How to Run Google Ads for Pest Control Companies: Turn Searches Into Booked Jobs
Learn how pest control companies can use Google Search Ads and Local Services Ads to capture urgent leads. Includes campaign structure, keywords, budgets, landing pages, and optimization tips.
Why Google Ads Works for Pest Control
Pest problems don't wait. A homeowner who spots termite damage on Saturday morning isn't going to wait until Monday to start calling around. Someone who wakes up with bed bug bites isn't shopping for the best deal—they want someone at their door today.
This urgency makes pest control one of the best fits for Google Ads. Search intent is crystal clear, decision cycles are short, and customers are ready to book immediately if you can demonstrate trust and availability.
But here's the problem: The pest control SERP is crowded. In most markets, you're competing with 3-4 Local Services Ads, another 3-4 traditional ads, and the map pack—all before organic results. If you're not visible in paid search, you're invisible to ready-to-buy customers.
This guide shows you how to build campaigns that capture that high-intent traffic profitably—whether you're spending $2,000 or $10,000+ per month. We'll cover the channel mix, campaign structure, tracking setup, and optimization schedule that actually fills your calendar with booked jobs.
Key Takeaways
Run both Local Services Ads and Search campaigns. LSAs often deliver lower cost per lead with the Google Guaranteed badge.
Structure campaigns by service (Bed Bugs, Termites, Rodents, Ants) or city to control budgets and improve relevance.
Track phone calls and booked jobs. Without call tracking, you'll undercount 50-80% of conversions.
Start with tight targeting (phrase/exact match, serviceable ZIPs only) and protect your budget with aggressive negative keywords.
Optimize to booked jobs and revenue—not just raw leads or clicks.
Choose Your Channel Mix: LSAs vs Search
There are two primary ad formats for pest control: Local Services Ads and Google Search Ads. Most successful companies run both.
Local Services Ads (Google Guaranteed)
Pay per lead, not per click. Typical costs: $15-$40 per lead depending on service and market. The green "Google Guaranteed" badge builds instant trust and LSAs appear above traditional Search Ads.
Requirements: Background checks, verified license/insurance, good reviews, complete profile.
Best for: All budget levels. LSAs often produce the lowest cost per booked job when you're verified and responsive.
How to win with LSAs:
- •Complete full verification (business, licensing, insurance, background checks)
- •Optimize your profile with accurate services, service areas, hours, and photos
- •Collect reviews consistently and respond to all of them
- •Answer leads immediately—response time impacts ranking
- •Dispute invalid leads with call recordings and documentation
Google Search Ads
Traditional pay-per-click text ads. You bid on keywords and pay for each click. CPCs run $15-$50+, with cost per lead hitting $80-$200+ in competitive markets.
Best for: Budgets over $2,000/month to capture additional high-intent demand beyond LSAs, especially for specific services (termites, bed bugs) or geographic expansion.
Budget Guidelines
Under $2,000/month: LSAs only, plus strong Google Business Profile optimization
$2,000-$5,000/month: 60-70% LSAs, 30-40% Search for your highest-margin services
$5,000+/month: Both channels aggressively with service-specific campaigns and automated bidding
Benchmarks (market-dependent):
Search CPCs
$15-$50+
Search CPLs
$80-$200+
LSA CPLs
$15-$40
Lead-to-booked
40-60% (LSAs)
30-50% (Search)
Build the Right Foundation: Structure and Keywords
Campaign and Ad Group Structure
Keep it simple and focused. Over-complication spreads budget thin and slows learning.
Service-based campaigns work best:
- •One campaign per service: Bed Bugs, Termites, Rodents, Ants, Roaches, Mosquitoes
- •If you serve multiple cities, create separate campaigns or ad groups per city/ZIP cluster
- •Within each campaign, build tightly themed ad groups that map to specific landing pages
Example structure:
Campaign: Bed Bug Treatment - [City]
• Ad Group: Bed Bug Exterminator
• Ad Group: Bed Bug Treatment
• Ad Group: Bed Bug Inspection
Why it works:
- •Relevance improves Quality Score and lowers CPC
- •Budget control per service lets you double down on winners
- •Easier to track which services drive the most booked jobs
Keyword Strategy: High Intent First
Focus on queries that show purchase intent and local relevance.
Start with phrase and exact match:
Add cautiously:
- •"cost/price" keywords only if you can handle price shoppers
- •Broad match only after you have robust conversion tracking and negative lists
Pro tip:
For smaller budgets, focus on your top 1-2 highest-margin or most urgent services per city first (bed bugs and termites typically convert best).
Negative Keywords to Add Immediately
Protect your budget from irrelevant clicks. Start with this master list and update weekly:
Jobs/careers:
DIY/products:
Free/research:
Unserviceable work:
Wildlife you don't handle (snakes, bats, birds if not offered), "animal control," pests outside your service list
Geographic exclusions:
Cities/counties you do not service
Critical habit:
Review the Search Terms report weekly and add new negatives. This single task can save thousands per month. One pest control account we worked with was paying $32 per click for "pest control technician salary" searches because they hadn't added "salary" as a negative.
Write Ads That Drive Calls
Lead with urgency, trust, and proof. Pest control is a call-first business—optimize everything for phone calls.
Headline templates:
"Same-Day Pest Control | Licensed & Insured"
"Bed Bug Treatment Today | Family-Safe Methods"
"Emergency Exterminator | [City] | Available Now"
"Termite Inspection | Free Estimate | Local Experts"
"Google Guaranteed Pest Control | 500+ 5-Star Reviews"
Description lines:
- •"24/7 scheduling. Google Guaranteed. Background-checked technicians."
- •"Fast, reliable, local. 100% satisfaction guarantee."
- •"Same-day service available. Child & pet-safe treatments."
- •"Free inspection. Licensed, insured, local since [year]."
- •"Emergency response. Call now for immediate dispatch."
Trust signals to include:
- •Google Guaranteed badge (if applicable)
- •Review count and star rating
- •Licensing and insurance status
- •Guarantees (retreatment warranty, satisfaction guarantee)
- •Years in business
- •Local, not a national call center
Use Every Relevant Extension
Call extensions and call-only ads:
Essential. Set to run during business hours, especially on mobile.
Location extensions:
Connect your Google Business Profile to show you're local.
Callouts:
Structured snippets:
Services: Bed Bugs, Termites, Rodents, Ants, Roaches, Mosquitoes
Sitelinks:
Link to specific service pages, guarantee/warranty info, financing options, or your reviews page.
Landing Pages That Convert
Send each ad to a landing page tailored to the pest and city—never your homepage.
Above the fold:
- •Large click-to-call button (tap-to-call on mobile)
- •Phone number prominently displayed
- •Short form (name, phone, ZIP, pest issue)
- •Service-specific headline: "Bed Bug Treatment in [City] — Same-Day Available"
Trust signals:
- •Google Guaranteed badge
- •Star rating and review count
- •Licenses and insurance information
- •Before/after photos from local jobs
- •Guarantees and warranties
Body content:
- •Clear service description and what to expect (inspection → treatment → follow-up)
- •Service area map showing coverage
- •Pricing transparency (starting prices or "upfront pricing" promise)
- •FAQ addressing common concerns (safety, timing, effectiveness)
- •More customer reviews with names and cities
Technical requirements:
- •Mobile-first design
- •Load time under 3 seconds
- •Large tap targets for mobile
- •Dynamic call tracking number for attribution
Bidding, Budgets, and Geographic Targeting
Bidding Strategy
Starting out:
Use Manual CPC or Enhanced CPC while building conversion data.
After 30+ conversions per campaign:
Test Maximize Conversions or Target CPA. Feed offline conversion data (booked jobs) for best results.
Budgets for automated bidding:
Set daily budget at 4-5× your target CPA.
Example: Target CPA of $60 → daily budget of $240-$300 per campaign
Smaller budgets? Consolidate into fewer campaigns to concentrate learning.
Geographic Targeting
Target only serviceable areas:
- •Set specific cities or ZIP codes you can dispatch to
- •Exclude areas outside your service range
- •Use "Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations" to avoid tourists and out-of-area clicks
Bid adjustments:
- •Increase bids for nearby, profitable ZIPs
- •Decrease bids for fringe areas or long-distance jobs
Ad Scheduling
- •Run ads when you can answer calls
- •Increase bids during peak times (early mornings, early evenings)
- •Consider after-hours call service for emergency terms
- •Use call-only campaigns during business hours for urgent services
Critical settings:
- •Disable Search Partners at launch (turn on only if tests show ROI)
- •Disable Display Network for lead-focused campaigns
- •Prioritize mobile given high call intent
Track What Actually Matters
Without call tracking, you'll undercount conversions and optimize to the wrong signals. Most pest control leads are phone calls, not form fills.
Stage 1 - Do this first:
- •Google Ads conversion tracking for calls and form submissions
- •Set call duration thresholds (calls over 60-90 seconds = qualified lead)
- •Dynamic number insertion on your website to attribute calls to campaigns
Stage 2 - As you scale past $5,000/month:
- •Call recording and quality scoring
- •Track call outcomes: qualified vs. unqualified, booked vs. not booked
- •Import offline conversions (booked jobs and revenue) back to Google
- •Track revenue per job by campaign/service
- •Monitor customer lifetime value (recurring service plans)
Key Metrics to Monitor
Early metrics:
- •CPC, CTR, Conversion Rate
- •Cost per lead (CPL) by campaign and service
What actually matters:
- •Cost per booked job
- •Revenue per booked job
- •Lead-to-book rate by campaign/ad group/keyword
- •Customer lifetime value by acquisition source
The goal:
Optimize to booked jobs and revenue, not just raw lead volume.
Optimization Cadence
Consistency beats one-off tweaks. Build these habits:
Weekly
- •Review Search Terms report and add negatives (highest ROI activity)
- •Pause low-quality keywords and shift budget to winners
- •Listen to call recordings and tag qualified calls
- •Check location and device performance; apply exclusions/adjustments
- •Monitor LSA lead quality and dispute invalid leads
Monthly
- •Test new ad headlines, descriptions, and offers (e.g., "Free Inspection")
- •Test landing page variants (headline, trust placement, form length)
- •Evaluate bid strategy performance; consider moving to automated bidding when ready
- •Compare LSA vs. Search on cost per booked job; rebalance budgets
- •Review which services and cities drive the best ROI
Quarterly
- •Expand to new services or ZIP clusters using proven templates
- •Refresh ad creative and landing page photos
- •Update negative keyword library
- •Consider Performance Max only if Search tracking is clean and you need incremental volume
Budget Scenarios by Market Size
Small Markets (~$2,000/month across 1-2 counties)
- •Start with LSAs only to maximize trust and minimize waste
- •Add Search once LSA lead flow is consistent, focusing on 1-2 urgent services
- •Use phrase/exact match keywords only
- •One landing page per service and city
- •Manual or Enhanced CPC bidding
Competitive Markets ($5,000+/month, multiple services and cities)
- •Run LSAs and Search simultaneously
- •Separate campaigns per service with tight ad groups
- •Move to automated bidding once each campaign hits 30+ conversions per month
- •Test Performance Max only after Search is dialed in and tracking is robust
- •Budget 60-70% to LSAs if they're producing lower cost per booked job
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Not tracking calls or offline conversions:
Understates ROI and misleads automated bidding. You're flying blind.
Too-broad targeting:
Wide geographic areas, early broad match, or weak negative keywords waste massive budget.
Sending traffic to your homepage:
Generic pages convert poorly. Use service + city landing pages.
Weak landing pages:
Long forms, buried phone numbers, no trust signals, slow load times kill conversions.
Ignoring Search Terms:
Not reviewing and adding negatives weekly is the fastest way to burn budget.
Running only Search while ignoring LSAs:
LSAs often deliver better economics for pest control.
Underfunding automated bidding:
Daily budget needs to be 4-5× target CPA for Smart Bidding to work properly.
Not filtering junk leads:
Click fraud and low-quality traffic are common in pest control. Use IP exclusions and call screening.
FAQ
How much should a pest control company spend on Google Ads?
It depends on your market and goals. Smaller markets can start around $2,000/month focused on LSAs and 1-2 services. Competitive metros often require $5,000+/month to gain visibility across multiple services and cities. Use your target cost per booked job to guide budgets.
Are Local Services Ads worth it?
Absolutely. When verified, LSAs often deliver high-trust, lower-cost leads and appear above Search Ads with the Google Guaranteed badge. Most successful pest control companies run both LSAs and Search, allocating budget based on cost per booked job.
What keywords should I avoid?
Add negatives immediately for: employment terms (jobs, hiring, salary), DIY/products (spray, traps, supplies), free/cheap queries, pests you don't handle, and locations outside your service area. Review Search Terms weekly and expand your negative list—this saves thousands monthly.
Do call-only ads work for pest control?
Yes, especially for urgent services during business hours. Pair them with call extensions and make sure you can answer promptly. Track call outcomes to confirm quality and adjust bids accordingly.
Should I use Performance Max?
Not at launch. Build reliable conversion data in Search first. Once you have 30+ conversions per month and solid tracking, test PMax carefully with clear measurement. In pest control, PMax can attract lower-quality traffic if launched too early.
What should I measure beyond leads?
Booked jobs and revenue by campaign, ad group, and keyword. Import offline conversions so Google optimizes to actual outcomes. Track lead-to-book rate and customer lifetime value to understand true ROI.
How do I reduce junk leads?
Use qualifying language in ads ("Not for DIY"), maintain aggressive negative keywords, disable Search Partners initially, use geographic exclusions for problem areas, and consider call screening. Track and dispute invalid LSA leads with recordings.
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