessing once and hoping for the best. They are built through structured testing.

    The recommended approach for Facebook Ads, Daniel Dimsey style is simple:

    • 1 campaign
    • 3 ad sets, each based on a different angle
    • 2 ads inside each ad set

    That gives you 6 ads running in total.

    Using campaign budget, Facebook can then push more spend toward the combinations that perform best.

    What an “angle” actually means

    An angle is simply a different way of presenting the offer.

    For example, in a roofing campaign, one angle could focus on education, another on proof and results, and another on a more direct local-service style approach.

    The point is not to test tiny cosmetic changes. It is to test genuinely different messages.

    Example structure

    • Ad Set 1: Angle 1
      • Ad 1
      • Ad 2
    • Ad Set 2: Angle 2
      • Ad 1
      • Ad 2
    • Ad Set 3: Angle 3
      • Ad 1
      • Ad 2

    This setup gives you enough variation to learn what message and creative style actually resonate without creating chaos in the account.

    Three ad angle ideas that work well for local lead gen

    Several ad concepts were highlighted as strong performers, especially for roofing but also for local lead generation more broadly.

    1. Skill-share or educational angle

    This type of ad teaches something useful.

    Instead of just saying “buy from us”, the ad shares a simple insight related to the service. That educational feel can build trust quickly, especially in industries where customers are unsure what to look for.

    2. Static image plus video angle

    This approach combines visual clarity with a more direct explanation of the service.

    It works well when the transformation, problem, or service outcome can be shown clearly and reinforced with a short video message.

    3. Local lead gen direct-response angle

    This is the straightforward, offer-led style that speaks directly to nearby people who need help now.

    It tends to work best when the copy feels personal, local, and action-focused rather than overproduced.

    The exact scripts and layouts will vary by niche, but the broader lesson is this: test different concepts, not just different colours or headlines.

    What to do after launch

    Once your campaign is live, do not start making changes every few hours.

    Give the ads enough time to generate useful data.

    How long to wait

    A good rule of thumb is:

    • Wait around 4 days if your budget is healthy
    • Wait up to 7 days if your budget is lower

    If the budget is larger, you can assess results sooner because the campaign will accumulate data faster.

    How to optimise

    After that initial test period:

    1. Review the ad results
    2. Identify the winning ads
    3. Turn off the losers
    4. Create new ads based on the winners
    5. Repeat the process

    That is the whole game. Constant creative testing.

    If two ads are clearly outperforming the rest, stop trying to rescue the weak ones. Cut the losers and produce more variations that follow the same pattern as the winners.

    The real goal: consistency, not random leads

    The difference between a campaign that occasionally gets lucky and one that produces consistent enquiries usually comes down to structure.

    When Facebook Ads, Daniel Dimsey are set up properly for local lead generation, the focus is clear:

    • Use the Leads objective
    • Choose instant forms
    • Optimise for maximise number of leads
    • Lock down location targeting with further limited reach and exclusion zones
    • Keep audience targeting broad
    • Write ads with a personal, local feel
    • Build forms that qualify people before they submit
    • Use Messenger as a backup follow-up channel
    • Test multiple angles and keep refining the winners

    That combination gives you a much better shot at getting leads you can actually turn into jobs, bookings, and sales.

    Final thoughts

    If your current campaigns are inconsistent, do not assume the platform is broken. Most of the time, the issue is somewhere in the setup, the targeting, or the form quality.

    The framework behind Facebook Ads, Daniel Dimsey is not complicated for the sake of it. It is practical. It is built around local service businesses that need real enquiries from the right areas, not vanity metrics and random form submissions.

    Get the structure right, test creatively, qualify properly, and keep improving based on data. That is how local Facebook lead gen starts becoming predictable.

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  • The Ultimate Google Ads Tutorial for Plumbers (Full 2025 Deep Dive)

    Hi, I’m Daniel Dimsey. In this guide I’ll walk you step‑by‑step through the exact Google Ads setup I use for plumbing businesses in 2025. This is a practical, no‑fluff plan: which keywords to target, what competitors are paying, the best campaign structure, ad copy that converts, and the optimisation decisions that will save you thousands. Follow this exactly and you’ll avoid the rookie mistakes I made when I started.

    Overview: what you’ll learn

    • How to research high‑intent plumbing keywords with Google Keyword Planner
    • Real CPC ranges and search volume examples (so you can budget correctly)
    • How to build a high‑converting Search campaign (leads → clicks → conversions)
    • Ad copy structure that gets calls and form submissions
    • Important account settings and match‑type rules that save money

    1. Start in Google Ads (and grab any new‑account credits)

    If you’re brand new to Google Ads, check the signup offers at account creation — sometimes Google runs incredible ad credit promotions (e.g. spend $1,800 in 60 days, get $1,200 back). If you’re not a beginner, just sign in and let’s get started.

    2. Keyword research: use Keyword Planner first

    Don’t jump into campaign creation without real search data. Open Tools → Planning → Keyword Planner → Discover new keywords and type the core phrases a prospect would search, e.g. plumber near me or plumbing near me. Make sure you set the location to your city or service area so you get accurate local numbers.

    Example (Melbourne): plumber near me showed around 9,900 monthly searches. The Keyword Planner also shows top‑of‑page bid ranges — note these, because they’re the CPC reality for your market. In my example the top‑of‑page bids ranged roughly from about $15 to $53–$54 per click.

    How to use that data:

    • Collect all relevant “near me” and local search variants into a notes file — you’ll use them to build the campaign.
    • Do separate campaigns for speciality keywords (e.g. emergency plumber, gas plumber) so you can keep relevance high and budgets controlled.

    3. Create the campaign: objective, type and conversions

    When creating the campaign pick:

    • Objective: Leads (we want calls and form submissions).
    • Campaign type: Search only — for home‑service businesses, Search is where the intent is.
    • Goal to reach initially: Website visits (we’ll train the account on clicks first, then switch to conversions).

    Conversion setup: track page views for form completions and phone call leads (calls from the ad). If you need a conversion tracking walkthrough, there’s a dedicated conversion tracking video (see the original video description for that link).

    4. Bid strategy: start with clicks, set a sensible max CPC

    Major principle: If your account has no conversion history, don’t use automated conversion bidding yet. Start with a clicks‑focused strategy and set a maximum cost‑per‑click (max CPC) based on the Keyword Planner’s top‑of‑page bids. I recommend using the high end of that range so you are competitive (in my example ~$54).

    Why? You need to get conversion data first so Google can learn what leads look like in your account. Once you’ve got ~30 conversions, flip to conversions bidding for scale.

    5. Network and exclusions: remove wasted placements

    Uncheck Google Search Partners and Google Display Network. These often dilute your data and send clicks that are harder to track. For service businesses, keep it simple: Search only.

    6. Location targeting: be precise — then restrict by presence

    Target suburbs or a radius around your service area. You can either:

    • Manually include specific suburbs for fine control (useful for later bid adjustments), or
    • Use a radius if you want a quicker setup.

    Important: change Location options from the default “Presence or interest” to “People in or regularly in your included locations” (Presence). This prevents people outside your service area from seeing your ads and will save you tens of thousands of dollars.

    Set any audience segments on Observation so you can later increase or decrease bids on segments that convert well or poorly.

    7. Let Google suggest assets — but edit everything

    Google will pull information from your landing page to suggest headlines and descriptions. Use this as a starting point, but manually edit the keywords and ad copy to match what’s proven to work for plumbing.

    8. Keyword match types: use Exact Match only

    After publishing, go to Audience, Keywords > Keywords and change all match types from Broad to Exact. This makes your ads show only for the precise terms you targeted and avoids unrelated traffic (DIY searches, product searches, etc.). This one change alone can save you a lot.

    9. Ad copy — the four pillars that make a plumber’s ad clickable

    There are four core elements to a clickable plumbing ad:

    1. Keyword relevance — match the headline to the search term (use keyword insertion to show the exact searched phrase).
    2. Call to action — prompt them to call, get a quote, book now.
    3. Discount or pricing — common winners: “$0 callout fee” or “Free quote”.
    4. Social proof / speed — “Local plumbers”, “At your door within 60 minutes”, etc.

    Bonus: use FOMO lines where appropriate (limited time discount, same‑day availability).

    Using keyword insertion

    Use the curly‑braces keyword insertion in Headline 1 with Title Case so the exact search phrase appears in the ad. Example headline: “{KeyWord:Plumber Near Me}”. That makes your ad ultra‑relevant for the user’s search.

    Pinning: pin your headline positions if you want strict control. Ignore the “Ad strength” metric — it favours giving Google more control, not necessarily better performance. I pin headlines and run split tests frequently.

    Ad example (structure)

    • Headline 1 (keyword insertion): Plumber near me
    • Headline 2 (pricing/CTA): $0 callout fee
    • Headline 3 (secondary benefit): Free quotes — at your door within 60 minutes
    • Descriptions: short benefit‑led lines that push speed, reliability, and a clear CTA (call now / get a free quote)

    10. Ad assets: images, sitelinks, promotions

    Images: use friendly photos of you and your team on site. People hire people — personal photos increase trust.

    Sitelinks: link to relevant pages on your site (pricing, services, contact, testimonials). Keep them relevant to the campaign keywords.

    Other assets: promotions and price extensions are optional. Callout extensions like “Residential & Commercial” are small but useful add‑ons.

    11. Budgeting: how much should you spend?

    Rule of thumb if you want frequent leads: set your daily budget to max CPC × 10. That gives you a minimum of ~10 clicks per day (often more), which helps train Google quickly.

    Example: if your max CPC is $54, a rough daily budget for competitive volume would be around $540 (~$500). Plumbing websites typically convert clicks to quotes at around 25–30%, so 10 clicks could produce 2–3 leads — more if your site and call handling are optimised.

    If that budget is too high, scale back to what you can afford — even low budgets will collect useful data over time.

    12. When to flip to conversions bidding

    Once you have around 30+ conversions in the account, switch from clicks to a conversion‑focused bidding strategy (e.g. Maximise Conversions or Target CPA). Prior to that, you’ll waste spend because Google doesn’t have enough data to optimise effectively.

    13. Final checklist before you go live

    • Keywords researched locally and saved
    • Campaign objective: Leads → Search campaign → Website visits
    • Max CPC set to competitive top‑of‑page high range
    • Search Partners & Display disabled
    • Location targeting set and Presence option enabled
    • Audience segments set to Observation
    • Headlines use keyword insertion and a price/CTA headline; descriptions emphasise speed and trust
    • All keyword match types changed to Exact
    • Sitelinks, call extensions and images added
    • Budget set practically (max CPC × 10 if you want higher volume)

    Conclusion: run smart, learn fast, then scale

    Google Ads for plumbers in 2025 is still straightforward if you follow a disciplined process: research local keywords, control who sees your ads, start with clicks to collect conversion data, use high‑relevance ad copy (keyword insertion + $0 callout fee + speed claims), and only automate bidding once you’ve got enough conversions.

    If you want deeper optimisations and advanced scaling tactics (including Facebook Ads and automation for home‑service businesses), I run a Home Service Ads Mastery course and I’ve included links and a conversion‑tracking tutorial in the original video description. Use those resources once your campaigns are live — they’ll help you squeeze much more profit from your ad spend.

    Now go set up your campaign: research local keywords, build a Search campaign with Exact match keywords, pin relevant headlines, set a realistic daily budget, and monitor conversions. If you follow this plan you’ll start getting quality plumbing leads and avoid the expensive mistakes most businesses make.

  • How I Actually Run Facebook Ads for Painting Businesses (2025 Step-by-Step Strategy)

    I’m Daniel Dimsey, and in this guide I’ll walk you through the exact Facebook Ads setup I use to generate painting leads in 2025. This is the same step‑by‑step approach I use in my Home Service Marketing course and in the ads I run for painting businesses: campaign structure, targeting tricks, creative strategy, and the instant form setup that grabs qualified leads without blowing your budget.

    Quick overview: what you’ll learn

    • Campaign structure and budget recommendations for local painting businesses
    • Why instant forms are the conversion location you should use
    • Targeting and exclusion hacks to stop wasted spend
    • Ad creative strategy — images vs video, enhancements, and an example ad copy
    • How to build an instant form that filters dud leads and gives you usable info

    1 — Campaign setup: objective and budget

    Start in Meta Ads Manager and create a new campaign. Choose the Leads objective — we want prospects to fill out a form (instant form or website form) so you can quote them.

    • Budget (my recommendation): For beginners: AUD $50–$100/day. US advertisers: roughly $35–$70/day. UK advertisers: roughly £25–£50/day. Start on the lower end and scale what works.
    • Campaign vs Adset vs Ad: Campaign sets budget, Adset controls targeting and conversion location, Ad is the creative people see.

    2 — Adset: conversion location, page and performance goal

    At the adset level pick your conversion location. My personal preference: use Instant Forms.

    • Why instant forms? They keep people on Facebook, remove the need for a high‑end landing page, and let you gather qualification details right away.
    • Page selection: Select the Facebook page for the painting business you’re advertising.
    • Performance goal: Choose Maximize number of leads rather than Maximize number of conversion leads. In my testing this gets more leads for a lower price. With a well‑built instant form you’ll still filter for quality without paying the premium conversion price.

    3 — Targeting: location pins and exclusion zones (the money saver)

    Targeting is where you control who sees your ad. For local services you must be specific.

    • Don’t target an entire country. Pick the suburbs or local area you service.
    • Use the map drop‑pin to create your target radius around your service area.
    • Critical trick: Facebook sometimes spreads impressions into neighbouring areas you don’t service. To stop wasted spend, drop pins around the outer areas and mark them as Exclude. Repeat all the way around your target zone so Facebook can’t trickle budget into places you won’t work.
    • Audience size tip: aim for at least ~500,000 people for local campaigns. If your audience is too small, costs tend to go up.

    4 — Ad level: creative strategy (image vs video and placements)

    This is where the conversion happens. My go‑to format is single image ads first — fast to produce, easy to test at scale. Video works great but takes time to create and edit.

    • Start with images: Upload multiple images and test different angles quickly.
    • Keep placements reasonable: Choose the placements that suit your creative. If an image won’t look right in certain placements, exclude them.
    • Enhancements I use: overlays, visual touch‑ups, and music (for video). I turn off text improvements and enhanced CTA and don’t add animation unless it fits the creative.

    Example ad creative and structure

    Keep the tone personal and local — not overly salesy. Below is a basic structure I use:

    • Primary text: A short, genuine intro that mentions the owner, the local suburb and what you do (e.g. “Hi, I’m Richard — local painter from Chadstone. We specialise in full house repaints and colour consultations.”)
    • Headline: Call to action or price. Examples: “Get your house painted” or “Paint transformations starting at 3.49”
    • Description / social proof: Short social proof like “700+ happy customers” or a trust builder that matches the image.
    • CTA button: Get quote

    “Personal ads, not salesy — genuine messaging that relates to homeowners.”

    5 — Building the Instant Form that actually qualifies leads

    The instant form is crucial. Done right, it gives you the information you need and weeds out tyre‑kickers.

    • Form settings: Choose “More volume” to get a steady stream of leads. Set sharing to open if you want integrations to pick up submissions.
    • Remove the greeting: It’s usually unnecessary and adds friction.
    • Questions (3–4 recommended):
      • How many bedrooms does your house have? (1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5+)
      • How many storeys is the property? (1 / 2 / 3)
      • Preferred contact method (Phone / Email / SMS)
      • How urgently do you need painting? (ASAP / This month / Flexible)
    • Required contact fields: Full name, email address, mobile phone and street address. Street address is useful so you can verify they’re in your service area.
    • Privacy policy: Add a working privacy policy URL. Technically Meta accepts any link, but use a proper privacy policy page for compliance and trust.
    • Thank you screen: Keep it clear — e.g. “Thanks — you’ll get a quote in 24–48 hours.” Include an additional action to call the business for urgent jobs.

    6 — Publish and what to do next

    Once your ad and form are set, publish the campaign. From there, the real work is in reviewing performance and iterating:

    • Track cost per lead and lead volume. If cost is high, test different images, headlines and instant form questions.
    • Scale winning creatives by increasing budget and duplicating winning adsets into adjacent suburbs (remember to apply exclusion pins).
    • Follow up quickly — set up an automation or CRM to capture leads and call within the window you promise on the thank you screen.

    Common pitfalls and quick fixes

    • Targeting too broadly: you’ll waste budget. Use pins + exclusions to lock down the service area.
    • Choosing conversion leads objective only: conversion optimization can drive up price per lead. Maximise number of leads with a qualifying instant form instead.
    • Overcomplicated creatives: start with simple image ads and iterate. Don’t let video production delay testing.
    • No privacy policy or poor form fields: this reduces trust and makes follow‑up messy. Collect a usable address and contact method.

    Conclusion and next steps

    If you want the full system — including creative templates, optimisation routines, and a community to help you scale — I teach this step‑by‑step in my Home Service Marketing course and community. The course covers Facebook Ads, Google Ads and automations specifically for painters and other local home‑service businesses.

    Follow the steps above, prioritise instant forms, lock down your geographic targeting with exclusion pins, lead with image creatives, and build a short but effective instant form. Do that and you’ll be generating more qualified painting leads without paying premium conversion prices.

    Ready to get started?

    • Set up a leads campaign with an AUD $50/day test budget (or the equivalent in your currency).
    • Use instant forms, include 3–4 qualifying questions, and require name, phone, email and address.
    • Drop exclusion pins around your service area so Facebook can’t waste your budget on places you don’t cover.

    Good luck — and if you need help, my course and community walk through every step in detail and include templates you can use straight away.

  • How I Actually Run Google Ads for Moving Businesses & Removalists — Real Strategy That Works (2025)

    I’m Daniel Dimsey and in this guide I’ll walk you step‑by‑step through the exact Google Ads setup I use for moving companies and removalists in 2025. This is a practical, no‑fluff approach that covers the four pillars of every profitable campaign, the single biggest beginner mistake that kills results, and the exact targeting, bidding and ad construction tricks that make your budget work harder.

    Quick overview — what you’ll get

    • How to research high‑intent keywords and CPCs for your city
    • Campaign structure and objectives that actually convert
    • Why you should start on clicks (not conversions) and how to set your max CPC
    • Precise location targeting that avoids wasted spend
    • Ad copy built around four core pillars: relevancy, social proof, calls to action and discounts
    • Practical tips for match types, extensions and budgets

    1. Start with keyword research — don’t build the campaign yet

    Before you touch the campaign builder, open Google Ads → Tools → Planning → Keyword Planner → Discover keywords. Type in the common search someone would use to find your service (for example, “moving company near me”) and change the location to your exact city so the CPC ranges are relevant.

    Look for the highest monthly search terms like “removals near me” or “movers near me” and note the top‑of‑page bid ranges (example: low range ~$9, high range up to ~$27). These numbers tell you what competitors are paying to appear at the top — and they should guide your max CPC decisions.

    What to save from keyword research

    • The exact high‑intent keywords people search for
    • Average monthly searches for prioritisation
    • Top‑of‑page bid low & high range (use the high range when setting your initial max CPC)

    2. Campaign objective and conversions

    When creating a new campaign choose the “Leads” objective. Add the conversion goals you care about — typically:

    • Website lead form submissions
    • Phone calls from the ad or website

    If you haven’t set up conversion tracking yet, get it in place as soon as possible (I have a full walkthrough showing that separately). For now, set the campaign type to Search and the goal to website visits so the ad clicks go to your quote form landing page.

    3. Bidding: the number one beginner mistake (and how to avoid it)

    The biggest early mistake is starting a new account on automated conversion bidding. If Google doesn’t yet have conversion data for your site it will spend aggressively trying to get clicks from anyone — and you’ll burn budget quickly.

    Start with Manual (or Maximize) clicks and set a maximum cost per click. Use the high range CPC from Keyword Planner as your cap. Example: if the high range is $24, set your max CPC to $24. This gives you control while Google learns what works.

    Once you have reliable conversion data (I recommend ~30+ conversions in a 30‑day period), switch to conversion‑based bidding so Google can optimise using your own data.

    4. Campaign settings you must change

    • Remove Google Search Partners and Google Display Network — they’re difficult to track and can waste money.
    • Location targeting — use Advanced Search and add the exact suburbs/towns you service. Don’t rely on a single giant radius if you want long‑term control (suburb targeting allows bid adjustments by area).
    • Location option — change from “Presence or interest” to “People in or regularly in your included locations” to avoid showing to people merely searching about an area you don’t serve.
    • Language — set to the languages your customers use.
    • Audience segments — add relevant audiences but keep them on OBSERVATION (not TARGETING). This lets you adjust bids later without restricting delivery.
    • Avoid Performance Max / AI Max for search campaigns unless you have very large budgets and can test extensively.

    5. Keyword match types — exact is king for movers

    Import your high‑intent keywords gathered from Keyword Planner and change match types to exact match. Exact match prevents your ads from showing on tangential or loosely related searches that waste budget. In Google Ads, exact match is represented by square brackets, e.g. [movers near me].

    Do not leave keywords on Broad match when you’re starting — broad match often wastes money on irrelevant queries.

    6. Ad copy — the four core pillars that make someone click

    Your ads should focus on four pillars: relevancy, social proof, a clear call to action, and discounts (optional). A fifth, bonus pillar is FOMO (limited time offers).

    • Relevancy — use keyword insertion so the ad headline mirrors what the user searched (e.g. the headline shows “Movers Near Me”). Pin this headline to ensure it appears in position one for maximum relevance.
    • Call to action — use a direct CTA such as “Get your quote in 60 seconds” or “Book a free quote today”. Pin this as headline two if you want it shown consistently.
    • Social proof — include trust signals in the description: “5★ rated”, “200+ moves this year”, “locally owned”.
    • Discounts / promotions — mention any limited offers or % off to drive urgency.

    Example ad structure:

    1. Headline 1 (pinned): Keyword insertion — exactly what they searched
    2. Headline 2 (pinned): CTA — “Get your quote in 60 seconds”
    3. Description 1: Short service explanation
    4. Description 2: Social proof + discount or FOMO

    Pinning headlines gives you control and clarity about which elements drive conversions — don’t worry about Google’s Ad Strength metric; pin what you want to test and track.

    7. Ad assets and extensions that increase conversion

    • Images — use personal photos of your crew on the job or your team. They build trust instantly.
    • Phone number — add a call extension so people can tap to call directly from the SERP.
    • Sitelinks — link to relevant pages like “Furniture removal”, “Interstate moves”, or a promo page so users land exactly where they expect.
    • Promotions / price assets — if you have a discount or starting prices, add them here.

    8. Budget calculations and expectations

    A simple starting rule I use: take your max CPC (for example $24) and multiply by 10 to set a daily budget. So $24 x 10 = $240/day. That should deliver a minimum of 10 clicks per day (often 15+).

    Typical moving company conversion rates on well‑built landing pages sit around 25–30%, which would equal roughly 2–5 quote requests per day at those volumes. This is just a starting point — track your real numbers and optimise.

    9. When to switch to conversion bidding

    Once your campaign records about 30 conversions in a 30‑day window, switch the campaign bidding to conversions (e.g. Target CPA or Maximise conversions). By then Google has enough first‑party data to pursue people likely to convert for your business.

    10. Quick optimisation checklist

    • Check search terms regularly and add negative keywords to cut irrelevant traffic.
    • Adjust bids by suburb: increase bids where conversion rates are high and reduce where they’re poor.
    • Test ad copy: keep the pinned headlines you want and rotate the other assets to see what lifts conversion.
    • Monitor phone call conversions and form submissions separately to see which channel performs best.

    Final notes

    This is a proven framework for running profitable Google Ads campaigns for movers and removalists in 2025. Start with the keyword research, protect your budget with max CPC bidding, use exact match for intent, lock your location settings to “people in” your service area, and build ads around relevancy, social proof, clear CTAs and promotions.

    If you want more advanced optimisation tactics and templates I use across Google and Facebook for home service businesses, I run a full Home Service Marketing course that dives deep into campaign optimisation, creative, automations and scaling.

    Get started, test, and iterate — once you have clean conversion data the results compound quickly.

    Ready to implement?

    Follow the steps above in this order: Keyword research → Campaign setup (Search + Leads) → Start on clicks with a max CPC → Exact match keywords → Precise suburb targeting → Ad copy using the four pillars → Add extensions and images → Budget using max CPC × 10 → Optimise and switch to conversions after ~30 conversions.

    “Start with clicks, protect your budget, then let data drive automated bidding.”

  • How I Run Facebook Ads for Removalist & Moving Companies (2025 Step‑By‑Step Tutorial)

    I’m Daniel Dimsey. In this step‑by‑step guide I’ll walk you through the exact Facebook Ads setup I use in 2025 to generate consistent, high‑quality moving and removalist leads — the campaign objective, audience targeting, ad creative, and the instant form configuration that turns clicks into paying clients.

    Quick overview — what this guide covers

    • Campaign objective & recommended budgets
    • Ad set settings: conversion tracking and precise location targeting (with exclusions)
    • Ad creative: the exact image size, style and copy that converts
    • How to build an instant form that qualifies leads so you don’t waste ad spend
    • Testing, enhancements and final checklist before publishing

    Campaign objective & budgets

    Choose the Leads objective. For removalists and moving companies you want people to complete your instant form or your website quote form — that’s the simplest path to a qualified lead.

    Budget recommendations (start here, then scale once you have data):

    • Australia: A$50–A$100/day
    • United States: US$35–US$70/day
    • United Kingdom: £25–£50/day

    Set the campaign budget and move on to the ad set to configure tracking and audience targeting.

    Ad set: conversion tracking and audience targeting

    1. Conversion location: I personally prefer Facebook Instant Forms — they’re fast to set up, look good and let you qualify people before you give a quote. If you have a high‑quality website with a quote flow, you can use website leads instead.

    2. Performance goal: select “Maximize number of leads” rather than “Maximize number of conversion leads.” Why? If your instant form asks qualifying questions, only motivated prospects will complete it, so you’ll get quality leads without paying the premium conversion price.

    3. Location targeting: narrow the audience to your actual service area — e.g. type your city (I use Melbourne as an example). Then create exclusion zones around the map using drop pins and increase the radius slightly. Facebook will otherwise spend on nearby areas you don’t service, wasting budget.

    Ad creative — single image/video and the exact specs

    I recommend running single image or single video ads for fast, scalable testing. Keep creatives simple and authentic so they build immediate trust.

    Image specs

    • Size: 1080 x 1080 px (square)
    • Use a genuine photo of one of your team members or a real job — authenticity converts better than stock imagery.

    Creative choices & enhancements

    • Use visual touch‑ups and overlays (if they suit the image)
    • Remove automatic text improvements if they ruin the look
    • Consider adding subtle animation and music for placements that support video
    • Disable any enhanced CTA features that don’t match your flow

    Ad copy that works

    Your ad copy should be genuine, local and action‑focused. Social proof up front helps. Keep the headline simple and aligned with the CTA button.

    • Headline (call to action): “Get a fast quote” or “Get your free quote” — tell them exactly what to do.
    • Description: lead with credibility — e.g. “Trusted by hundreds of local families” or “Over 1,000 happy moves.”
    • CTA: “Get Quote” or for urgent work use “Call Now” if you want immediate calls.

    Example ad voice: a friendly, local line like “We’re your local movers — reliable, insured, and ready to move you. Get a fast quote today.” Combine that with a photo of a real crew member for instant trust.

    Build the instant form that filters out tire‑kickers

    The instant form is where you qualify leads so your ad spend buys clients, not time‑wasters. Set this up deliberately:

    1. Form type: Choose “More volume” and set sharing settings to open.

    2. Remove the intro — it’s usually wasted attention. Go straight to questions.

    3. Ask 3–4 qualifying multiple‑choice questions (this is the golden spot). If someone won’t answer, they’re unlikely to book anyway. Suggested questions:

      • Where are you located? (list suburbs / areas)
      • How urgently do you need the move done? (ASAP / 1–2 weeks / flexible)
      • Size of job? (1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, 3+ bedroom, office)
      • Any access issues? (stairs, narrow drive, lift needed)

    4. Collect full name, phone number, email and street address. Phone number is crucial for follow up; address helps you price accurately and filter out out‑of‑area leads.

    5. Privacy policy: add a link (website privacy or a Google Doc works). The form typically only checks for a link, but include a real policy if possible.

    6. Form headline & thank‑you text: keep the headline aligned (e.g. “Get a fast quote”). For the follow‑up description tell them when they’ll hear back — “You’ll receive your quote within 24–48 hours” or “Instant quote in 5 minutes” if you truly deliver instantly.

    7. Button: set to “Call Business” if you want urgent leads to call immediately, and add your phone number so the call button appears.

    Testing, measurement and optimisation

    • Start with single‑image ads to test many variations quickly. Swap images and copy sequentially to find winners.
    • Use the instant form questions to reduce unqualified leads so you can optimise for volume instead of expensive conversions.
    • Once you have a winning creative, scale budget gradually rather than doubling overnight.
    • Monitor cost per lead, lead quality (bookings per lead) and tweak form questions or ad creative if quality drops.

    Final checklist before publishing

    1. Campaign objective set to Leads and daily budget in place.
    2. Facebook Page selected on the ad and performance goal set to “Maximize number of leads.”
    3. Ad set locations narrowed to your service area with exclusions configured via drop pins.
    4. Creative uploaded: 1080×1080 image (real team photo), clear headline and social proof in the description.
    5. Instant form created with 3–4 qualifying multiple choice questions and required contact fields.
    6. Privacy policy link added and form CTA set to the appropriate action (Get Quote / Call Now).
    7. Enhancements toggled (visual touch‑ups, overlays, animation as needed) and the campaign published.

    Wrap up — why this approach works

    This system focuses on two things: real human trust and tight qualification. A genuine image of your team builds trust instantly. The instant form filters for motivated buyers so you don’t pay for tire‑kickers. Because the form does the pre‑qualification, you can optimise for volume (lower CPC/lead) and still get high‑quality, bookable enquiries.

    If you implement these steps — precise location targeting with exclusions, single‑image creative that shows the real team, simple social‑proof copy, and a 3–4 question qualifying instant form — you’ll dramatically improve lead quality and reduce wasted ad spend.

    Now go set up your first campaign, run a few tests, and iterate. If you want to dig deeper into automating follow ups, Google Ads complements and scaling strategies, I’ve covered those topics in more detail elsewhere.

    Need a checklist to copy

    • Objective: Leads
    • Budget: start A$50 / US$35 / £25 per day
    • Ad creative: 1080×1080 image — real team photo
    • Headline: “Get a fast quote”
    • Description: short social proof line + delivery timeframe
    • Form: 3–4 multiple choice qualifying questions + contact fields
    • CTA: Get Quote or Call Now (add phone number)
    • Exclude nearby areas you don’t service
    • Publish and test

    Final note

    Run the process, collect data, and optimise. Small changes to wording, one extra qualifying question, or swapping an image can make a big difference in lead quality. Keep it local, genuine and focused on getting the prospect to request a quote.