Flat budget, swinging demand
Spend stays the same in April as it does in January, when furnace-season search volume is actually up. That's cost-per-lead going the wrong direction.
GOOGLE ADS · COLUMBUS
GOOGLE ADS FOR COLUMBUS Contractors
Columbus runs on two seasons, not one. Furnace calls stack up from November through February, cooling calls stack up from June through August, and the months between are when a lazy ad account bleeds your budget on clicks that never call.
THE CAMPAIGN SPEC
- Managedin-house
- PlatformsGoogle Ads + LSA
- Setupsince 2008
- Bought traffic0 fake clicks
Ad spend is yours, billed direct to Google. Management is quoted at the strategy call.
- Since 2008
- In-house management
- Seasonal budget shifts
- No bought leads
- You own the account
QUICK FACTS · GOOGLE ADS IN COLUMBUS
At a glance.
The whole engagement on one ticket. Read it in a minute, then bring us the hard questions on the call.
- What it is
- Google Ads and Local Services Ads management for Columbus contractors, built to catch furnace calls in winter and cooling calls in summer without wasting spend in the shoulder months.
- Timeline
- Campaigns can go live within days of the strategy call. Competitive Columbus terms (roofing, HVAC replacement) usually need 4-9 months of tuning to hit efficient cost-per-lead.
- Investment
- Management fee is quoted at the strategy call based on trade and target zip codes. Ad spend is separate and billed by Google direct to your card.
- What you get
- Campaign build, keyword and geo targeting for Franklin County and the surrounding suburbs, ad copy, landing page alignment, call tracking, and monthly reporting you can actually read.
- What's not included
- Organic rankings and map pack placement are separate work under SEO and Local SEO. This page is paid traffic only.
- Managed how
- In-house, on a Google Ads and LSA account you own and control. No agency lock on the account.
- Who it's for
- Established Columbus-area HVAC, roofing, plumbing, and electrical contractors who want phone calls now while organic rankings build in the background.
- Who it's not for
- Startups with no crew capacity to handle a call surge, or anyone expecting a flat low price with no seasonal budget strategy.
COLUMBUS, OHIO
Two seasons. One ad account has to cover both.
Contractor Google Ads Columbus campaigns fail for one reason more than any other: the budget stays flat all year while the demand doesn't. A furnace stops firing in January and the homeowner searches that night. An AC dies in July and the same thing happens. Between those two windows, in April and October, search volume drops and a static campaign just keeps spending at the same rate, chasing thinner traffic at a worse cost per lead.
Columbus is a big, established Midwest metro with a deep bench of regional independent contractors and a growing footprint of national franchise home-service brands. That's who shows up in the paid results and the map pack when a homeowner in Dublin, Westerville, Grove City, or Hilliard searches for emergency HVAC or storm-damage roofing. Franklin County alone spans a wide service radius, and outlying suburbs each carry their own search behavior. A campaign that only targets Columbus proper as a single geo misses a lot of qualified clicks in the ring around it.
Local Services Ads matter here too. Franklin County homeowners lean on the Google-verified badge before they'll call a number they don't recognize, especially for big-ticket furnace replacement or full roof jobs. A contractor Google Ads Columbus strategy that ignores LSA is leaving the highest-trust placement on the table.
[ 01 ] THE PROBLEM
Where Columbus ad accounts leak money
Same platform, same budget, worse results. Here's why.
One geo for a multi-suburb metro
Targeting just 'Columbus' misses Dublin, Westerville, Grove City, and the rest of Franklin County's real service radius.
No LSA presence
Skipping Local Services Ads means losing the Google-verified badge slot that Columbus homeowners check before they dial a contractor they don't know.
Landing page doesn't match the ad
Clicks land on a generic homepage instead of a page built for the exact service and season searched, so the call never comes.
[ 02 ] THE METHOD
What a built-right Columbus campaign looks like
Six pieces, working together, not sold separately.
Seasonal budget shifts
Spend gets weighted toward furnace season and cooling season, and pulled back in the shoulder months so cost-per-lead doesn't drift.
Franklin County geo targeting
Campaigns split out Dublin, Westerville, Grove City, Hilliard, and the rest of the real Columbus service area instead of one flat radius.
Local Services Ads setup
Google-verified badge, background check, and LSA profile built alongside paid search so both channels cover the same ground.
Landing pages that match the ad
Each campaign points to a page built for that trade and that season, not a generic homepage.
Call tracking on every source
Every lead gets tagged by campaign and keyword so you know which ad actually rang the phone.
Monthly reporting you can read
Spend, cost-per-lead, and call volume in plain numbers, no marketing jargon standing between you and the results.
[ 03 ] THE DIFFERENCE
Managed account vs. set-and-forget
Be Seen, Contractors!
Built for the Columbus calendar
- Budget shifts with furnace and cooling season, not a flat monthly number
- Franklin County suburbs targeted individually, not lumped into one geo
- You own the Google Ads and LSA account, no agency lock
the set-and-forget shop
One campaign, every month, same as last month
- Flat budget all year regardless of furnace or cooling demand
- Single citywide geo target that skips the surrounding suburbs
- Account sits under the agency's login, not yours
[ 04 ] DELIVERABLES
What's in the build
Google Ads account build
Campaign structure, ad groups, and keyword targeting for your specific trade.
Local Services Ads setup
Google-verified badge application and LSA profile configuration.
Franklin County geo mapping
Campaigns segmented by suburb so budget follows where the calls actually come from.
Seasonal budget calendar
Spend weighting mapped to Columbus furnace season and cooling season.
Ad copy by trade and season
Written for the exact service and time of year, not generic contractor copy.
Landing page alignment
Ad clicks land on a page built for that campaign, not a general homepage.
Call tracking
Every lead source tagged so cost-per-lead is measured by campaign, not guessed at.
Monthly reporting
Spend, leads, and cost-per-lead delivered in plain language.
[ 05 ] THE PROCESS
From plan to booked work.
-
WEEK 1
Account Audit
We map wasted spend, weak landing pages, and the searches actually worth buying.
-
WEEK 1-2
Build
Campaigns, ad groups, call tracking, and Local Services Ads set up to ring the phone, not just get clicks.
-
MONTH 1
Optimize
Search-term pruning, bid tuning, and landing pages that turn clicks into booked jobs.
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ONGOING
Manage
Weekly hands on the account. We spend your budget like it is ours.
-
MONTHLY
Report
Cost per lead and cost per booked job, in plain numbers, no agency spin.
[ 06 ] THE HONEST CURVE
What to expect and when
Paid ads can start producing calls fast. Getting the cost-per-lead efficient in a competitive Columbus category takes longer, and there's no way around that.
1-3 days
Audit delivery
Free visibility audit turnaround.
days
Campaign launch
Live shortly after the strategy call.
4-9 mo
Efficient CPL
For competitive Columbus terms like HVAC and roofing.
0
Bought clicks
No fake traffic, ever.
[ 07 ] STRAIGHT ANSWERS
What contractors ask us most.
What Columbus contractors ask before they sign off.
01How much should a Columbus contractor budget for Google Ads?
It depends on trade, the suburbs you're targeting, and how competitive that category is in Franklin County right now. Management fee and a realistic ad spend range get set at the strategy call, not guessed at over email.
02Do you handle Local Services Ads too, or just Google Ads?
Both. In Columbus, LSA's Google-verified badge carries real weight with homeowners comparing contractors, so it's built alongside paid search, not skipped.
03Why does the budget change month to month instead of staying flat?
Because Columbus demand isn't flat. Furnace season and cooling season pull more search volume than the shoulder months, and a budget that ignores that just spends the same money on thinner traffic.
04Will this cover Dublin, Westerville, and the other suburbs, or just the city of Columbus?
Campaigns get built around the real Franklin County service radius, not a single Columbus geo target. Which suburbs get weighted depends on where your crews actually run.
05Do I own the Google Ads account?
Yes. It runs under your login and your billing. If you ever want to walk, you walk with the account.
06How is this different from SEO or Local SEO?
This page is paid traffic: Google Ads and LSA. Organic rankings and map pack work are handled under SEO and Local SEO, and they're not bundled into this service.
07What if my crew can't handle a sudden lead surge in furnace season?
Say so at the strategy call. Budget pacing can be built to match your actual crew capacity instead of flooding you with more calls than you can run.
08How long until cost-per-lead settles down?
Competitive Columbus categories like HVAC replacement and roofing typically take 4-9 months of tuning before cost-per-lead stabilizes. Less competitive niches can settle faster.
[ 08 ] WHAT COMES NEXT
What comes next.
The rest of the build works alongside this.
→
Websites in Columbus
A website built to convert the paid traffic this campaign sends, not just hold a domain.
→SEO in Columbus
Organic SEO to build rankings that keep working after the ad budget stops for the day.
→Local SEO in Columbus
Local SEO and map pack work to cover the Franklin County searches paid ads don't reach.
BOOK YOUR FREE STRATEGY CALL
Get your Columbus ad account audited
Free visibility audit, delivered in 1-3 business days. See where your current spend is leaking before you commit to another month of it.