Services
Google Ads Management
We build and run Google Ads campaigns for Nashville service businesses and law firms. Campaign structure, keyword and negative keyword management, ad copy, bidding, conversion tracking, and landing pages. $950/month flat, plus a $750 one-time setup. We take no percentage of your ad spend — your budget goes straight to Google on an account you own.
Recommended minimum media spend is $1,500/month for most local service categories, $3,000/month for legal.
Is Google Ads right for your business?
Google Ads works when people already search for what you sell. A failed AC unit in July, a DUI arrest, a leaking water heater — that's existing demand, and paid search puts you in front of it immediately.
This is a good fit if:
- People search for your service by name
- You can afford at least $1,500/month in media on top of management
- Your average job or case value supports paying for clicks — most local service work does
- Someone answers the phone, or leads get a response in minutes rather than hours
Something else will serve you better if:
- You're in an LSA-eligible category and haven't started there. Local Service Ads usually deliver a lower cost per lead, and you pay per lead rather than per click. Start there, then add Google Ads for volume.
- Nobody searches for what you sell. Med spa treatments, estate plans, and remodels often need demand created first — Meta Ads is the better opening move.
- Your intake is broken. Paid clicks into a slow follow-up process is the most expensive way to discover you have a follow-up problem. Fix CRM and automation first.
What's included?
| Foundation | Growth | Scale | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account audit or fresh build | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Campaign & ad group structure | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Keyword research & expansion | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Negative keyword management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ad copy writing & testing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bid strategy & budget pacing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Conversion & call tracking setup | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing page recommendations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing page builds | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Performance Max management | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Competitor & auction insights | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Offline conversion import from CRM | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-location campaign structure | — | — | ✓ |
Standalone $950/month plus $750 setup, or bundled into any retainer tier.
How do we run an account?
- Audit or build. If you have an existing account we audit it first — wasted spend is usually sitting in broad match terms and missing negatives. If you're starting fresh, we build the structure from scratch.
- Tracking before traffic. Conversion tracking and call tracking go in before anything spends. Running ads without them is the most common and most expensive mistake we see in inherited accounts.
- Structure by intent. Campaigns split by service line and intent level, so emergency terms and research terms aren't competing for the same budget.
- Negative keywords, continuously. This is the unglamorous work that separates a profitable account from a wasteful one. We review search terms weekly in the first month, then monthly.
- Ad testing. Responsive search ads with real variation, not five near-identical headlines.
- Landing pages. Message match between ad and page is usually worth more than another round of bid tuning.
- Budget pacing. Against seasonality and your actual capacity. There's no point maxing out spend in a month you can't service the work.
- Offline conversion import. From Growth up, we feed closed jobs back into Google so bidding optimises toward revenue instead of form fills.
Where does Performance Max fit?
Honestly: carefully, and rarely first.
PMax can work well for businesses with strong conversion data and broad service coverage. For a single-location service business with a modest budget, it often spends into low-quality placements and gives you very little visibility into where the money went.
We'll run it when the account has enough conversion volume to steer it and when the reporting limitations are an acceptable trade. We won't run it just because Google's rep recommended it — that recommendation is not neutral.
What results should I expect, and when?
| Timeframe | What happens |
|---|---|
| Week 1–2 | Build, tracking, and launch |
| Weeks 2–4 | First leads within days. Cost per lead runs high while the account gathers data |
| Months 2–3 | Negatives and bid adjustments compound. Cost per lead typically drops meaningfully |
| Months 4–6 | Stable performance. Expansion into additional services or geographies |
The most common way businesses waste a Google Ads launch is pulling the plug in week three. Campaigns need conversion volume before bidding gets efficient, and the first month is always the most expensive month.
Which industries is this strongest for?
- Personal injury and criminal defense — clicks are expensive, but case values carry them
- HVAC, plumbing, restoration — emergency search demand, ideally alongside LSA
- Roofing — particularly for storm response, where speed to market matters
- Dental — consistent, predictable demand
If you want the underlying mechanics and real cost data by vertical, our Google Ads guide covers it in full and is free.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Google Ads management cost?
$950 a month flat, plus a $750 one-time setup. We take no percentage of your ad spend at any level — most agencies charge 10–20% of media. Your budget is separate and goes directly to Google.
Why don't you charge a percentage of ad spend?
Because it pays an agency more when a client spends more, rather than when that spend performs better. If we can get you the same jobs on half the budget, we'd like to be able to recommend that without taking a pay cut for it.
Do I own my Google Ads account?
Yes, always. We work inside an account you own. If we stop working together you keep the account and its history — which matters, because that history is what makes future campaigns cheaper.
Should I run Google Ads or Local Service Ads first?
If your category is LSA-eligible, start with Local Service Ads. Cost per lead is usually lower and you pay per lead rather than per click. Add Google Ads once you're capturing what LSA has available.
What's the minimum ad budget?
$1,500 a month for most local service categories. $3,000 for legal, where clicks run considerably higher. Below those levels there isn't enough data for bidding to optimise.
Do you manage Performance Max?
Yes, from the Growth tier up, when the account has enough conversion volume to steer it properly. We won't default to it — for smaller local accounts it often spends into low-value placements with limited visibility.
What if I already have an account?
We audit it first. Most inherited accounts have wasted spend sitting in broad match terms and missing negative keywords, and that's usually the fastest win available.
How long is the commitment?
Six months, then month-to-month. Paid search produces leads quickly, but accounts need 2–3 months of data before optimisation gets genuinely efficient.
Let's look at your account
If you're already running ads, we'll audit the account and show you where the waste is. If you're not, we'll tell you what it would take to start — and whether Google Ads or LSA is the better first move for your category.
Schedule a consultation · (615) 669-0707
Written by Jared DeValk, founder of Nashville Digital. Last reviewed September 2026.