# Marketing for Trades and Home Services

Source: https://dijitulmarketing.co.uk/marketing-for-trades/
Updated: 2026-10-18

> dijitul marketing gets UK tradespeople found when someone searches for a plumber, electrician, roofer or builder near them. We run Google Search ads, set up Local Services Ads where your trade is eligible, and track every call and form. Google Ads management starts from £150 a month + VAT plus ad spend, with no long contract.

Price: From £150 a month + VAT

## Problems this solves

- Ads show for 'plumbing jobs' and 'how to fix a leaking tap' as well as real customers
- You get calls from 40 miles away for work you would never travel to
- The phone rings but nobody knows which calls came from ads
- A previous agency ran a Smart campaign and you could not see the search terms
- Your Google Business Profile reviews are good but your ads do not mention them
- Emergency work dries up in summer and you do not know how to fill the gap

## Key facts

- Google Ads management from £150 a month + VAT, or 10 to 15% of ad spend if higher, plus ad spend paid to Google
- Google lists plumbers, electricians, roofers, HVAC, landscaping, fencing, flooring, handyman and other trades as Local Services Ads categories in the UK
- Local Services Ads are charged per lead rather than per click, according to Google
- Google says the Google Guarantee money-back cover was discontinued, with a single Google Verified badge for screened advertisers
- Call tracking matters: most trade enquiries arrive by phone, not form
- Facebook and Instagram ads from £150 a month + VAT plus ad spend, useful for kitchens, bathrooms, driveways and other visual work
- Monthly, cancel with notice

## Search ads for people who need you now

Trade marketing is mostly about intent. Someone typing 'emergency plumber Derby' or 'electrician for consumer unit upgrade' wants to book, not browse. Google Search ads put you in front of that person, and you only pay when they click.

We build separate ad groups for each service you actually want more of, because 'boiler service' and 'bathroom fitting' attract different people at different values. Each gets its own ads and, ideally, its own landing page. Location targeting is set to where you work, using 'presence' rather than 'presence or interest' so people outside your area who merely search for it are excluded.

- **Negatives from day one:** jobs, apprenticeship, course, salary, DIY, how to, parts, wholesale, free.
- **Ad schedule:** run emergency campaigns 24/7 only if someone answers out of hours.
- **Call assets:** click-to-call on mobile, tracked as a conversion when the call lasts long enough to be real.

## Local Services Ads: what they are in the UK

Local Services Ads sit above the normal search ads for some service searches. You are charged for leads rather than clicks, and the ad shows your reviews and a badge once Google has screened your business. Google's UK help page lists eligible categories including plumbers, electricians, roofers, HVAC, landscaping, lawn care, fencing, flooring, carpentry, handyman, pest control, cleaning, window cleaning and removals, with lawyers and estate agents available in Greater London only.

Google's help centre says the Google Guarantee money-back cover has been discontinued and replaced with a single Google Verified badge for advertisers who complete its screening and verification. In the UK that screening includes business registration and insurance checks, and licence checks where your trade needs one. We help you gather the documents, set the service area and job types, and dispute leads that were not genuine. Local Services Ads work best alongside, not instead of, a normal Search campaign; see our Local Services Ads page.

## Tracking calls, not just clicks

Most trade enquiries are phone calls. If the account only counts form fills, Google's bidding will chase the wrong people. We set up three things:

- **Calls from ads:** call assets with a minimum call length counted as a conversion.
- **Calls from the website:** a Google forwarding number swapped onto your site for ad visitors, so a call after reading your page is still credited.
- **Forms and quote requests:** recorded in GA4 as key events and imported into Google Ads.

With that in place we can tell you the cost per enquiry by service and by town, and move budget accordingly. Conversion tracking set-up is £145 + VAT one-off.

## Social ads for visual trades

Kitchen fitters, bathroom installers, landscapers, driveway and roofing firms have something search-only trades do not: before and after photos. Facebook and Instagram ads let you show that work to homeowners in your postcode area who are not yet searching. We use short video and carousel ads, a simple Meta lead form or a link to a quote page, and a radius around the towns you cover. This is a slower channel than search; it fills the diary weeks ahead rather than today. Paid social is from £150 a month + VAT plus ad spend.

Keep claims honest. The ASA has ruled against trade adverts that implied accreditations the firm did not hold or quoted prices that were not available. If you use a Which? Trusted Trader, Gas Safe, NICEIC or TrustMark logo, it must be current.

## Seasonality and budget

Heating engineers are busiest from October to February, roofers after storms, landscapers in spring, and most trades go quiet over Christmas. We plan budgets around your own year: raise bids and budgets when demand rises, cut them when you are fully booked, and push the services with the best margin when things are slow. If you are booked solid for six weeks, we will tell you to pause rather than spend money on leads you cannot take.

## What you get

- Search campaigns split by service (boiler repair, rewires, roof repairs) with tight location targeting
- A starting negative keyword list for jobs, DIY, training, wholesale and free
- Local Services Ads set-up and verification support where your trade and area are eligible
- Call and form tracking recorded as conversions in Google Ads and GA4
- Ad schedule that matches when you can actually answer the phone
- Simple monthly report: spend, calls, forms and cost per enquiry

## FAQs

### How much should a tradesperson spend on Google Ads?

It depends on your trade, area and how much each job is worth. Emergency and high-value work, such as roofing or boiler installs, costs more per click than general handyman work. We look at search volume and typical click costs for your services and towns, then suggest a starting budget. Ad spend is paid to Google directly, separate from our fee.

### Are Local Services Ads better than normal Google Ads?

They are different. Local Services Ads charge per lead and show your reviews and badge, but offer less control over wording and targeting. Normal Search ads give full control and let you promote specific services. For eligible trades we usually run both and compare cost per real enquiry.

### Can you stop calls from outside my area?

Yes. We target only the towns or radius you cover, use people located in the area rather than people interested in it, and add negative locations if needed. Some calls still come from people searching on behalf of family elsewhere, but the volume drops sharply.

### I already have a Google Business Profile. Is that enough?

A well-kept profile with reviews is essential and free, and it helps you appear in the map results. Ads add guaranteed visibility for the searches you choose. If you want help ranking organically in the map pack, our sister site searchenginetuning.co.uk handles local SEO.

### Do you do Facebook ads for trades?

Yes, mainly for visual work like kitchens, bathrooms, landscaping and driveways. Before and after photos and short videos work well. Paid social management is from £150 a month + VAT plus ad spend.

### What happens if I get too busy?

Tell us and we reduce or pause spend straight away. There is no point buying enquiries you cannot take. When the diary empties again we switch campaigns back on. Our management is monthly, so you are never locked in.

## Prices and contact

Prices (all from, + VAT; ad spend separate): Google Ads management £150 a month; Paid social (Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok) £150 a month; Social media management £125 a month; Email marketing £95 a month; Marketing automation set-up £195; SMS marketing £75 a month; GA4 set-up £95; Conversion tracking £145; Data Studio (Looker Studio) dashboard £145; Conversion rate optimisation £195 a month; Content marketing £195 a month; Consultancy, audits and strategy £45 an hour. All prices are "from" and exclude VAT. Ad spend is separate and paid directly to Google, Microsoft, Meta, LinkedIn or TikTok. Paid media management is from £150 a month or 10 to 15% of ad spend, whichever is higher. You own every ad account, pixel, audience and email list we set up. Contact: https://dijitulmarketing.co.uk/contact/ · 01623 650333 · info@dijitul.uk