Paid search puts your business at the top of Google results for chosen searches, and you pay when someone clicks or, with some ad types, when they contact you. It is the fastest channel we offer. It is also the easiest to waste money on, which is why every Markham campaign we run starts with a ceiling: the most a lead is allowed to cost before we pull back.
How we set the ceiling
The ceiling comes from three numbers you already know, roughly: your average job value, your gross margin on that job, and how many qualified leads you close.
Here is an example for a Markham eavestrough and roofing-repair company:
- Average repair job: $900
- Gross margin after materials and labour: 40%, so $360
- Close rate on qualified leads: 45%
- Most you can pay per lead and break even on the first job: $360 × 0.45 = $162
We usually set the working target lower, say $110 to $130, so there is room for profit and for the leads that turn out to be tyre-kickers. If a customer tends to come back, or refers neighbours, the ceiling can rise, but only once you've seen that happen in your own records.
What's included
- Account in your name. You own the Google Ads account and the billing. We work in it as managers, and you can remove us at any time.
- Keyword plan by intent. Emergency, quote and research searches separated, because "burst pipe Markham" and "how much is a new water heater" are very different customers.
- Location targeting by community. Google's location targeting lets us include the Markham postal areas you serve well and exclude the ones you don't, and decide whether to show ads to people merely interested in Markham.
- Ad copy that qualifies. Service area, response times and starting prices where you're comfortable stating them, so the wrong people don't click.
- Call and message tracking. We count calls from ads and calls from the website separately, so you know what paid search is actually producing.
- Weekly checks and a monthly summary. Search terms reviewed, waste removed, results written up in plain language.
Timeline
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Ceiling agreed, account set up or audited, tracking installed |
| Week 2 | Campaigns live for your highest-value services |
| Weeks 3–6 | Learning period: search terms pruned, bids adjusted |
| Month 2 onward | Expand to other services or communities if the ceiling holds |
How results are measured
The core measure is cost per qualified lead against the ceiling. We also track how many leads became booked jobs, which needs a little help from you: a quick note in your calendar or job software of where each customer came from. Clicks and impressions appear in the report, but we don't treat them as success.
Mistakes to avoid
- Targeting "Markham" plus a huge radius. You end up paying for clicks from Pickering or Newmarket you can't serve profitably.
- Sending every ad to the home page. Someone searching for a sump pump should land on a page about sump pumps.
- Bidding on your own name without checking. Sometimes it's needed to block competitors; often it just pays for calls you'd have got anyway.
- Turning ads off in a panic. Short pauses reset learning. If a week is bad, we look at search terms before touching budgets.
- Running ads to an unanswered phone. Every missed call is money already spent. Fix call handling before you scale.
When paid search is the wrong tool
If your schedule is already full for two months, ads add pressure, not profit. If your website is slow or confusing, fix it first through our websites service. And if you mostly sell to businesses in the parks, business-park marketing will usually beat search ads on cost.
Compare all the services, or see pricing for our management fees. We run your marketing only; we don't do any installation or repair work.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a Markham trade spend on Google Ads?
Work backwards from the value of a single lead to your business rather than picking a tidy monthly figure. Multiply your average job by your margin and your close rate; that gives the most you can pay per lead. Your monthly budget is that figure times the leads you can actually handle.
Is the ad budget included in your fee?
No. Ad spend is billed by Google directly to your card, in an account you own. Our fee covers planning, building and managing the campaigns.
What about Google Local Services Ads?
Where Google offers them for your trade, they can be worth testing alongside search ads, because you pay per lead rather than per click. Eligibility and screening rules are set by Google, so we check what applies to your category first.
How quickly will I see calls?
Usually within the first week or two after launch, once Google approves the ads. The first month is a learning period; we expect to cut keywords and adjust bids before costs settle.
Sources
- Google Ads Help: About location targeting (2026-10-22)
- Google: Local Services Ads (2026-10-22)