Services
SEM — Paid Search Management
Paid search puts you in front of people typing exactly what you sell, today. We manage three platforms: Google Ads, Google Local Service Ads, and Microsoft Ads. $950 per channel per month, flat — we take no percentage of what you spend.
It's the fastest channel there is. Leads usually start inside 30 days, which is why most clients run paid search while their SEO builds.
Which paid search channel should I use?
Most service businesses should start with one, not three. Here's how they differ.
| Local Service Ads | Google Ads | Microsoft Ads | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You pay for | Leads | Clicks | Clicks |
| Position on page | Very top, above everything | Below LSA, above organic | Top of Bing results |
| Intent quality | Highest | High | High |
| Reach | Limited — restricted categories | Very large | Small, but cheap |
| Cost per click/lead | Usually lowest | Moderate to high | Typically well below Google |
| Setup time | 3–4 weeks (verification) | 1–2 weeks | 1 week |
| Best for | Home services, legal | Everyone; anything LSA doesn't cover | Legal, B2B, older demographics |
| Minimum spend | $1,000/mo | $1,500/mo ($3,000 legal) | $500/mo |
The short version. If you're in an eligible category — HVAC, plumbing, roofing, restoration, electrical, legal — start with Local Service Ads. Cost per lead is usually lowest and you only pay when a lead actually arrives.
LSA inventory is finite, though. Once you're capturing what's available, Google Ads is where you add volume. Microsoft Ads is a cheap supplement worth adding for legal and B2B, and rarely worth it as a first channel.
What's included in management?
| Foundation | Growth | Scale | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channels managed | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Campaign build & structure | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Keyword & negative keyword management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ad copy writing and testing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bid & budget management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Conversion tracking & call tracking | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing page recommendations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing page builds | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lead dispute management (LSA) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cross-channel budget coordination | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Standalone $950 per channel per month, plus a $750 one-time setup. Or bundled into any retainer tier.
Why don't you charge a percentage of ad spend?
Most agencies take 10–20% of your media budget. We take nothing.
That model pays an agency more when you spend more — not when your spend works better. If we can produce the same number of jobs on half the budget, a commission-based agency has just taken a pay cut for doing better work. We'd rather be able to tell you to reduce a budget without it costing us anything.
Your media goes directly from you to Google or Microsoft, on accounts you own. We never touch it, mark it up, or invoice it. If we part ways, you keep the accounts and the performance history.
Our price changes by scope instead — +$650/month per additional channel, +$450 per location, +$300 per campaign group. Details on the pricing page.
How fast does paid search work?
| Channel | First leads |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Ads | Days after launch |
| Google Ads | Days after launch, 2–4 weeks to stabilise |
| Local Service Ads | Days after launch — but verification takes 3–4 weeks first |
Expect the first 30 days to run at a higher cost per lead than where things settle. Campaigns need conversion data before bidding gets efficient, and pulling the plug in week two is the most common way businesses waste their launch budget.
Which industries is this strongest for?
- HVAC, plumbing, restoration — emergency demand is the ideal paid search case
- Personal injury and criminal defense — expensive clicks, but case values justify them
- Roofing — especially storm response, where speed matters more than cost
- Dental — steady, predictable search demand
Weaker for anything with no existing search demand. Meta Ads is the better fit when you need to create demand rather than capture it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does paid search management cost?
$950 per channel per month, flat, plus a $750 one-time setup. We take no percentage of your ad spend at any level. Media budgets are separate and paid directly to the platform on accounts you own.
How much do I need to spend on ads?
Minimums that make each channel viable: $1,000/month for Local Service Ads, $1,500 for Google Ads in most local service categories ($3,000 for legal), and $500 for Microsoft Ads. Below those, the channel can't gather enough data to optimise.
Should I run Google Ads or Local Service Ads?
If you're in an eligible category, start with LSA — cost per lead is usually lower and you pay per lead rather than per click. Add Google Ads once you're capturing the available LSA inventory. We compare them in detail in Google Ads vs Local Service Ads.
Do I own my ad accounts?
Yes, always. We work inside accounts you own. If we stop working together you keep everything, including the historical data that makes future campaigns cheaper.
Can I run paid search myself?
Yes, and for a simple single-service business it's genuinely doable. Our free paid media guide covers all of it. Where an agency earns its fee is negative keyword discipline, budget pacing against seasonality, lead disputes, and stopping channels from bidding against each other.
What's the minimum commitment?
Six months, then month-to-month. Paid search shows results faster than SEO, but campaigns still need 2–3 months of data before optimisation gets genuinely efficient.
Not sure which channel to start with?
Thirty minutes, free. We'll look at your category, your market and your budget, and tell you which one channel to run first — usually not the one people expect.
Schedule a consultation · (615) 669-0707
Written by Jared DeValk, founder of Nashville Digital. Last reviewed September 2026.