Google Ads is one of the most effective platforms for reaching potential customers and driving brand growth. To become truly successful with this platform, it’s essential to understand how targeting works — who you want your ads to be seen by, as well as those audiences you don’t necessarily wish to target.
Audience exclusion techniques allow advertisers better control over their campaigns and greatly improve return on investment (ROI). At its core audience exclusion consists of strategically excluding certain demographics or types from a targeted ad campaign in order to redirect time and resources towards more profitable segments.
There are many different aspects that require consideration when setting up an efficient audience list such as competitors, geographic locations, or custom parameters based on specific goals like raising awareness levels within specific groups, etc.
All these need careful evaluation before implementation but once done right can yield exceptional results further along during the course of your Google Ad-based campaigns.
In this article, we will dive into understanding exactly what kinds of audience exclusions exist through examples provided at each step making sure everybody has crystal clear comprehension tools going forward throughout our journey together so stay tuned! We start off by looking into why implementing accurate categories is fundamental for success then look deeper at four main areas where reconsideration about included identifiers may raise performance followed by all manner wise conclusions suggesting.
Competitor targeting exclusion is a technique used in Google Ads to exclude other advertisers from seeing or interacting with your ads. This kind of audience exclusion prevents competing products and services from appearing as part of the ad’s target audience, thus allowing you to separate yourself more effectively by tailoring unique campaigns for each set of audiences.
Competitor targeting minimizes any disruption or interruption within the paid search results page that could potentially divert traffic away from your business’s advertisements toward competitors. By using this exclusion, marketers can optimize their campaign performance while maximizing reach efficiency at the same time.
Competitor targeting exclusion is an effective way to reduce irrelevant traffic and improve the performance of a Google Ads campaign. To exclude competitors from ad targeting, users should:
First, identify their competition by researching similar products or services offered in the same geographic area.
Once identified, it’s important to set up negative audience lists for competitor businesses through Audience Manager in Google Ads campaigns.
This allows you to explicitly indicate who not to target with ads based on keywords people used yourself as well as any associated website domains they may have visited while searching online or engaging with brands outside your own.
Geographic location exclusion is a Google Ads targeting strategy used to limit ad delivery and maximize visibility within target areas. With this technique, advertisers can exclude locations that are not relevant to their campaigns or business objectives in order to save money on ad spend, increase ROI, and optimize the performance of their ads within their Google Ads account.
Excluding geographic locations from an ad campaign also helps improve relevance by ensuring advertisements only appear in regions where they will be seen by people who would actually be interested in what’s being advertised. By leveraging detailed targeting, businesses can refine their audience selection, ensuring they reach the right in-market audiences based on user intent rather than wasting impressions on uninterested viewers.
Additionally, it ensures better budget management; allocating different budgets for each specified region allows brands to get closer insights into how successful certain markets have been performing compared with others without wasting resources elsewhere. Marketers can further refine their efforts by tapping into app audiences, creating more precise and effective ad campaigns.
To set up this exclusion:
Simply go into your campaigns settings page and select ‘Exclusions’ from the dropdown menu under ‘Location Targeting’. Here you can add territories that you don’t wish for your ads to appear in.
If needed as well, cities or postcode areas may also be excluded through detailed tracking reports available within AdWords tools such as Shared Library’s Sources Report or GEO Performance report which list impression share by country code worldwide.
By setting geography dimensions parameters like Continent > Country > Region & City (and Postal Code) drill down option on these Reports results in pages allow deeper insights enabling easier segmentation when excluding geographies not giving desired performance outcomes based upon conversions rate related KPI.
Demographic exclusion is a technique used by online marketers to target or exclude certain age groups, gender, interests, and income level when creating digital advertising campaigns.
By applying this method of audience segmentation within ad targeting parameters it allows the advertiser more control and flexibility over whom they want their advertisement to be served to.
This can help improve ad relevance while decreasing costs as irrelevant audiences are excluded from viewings that do not align with their brand message appropriately.
Excluding individuals through demographics also enables larger messages for smaller sizes markets in which all other conditions may consume outside budget limits if broadened market scope occurs otherwise without demographic exclusions implemented properly first prior to setting up any type of campaign targets initially before launch time happens.
To exclude specific demographics from ad targeting, follow these steps:
Demographic exclusion enables advertisers to tailor messages more effectively while saving budgets since wasted spend is prevented via smarter segmentation of potential viewers!
Custom audience exclusion is a powerful tool for optimizing ad targeting in Google Ads campaigns. It allows advertisers to specifically target or exclude audiences who have interacted with their brand – either online or offline, such as through email lists and retargeting.
The purpose of custom audience exclusions is to ensure the right people are seeing the ads while avoiding wasting resources on those not interested in them.
Doing this helps reduce overall marketing costs by efficiently delivering relevant messages that increase engagement levels, lower click-through rates (CTR), and maximize ROI from targeted campaigns. Advertisers can use both positive and negative custom audience methods when creating an effective campaign strategy: Positive targeting includes showing your ads exclusively to customers similar to existing clients; Negative targeting means avoiding competitors’ already saturated customer bases.
To exclude custom audiences from ad targeting, customers can utilize Google Ads’ Audience Manager feature for customization based on their campaign objectives and target demographics.
First, users should create an ‘audiences list’ that stores all relevant customer lists in order to set up exclusions on those predetermined settings most efficiently. Then customize the exclusion targets by either selecting previously made segments or creating new ones using restrictions such as demographic parameters including age, gender, etc.,
geographic locations or even language preferences and specific types of website visitor information like pageviews per session etc.
At last pick ‘exclude this segment’s option after setting desired criteria so Google Ad does not show you’re required advertisements are people who already meet certain conditions. By taking these steps marketers will ultimately be able to effectively exclude desirable groups while gaining higher conversion rates at lower costs Timely refining existing strategies can further maximize performance.
When leveraging Google Ads audience exclusions, it is essential to maintain a consistent review schedule and make ongoing refinements. As you monitor how users interact with your campaigns over time, you may need to adjust exclusion lists accordingly in order for them to be as effective as possible.
A good practice here would be allocating specific times during the month or quarter when evaluations can take place and then making changes based on those assessments. Additionally, using reports from within Google Analytics such as geographic location data could also provide additional insights that aid in creating more accurate excluded audiences down the line.
Customizing exclusion lists based on campaign objectives and audience insights is an important best practice to keep in mind when implementing audience exclusions.
Knowing whom you want your potential customers to be will help inform which audiences should be excluded and how the list of exclusions may need adjusting over time as your goals evolve or if market conditions change. If needed, create multiple versions of audience lists tailored for each campaign objective; such as one focused more heavily on competitor targeting versus another better suited towards a geographic location focus, etc..
Additionally, analyzing past ad campaigns’ performance data along with relevant industry trends — by understanding who has already converted from previous ads that have been served it can bring further clarity around what groupings are most likely to respond positively to future engagements/ads ensuring maximum return-on-investment (ROI) for all ad spend efforts going forward.
Experimentation with different exclusion techniques can be a powerful way to optimize audience targeting and improve ad performance. Through trial and error, advertisers are able to eliminate irrelevant audiences from their campaigns while discovering valuable insights about the characteristics of customers most likely to convert.
Advertisers should begin by applying simple exclusions such as competitors or geographic locations, then experiment on top of that foundation. Additionally, marketers may consider adjusting combinations in order of age groups/genders and interests for greater complexity in their campaign structure so they can test various customer segments more effectively over time and continue enhancing results.
Experienced digital teams typically use A/B testing where two identical ads featuring slight variations target specific customer groups: one is left unrestricted (control), whereas another includes an advanced combination of parallelization & segmentations via audience exclusions (test group).
This allows a direct comparison between both sets of efficiency figures which indicate if any particular technique works better than the other before proceeding further into wider application across all current running campaigns without delays due to budget restraints related to large-scale tests run simultaneously.
In conclusion, audience exclusions are a powerful tool in Google Ads that can significantly enhance ad performance and ROI while optimizing budgets. By carefully crafting your own custom exclusion lists tailored to specific campaign objectives and insights gleaned from analytics data, you can leverage the power of audience targeting to hone down on ideal audiences whilst excluding those who will not be likely targets for conversion or profit generation.
The four main categories of targeted exclusions— competitor targetings competitors geographic locations demographics and custom audiences – provide unique opportunities to tailor ads far more effectively than without such sophisticated tools at our disposal.
Therefore by utilizing effective use of these leading-edge techniques advertisers should experience an overall increase in click-through-rates Cost per Conversion Volume results as well as improved Return On Investment compared with campaigns conducted prior to advanced targeting strategies being available.
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When you’re a plumber relying on a steady flow of leads to be profitable, it’s not enough to get your leads through word-of-mouth alone. That may work if you’re only a two-person team, but if you plan to grow your business, you’ll need to start marketing your services, specifically with PPC advertising.
Pay-per-click (PPC) ads are a beneficial form of advertising, but they can be a source of leads or a money pit for plumbers. When done right, PPC helps plumbing companies generate targeted leads looking for services, but poorly-crafted PPC campaigns can burn through a budget without results. The good news is with smart targeting, strategic bidding, and continual optimization, plumbers can generate qualified leads at a cost that provides a positive ROI. Here’s how pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is done for lead generation for plumbing businesses.
The biggest mistake plumbers make is targeting a broad area rather than a specific local area. Hitting your target audience by demographic and location will be critical to be most efficient in your PPC ad spend. Even when your company serves customers throughout several counties, you’ll want to create ad campaigns that target each individual city or county. If your ads are reaching people outside of your service area, you’re paying for clicks that won’t turn into paying customers.
An easy way to prevent this problem is to use location targeting inside of your PPC account to set your target location by zip codes, cities, or a custom radius around your main location. This will ensure your ads will only be seen by leads you can actually convert.
You’ll also want to explicitly exclude areas you don’t serve. For example, you might serve a whole county with the exception of a couple cities or neighborhoods because of traffic congestion or licensing issues. Make sure to add these locations as exclusions in your ad campaign settings to avoid wasting money.
The keywords that will bring you the best leads are keywords that signal high intent to purchase. This includes terms like “emergency plumber near me,” “24-hour plumber,” “toilet overflowing fix,” or “fix for busted pipe.” The people who search for these terms aren’t just casual browsers. They’re people who need a plumber immediately.
This type of expert keyword research isn't necessarily rocket science, but it's critical for your rankings in search engine results pages.
Prioritize these keywords and increase your bid to capture more of these leads.
Avoid using the kinds of keywords that will attract people who aren’t likely to hire you for plumbing services. For example, terms like “DIY toilet repair” or “how to fix (fixture)” will rarely lead to calls. People who search for these phrases are usually just looking for ways to fix their own problem, so filter them out.
When people need a plumber, they want to call and get someone out fast, especially if their basement is flooding or they’re dealing with a busted pipe in the house. Google offers call-only ads that let users tap to call you immediately from search results rather than click to visit your website, where they’d need to search for a way to contact you. This ad type alone will increase your conversions.
It’s crucial to use ad tracking tools like Google’s call forwarding or third-party platforms that track which ads generate your phone calls. Knowing what ads are driving your best leads will help you do more of what works and eliminate what doesn’t.
Since most leads will want to call you immediately, only schedule your ads to run when you’ll be available to answer the phone. If you don’t offer 24/7 emergency services and don’t answer your phone at 2 AM, don’t schedule your ads to run until the start of your business day.
Depending on your location and services, you might get more calls on weekdays or weekends. To find out your peak, check your reports to see when you’re getting the most calls and then adjust when you run your ads based on your actual performance data.
Don’t create complicated, wordy ads. Use simple, clear, and direct headlines that speak directly to the problems your leads may be dealing with. They’re going to be drawn to ads that promise to help them with real problems. For example, write headlines like “Broken water heater? Get 24/7 help,” “Clogged drains fixed fast,” and “Overflowing toilet? Get help now.”
In your ad copy, it helps to use location-specific phrases. For example, you might write “Serving Phoenix homes since 2001.” Doing this helps build trust and establishes relevancy.
For Google Ads that send visitors directly to your website, you’ll need to optimize your landing pages for conversion. The following elements are essential:
· Landing page copy that matches your ad. To create a seamless experience, don’t send leads to your home page. Send them to a landing page that matches your ad. For example, if your ad targets people with a clogged drain, ensure your landing page speaks to people with a clogged drain.
· An easy-to-find phone number. Your phone number should be readily visible on every page of your website, including all of your landing pages. The ideal place is in the top right corner of every page header.
· A click-to-call button. It’s easier for mobile leads to click to bring up your phone number in their dial pad rather than forcing them to write down a phone number they’ll need to then dial.
· A call-to-action (CTA). Leads need to be told what to do. Be direct and tell them to call you now for an estimate or to schedule a service call.
Your search ads will only bring you potential leads. Your landing pages are responsible for converting potential customers into paying customers.
To maximize your ROI without wasting money, you’ll want to set a realistic daily budget and scale it only when you know you’re ready. Most local service providers stick with a $10-$50/day budget, but it depends on the industry and your location.
Over time, you’ll find that some campaigns are working better than others. A varied performance can be caused by a variety of factors, and you’ll need to take a close look before making any changes. For example, underperforming keywords and plumbing ads that don’t get many clicks should be paused. However, if your ads are getting clicks, but limited conversions, you’ll want to tweak your landing page copy and/or your offer.
Sometimes irrelevant keyword searches will display your ads, so if you can come up with a list of keywords related to services you don’t provide, you can limit where your ads show up. For example, if you don’t offer sewer camera inspections, make “sewer camera” a negative keyword. If you don’t service septic systems, make “septic” a negative keyword. Doing this will prevent clicks from irrelevant leads.
Local Service Ads appear at the top of Google’s search results above the typical PPC text ads and organic listings. LSAs are pay-per-lead, not pay-per-click, which makes them even more profitable. With LSAs, you only pay when a lead contacts you directly through your ad, either by calling you or messaging you. This is a much safer way to manage your ad spend and generate qualified leads. It’s also an easier way to capture bottom-of-the-funnel leads who need emergency plumbing services.
To set up these ads, head over to Google’s LSA page and click “get started.” You’ll be prompted to go through the setup process, which includes confirming your business eligibility. To complete the process, you’ll need your business license, general liability insurance proof, and at least one Google Business Profile with positive reviews. The system will then ask you to choose the zip codes or cities you serve, list the types of services you provide, and set your weekly budget. Once you submit the form and pass Google’s screening process, you’ll start showing up in results for searches related to your business.
Try to get as many positive reviews on your Google Business Profile as possible since businesses with better reviews tend to rank higher with Local Service Ads. Also, keep in mind that Google tracks your response times, and the faster you reply, the better placement you’ll get. Unlike PPC ads, you can request refunds from leads that aren’t relevant, like leads requesting the wrong services or who are outside your service area.
It’s important to take advantage of these ads because it’s an easy way to get your business listed at the top of search results pages when people search for terms like “plumber near me.” It’s easier than waiting months for SEO to kick in, and it will bring you immediate leads. People will see your reviews and your Google Guaranteed badge, which will boost your credibility.
Getting your business verified by Google will give you a green checkmark next to your business name in your Local Service Ads. It tells customers that Google has personally verified your business, you’ve passed a background check, your insurance has been verified, and Google Ads will back your services with up to $2,000 in reimbursement if a customer isn’t satisfied with your services.
Getting this badge can boost your visibility and credibility, which can get you more clicks, leads, and paying customers. It will also help you rank higher in the list of LSAs.
To get this green checkmark, you need to get approved for Google LSAs. Once you’re approved for LSAs, you’ll get the “Google Guaranteed” checkmark badge automatically. Just make sure you renew your insurance policy on time, maintain a high review rating, and keep responding to leads quickly. If you don’t maintain these things, Google Ads might remove your badge.
You can’t improve what you don’t track. Track your critical metrics, including call tracking, form tracking, and chat tracking. Run regular reports and check in with your ad campaign performance on a regular basis. It will take a little bit of time to gather enough data to make informed decisions, but the sooner you catch underperforming ads, the sooner you can make necessary changes.
It’s important to split test ads to see what elements drive the most conversions. Split testing, also called A/B testing, is where you run two nearly identical ads, but with one small difference between them. The difference could be a headline, colors, an image, the main copy, or the CTA. Once you run the ads long enough, take the winning ad and change one more element to test. Repeat this process by changing just one element at a time to see which version performs better. Use Google keyword planner to help navigate this. When done correctly, your clicks should increase over time.
Getting satisfied customers to review you is crucial, and as previously discussed, it can impact how your Local Service Ads show up. Reviews can also impact how you show up in the Local Pack. The more high-quality, genuine, recent reviews you have, the more likely you are to show up in search results. You’re also more likely to get clicks.
Positive reviews act as social proof that helps customers choose which business to call. You could have the best ad copy in the world, but if your competitor has 150 five-star reviews and you only have 6 reviews from 2019, customers will choose them over you.
It’s easy to get clicks, but getting real leads from search engines– the kind that book your plumbing services – takes work. For plumbers, a strong PPC strategy can make the difference between getting steady jobs or wasting cash. By targeting high intention search terms, targeting narrow service areas, and optimizing your ads, you can create high-performing ads that deliver real results without burning through your marketing budget.
Lead generation is critical for your plumbing business, but when done without a positive return on investment, it's foolish.
Whether you’re new to PPC ads, or you’re tired of wasting money on ads that don’t generate calls, we’d love to help you get real results. Our PPC experts specialize in helping local service businesses in the plumbing industry just like yours attract high intent plumbing leads, reduce wasted ad spend, and grow predictable revenue.
Contact us now for a free evaluation for your lead generation strategies, PPC campaigns and search engine optimization services – we’d love to help.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is the lifeblood of modern digital marketing, a finely tuned machine designed to separate serious advertisers from those who enjoy setting their money on fire. At its core, PPC is about buying attention—whether it’s from Google Ads, Facebook (or should we say Meta?) Ads, LinkedIn’s overpriced clicks, or whatever ad network is currently promising “unprecedented results.” The trick, of course, is making sure that the attention you’re paying for actually turns into conversions, and not just a collection of clicks that lead nowhere.
This guide is for marketers who already know the basics and are ready to squeeze every last drop of ROI from their PPC campaigns. If you’re looking for a “Beginner’s Guide to Google Ads,” this isn’t it. But if you’re tired of watching your ad spend disappear into the void and want to start running PPC like a ruthless efficiency machine, read on.
There’s nothing quite as tragic as a PPC campaign with no clear objective. Running ads without goals is like throwing darts blindfolded—sure, you might hit the board occasionally, but mostly you’re just making a mess. Before you even think about setting up a campaign, define what success looks like. Are you driving leads? Pushing e-commerce sales? Increasing brand awareness (ugh, we’ll get to why that’s usually a waste of money later)? If your goal is just “more clicks,” congratulations—you’ve just fallen for the ultimate PPC scam: paying for traffic that doesn’t convert.
Every campaign should have a quantifiable, measurable outcome tied to business KPIs. That means actual revenue, leads that don’t ghost you, or at the very least, cost per acquisition (CPA) that doesn’t make your CFO break out in hives.
Google Ads is the undisputed king of PPC, but let’s not pretend it’s the only game in town. Depending on your audience and objectives, Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) can still be a goldmine—if you’re willing to put up with Meta’s ever-changing rules and the occasional algorithmic meltdown. LinkedIn Ads? Great if you enjoy paying $12 per click for someone who will never fill out your lead form.
And then there’s the rising trend of alternative ad platforms. TikTok Ads are fantastic if you’re targeting Gen Z and have the budget to experiment. Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads) may be the underdog, but they offer cheaper CPCs and a surprising number of high-intent users. If you’re in e-commerce, don’t ignore Amazon Ads—they print money for sellers who get their targeting right.
Google would love for you to just use broad match keywords and let their algorithm “figure things out.” Spoiler alert: this is a terrible idea. Broad match means your ad could show up for searches so unrelated to your business that it’s practically performance art.
Instead, focus on high-intent keywords—the ones that indicate users are actually ready to buy. Long-tail keywords often convert better because they signal more specific intent. The goal is not just to drive traffic, but to attract users who already have their wallets half-open.
Want to know what works? Look at your competitors. Tools like SEMrush, SpyFu, and Google’s Auction Insights let you see what keywords they’re bidding on, which ones they’re ranking for, and—most importantly—where they’re burning money so you don’t have to.
If a competitor is bidding on specific high-intent keywords, that’s your signal to investigate. Either they’re seeing a positive ROI, or they’re making an expensive mistake that you can learn from. Either way, it’s free intelligence.
Great PPC ads aren’t just about catchy headlines—they’re about aligning with search intent, making a compelling offer, and convincing users that clicking your ad is the smartest decision they’ll make today. A well-optimized ad uses clear, persuasive language with a direct CTA, because vague CTAs like “Learn More” are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
A/B testing is non-negotiable. Your gut instinct is probably wrong, so test different headlines, CTAs, and descriptions to see what actually drives conversions. If you’re not actively testing, you’re just guessing.
You have about three seconds to convince visitors that they made the right choice clicking your ad. If your landing page loads slowly, looks like it was designed in 2008, or makes users hunt for the CTA, they’re gone.
Your landing page should have a singular focus: conversion. That means no distractions, no unnecessary links, and definitely no autoplay videos that scare people away. A strong landing page aligns perfectly with the ad copy, ensuring a seamless experience from click to conversion.
Nothing kills conversion rates faster than misleading ad-to-landing page alignment. If your ad promises “50% off running shoes” and your landing page is a generic homepage with no mention of that discount, expect a bounce rate that makes your campaign ROI cry. Every landing page should reinforce the ad message, use clear headlines, and make it painfully easy for users to complete the desired action. If a user has to think, they’re already gone.
If you’re still using manual CPC bidding across all campaigns, congratulations—you’re officially working harder, not smarter. Google’s automated bidding strategies have their place, but blindly trusting the algorithm is like handing your credit card to a stranger and hoping for the best.
Smart bidding, when done correctly, can optimize conversions and lower CPA, but it requires constant monitoring. Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) and Maximize Conversions can be effective, but only if you have historical data to feed the algorithm. If you’re running a new campaign, manual bidding still gives you more control.
Running PPC without proper tracking is like driving blindfolded and hoping you’ll reach your destination. You need to track not just clicks, but actual conversions, customer lifetime value (CLV), and return on ad spend (ROAS). Google Ads’ built-in tracking is decent, but combining it with Google Analytics, heatmaps, and call tracking will give you a full picture of what’s working.
Scaling PPC isn’t as simple as increasing your budget and watching conversions skyrocket. If you scale too fast, you’ll tank your ROI. The right approach is incremental scaling—gradually increasing spend while monitoring CPA and conversion rates. If your CPA starts climbing faster than your revenue, it’s time to reassess. And if your PPC manager insists that “everything is going great” while your ROAS tells a different story? It might be time for a new PPC manager.
