Google Ads for Ottawa trades, capped at what a lead is worth to you

The ceiling, worked out

Every account we run starts with one number: the most you can pay for a lead and still make money on the job. Here's the method with sample figures; swap in yours.

If a keyword or ward runs above $168 per lead for a month, it is costing you money, however busy it makes the office. We cut it, rework it, or move the budget to a ward that comes in under target.

Who this is for

Google Ads suits Ottawa trades that need calls now: a new business, a company entering a new ward, or anyone facing a seasonal rush such as the first deep freeze, spring roof checks or the summer air-conditioning peak. It also suits businesses that want to test a French campaign quickly, before investing in months of French SEO.

It's a poor fit if your website doesn't convert, if nobody answers the phone during the hours ads run, or if you can't take on more work this month. Ads amplify what's already there.

What's included

• Ceiling and budget setup. The break-even maths above, agreed in writing.
• Geographic targeting by ward cluster. Google lets advertisers target specific locations such as cities, radii and postal areas. We draw the targets around the Ottawa wards you actually serve, so a Kanata crew isn't paying for clicks from Navan.
• Language-split campaigns. English and French in separate campaigns with separate landing pages, linked to the bilingual campaign plan.
• Local Services Ads review. Where Google offers them for your trade, we look at whether they fit alongside search ads.
• Search terms clean-up every week at first. Wasted searches ("jobs", "DIY", "course", competitor brand names you don't want) are blocked.
• Call tracking. Every call, text and email from ads is counted, and booked jobs are matched where you share them.
• Hours that match your phones. Ads run when someone can answer.

Timeline

How results are measured

The monthly report shows cost per lead against your ceiling for each service, ward cluster and language, plus booked jobs where you share them. If paid search can't come in under the ceiling for your trade, we'll say so and suggest putting the budget into local SEO instead.

Ottawa-specific settings we check

A few details matter more here than in many cities. Location targets should be set to people actually in or regularly in your wards, not people merely interested in Ottawa, which can include searchers in other provinces. Ad schedules should reflect when your phones are covered. And if you serve both sides of the Greenbelt, consider separate campaigns for each side so budgets don't drift toward the cheaper, less profitable area.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Targeting "Ottawa" as one block. The city is too wide; you pay for clicks you can't serve profitably.
2. Broad match with no negatives. It's a fast way to pay for job seekers and students.
3. Sending every ad to the home page. Each service needs a page that matches the search.
4. Running ads after hours with nobody on the phone. Either answer, or pause.
5. Judging by clicks. Clicks are a cost. Booked jobs are the result.

See pricing for plan levels, and the Ottawa marketing calendar for when to push and when to hold back.