Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out! I understand you're having a really frustrating time with out-of-state leads from your Facebook campaigns. It's a much more common problem than you'd think, and the advice from support is rarely helpful. I've had a look at the situation and I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance. It feels like you're trying to fix a leaky tap when the real problem is with the plumbing itself, and I think a shift in strategy will make a huge difference for your business.
TLDR;
- Your out-of-state leads are likely caused by Facebook's default "People living in or recently in this location" setting, which is a common trap for local businesses.
- However, fixing this setting is just a sticking plaster. The fundamental issue is that Facebook is the wrong platform for generating high-quality leads for a local service business like yours.
- The most important piece of advice is to shift your budget from Facebook (a platform for passive discovery) to Google Search Ads (a platform for active intent). You need to be where people are actively searching for your services, not just scrolling past.
- A successful Google Ads strategy for your turf company will rely on targeting high-intent, location-specific keywords like "artificial turf installers near me" or "turf company in [Your State]".
- This letter includes an interactive ROI calculator to help you project potential returns from Google Ads and a detailed action plan to get you started on the right track.
The Real Reason Your Facebook Ads are Attracting the Wrong People
First off, let's address the immediate issue. You mentioned everything is "configured to be local", but there's a sneaky default setting in Facebook's location targeting that trips up nearly everyone. By default, it's set to target 'People living in or recently in this location'. This means your ads are being shown to tourists, business travellers, or anyone who's phone just pinged a cell tower in your state recently. For a local service, this is obviously useless. You need to ensure it's manually changed to 'People living in this location'. It’s a small detail, but one that Facebook support often overlooks.
But here's the brutally honest truth: even with that setting fixed, you're still fighting an uphill battle. The bigger problem isn't a technical setting; it's a strategic one. You're trying to sell a high-consideration, location-specific service on a platform designed for passive entertainment and discovery. It's like trying to sell specialist construction equipment in a sweet shop. You might find one or two interested people, but you're mostly talking to the wrong crowd.
When you run a lead generation campaign on Facebook, you tell its algorithm to "find the cheapest people who will fill out this form". The algorithm doesn't really care if they're a good fit, if they're actually in your service area long-term, or if they have any real intention of buying. It just wants to hit its objective—a form fill—at the lowest possible cost. This is how you end up paying the world's most powerful advertising machine to actively find you the worst possible leads for your business. It's a classic case of getting what you asked for, not what you actually wanted.
This is a trap many local businesses fall into. They see the promise of low-cost leads but fail to account for the huge amount of time wasted sifting through and disqualifying junk enquiries from people who can't even buy from them. Your time is valuable, and every minute spent on a bad lead is a minute you could have spent talking to a real, local customer.
Facebook Lead Campaign
Objective: "Leads". Targeting your state.
Algorithm's Goal
Find the CHEAPEST people to fill out the form.
Audience Targeted
Includes recent visitors, low-intent users, and 'form-fillers'.
The Result
Low-cost, but low-quality, out-of-state leads.
Your Outcome
Wasted Time & Money. Frustration.
We'll need to look at The Power of Intent: Why Google is Your Best Bet
So, where should you be spending your money? For local service businesses, the answer is almost always Google Search Ads. The difference between the two platforms is night and day, and it all comes down to one word: intent.
Think about the mindset of a user on each platform. Someone on Facebook or Instagram is there to be entertained. They're scrolling through photos of friends, watching videos, catching up on news. They are in a passive, discovery mindset. Your ad is an interruption. You have to grab their attention and convince them they have a problem they weren't even thinking about a second ago. It's a very difficult sell.
Now, think about the person on Google. They aren't scrolling aimlessly. They've actively opened their browser and typed in a phrase like "artificial grass installers near me" or "best turf company in [Your State]". They have a problem, they know they have it, and they are actively looking for someone to pay to solve it, right now. Their intent is sky-high. By placing an ad in front of that person at that exact moment, you aren't interrupting them—you are providing the exact solution they are looking for. They are pre-qualified by the very words they typed into the search bar.
This is the fundamental shift you need to make. Stop chasing people on Facebook and start positioning yourself as the answer on Google. We see this time and time again with our clients. I remember one campaign we ran for an HVAC company in a competitive area; while their Facebook ads struggled, their Google Ads consistently brought in high-quality, local jobs. Our best performing campaign for a consumer service was for a home cleaning company which got a cost of just £5 per qualified local lead from Google Search. This is because on Google, you are fishing in a pond stocked exclusively with hungry fish.
I'd say you need to build a High-Intent Keyword Strategy
Getting started with Google Ads can feel daunting, but the core principle is simple: bid on the search terms (keywords) that your ideal customers are using. The key to success is to be specific and to focus on keywords that signal a strong desire to buy, not just to browse.
You want to avoid very broad keywords like "turf" or "grass". These will get you a lot of clicks from people doing research, looking for DIY tips, or even searching for lawnmowers. These clicks will cost you money but won't turn into customers. Instead, you need to focus on keywords that include commercial and location-based intent.
Here’s a breakdown of the types of keywords you should be targeting. I'd recommend starting with 'Phrase Match' and 'Exact Match' to maintain tight control over who sees your ads and avoid wasting your budget.
| Keyword Category | Example Keywords | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| High-Intent Local Start Here | "turf installers near me", "local artificial grass company", "turf installation services near me" | The phrase "near me" is a huge buying signal. These people want to hire someone local, and soon. |
| Service + Location | "artificial turf installation [Your City]", "synthetic lawn fitters [Your County]", "[Your State] turf company" | Explicitly targets your service area, ensuring every click is from a geographically qualified prospect. |
| Problem/Solution Focused | "pet friendly turf cost", "drought resistant lawn solutions", "backyard putting green installer" | Catches people who are searching based on a specific problem or desire. These can be very high-quality leads. |
| Competitor Keywords | "[Competitor Name] reviews", "alternative to [Competitor Name]" | Targets users who are already in the market and considering your competition. A chance to win them over. |
| Cost & Quote Related | "how much does artificial turf cost", "get a quote for turf installation", "artificial grass prices [Your City]" | These people are moving down the funnel from research to purchase. They are comparing prices and ready to talk numbers. |
By building your campaigns around these tight, specific keyword groups, you automatically solve your out-of-state lead problem. You will only be paying to show up in front of people who are physically in your service area and are actively searching for the exact service you provide. Every pound of your ad spend works harder, and your sales process becomes infinitely more efficient.
You probably should understand your numbers: What to Expect and How to Measure Success
One of the first questions I always get is "how much will a lead cost?". For local services on Google Ads, the range can be quite broad. Based on our experience, you're probably looking at about £10-£50 per lead. As I mentioned, we have an HVAC client in a competitive market paying around £60 per lead, but they are very high-quality leads that turn into profitable jobs. On the other end, we've seen cleaning services get leads for £5. It all depends on your specific location, the competition, and how well your campaigns are managed.
But focusing only on Cost Per Lead (CPL) is a mistake. The real metric you need to care about is your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). A £50 lead might seem expensive, but if your average turf installation job is worth £5,000, that's a 100x return. Suddenly, that lead looks incredibly cheap. This is where understanding your business numbers becomes absolutely critical. You need to know your average job value and your lead-to-customer conversion rate. Once you know these, you can determine exactly how much you can afford to pay for a lead and still be very profitable.
To help you get a better sense of the potential, I've built a simple interactive calculator below. Play around with the sliders to see how changes in ad spend, job value, and your closing rate affect your overall revenue and return. This kind of modeling is exactly what you should be doing to set realistic goals and budgets for your advertising.
You'll need an Actionable Plan to Get Started
I know this is a lot of information to take in, especially when you're already frustrated with your current results. The key is not to get overwhelmed, but to take a clear, step-by-step approach. Forget about complex funnels and social media for now. Your number one priority should be to build a solid foundation on the platform that will deliver the best results for your business type.
Here’s what I would do if I were in your shoes. This is a simple, effective plan designed to stop wasting money immediately and start generating qualified, local leads that you can actually turn into profitable jobs.
I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:
| Action | Reasoning | First Step |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pause Your Facebook Lead Gen Campaigns | They are built on the wrong premise for a local service. You are paying for interruptions, not intent, which is the source of your out-of-state lead problem. This immediately stops the bleeding. | Log into your Facebook Ads Manager and turn off any active lead generation campaigns. |
| 2. Set Up a Google Ads Account & Search Campaign | This moves your budget to a high-intent platform where customers are actively looking for your exact service. It aligns your advertising with customer behaviour. | Go to ads.google.com and create an account. Start a new "Search" campaign with a "Leads" objective. |
| 3. Target Keywords with Local & Commercial Intent | This ensures your ads only show to people who are geographically relevant and have a high probability of purchasing your service. It is your primary qualification tool. | Use the keyword examples from the table above as a starting point. Create separate ad groups for each theme (e.g., 'installers near me', 'cost-related', etc.). |
| 4. Create a Simple, Dedicated Landing Page | Sending ad traffic to your homepage can be distracting. A dedicated page with one clear goal ('Get a Free Quote') and a simple form will massively increase your conversion rate. | Use a tool like Unbounce or even a simple page on your own website. It must have your phone number prominent, a clear headline, and a short contact form. |
| 5. Track Everything with Conversion Tracking | You can't optimise what you don't measure. Proper tracking tells you exactly which keywords are driving leads, allowing you to double down on what works and cut what doesn't. | Install the Google Ads tag on your website and set up a conversion action for every time someone submits your quote form or clicks to call. |
Executing this plan correctly will fundamentally change the quality of leads your business receives. You'll move from a state of frustration, wasting time with unqualified enquiries, to a predictable system that delivers local homeowners who are ready to talk business.
Of course, there are nuances to getting this right—writing compelling ad copy, setting the right bids, and continuously optimising the campaigns based on performance data. It can be a full-time job in itself. Getting professional advice can often be the difference between a campaign that breaks even and one that becomes the main engine of growth for your entire business.
If you'd like to go over this in more detail, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation where we can look at your specific situation and map out a more detailed strategy together. It's often really helpful for business owners to get a second pair of expert eyes on their advertising.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
