Solved: Google Ads Not Working in Boston? (The Real Reason)

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out!

Happy to give you some of my initial thoughts on this. Running local Google Ads can be a real headache, and it's easy to burn through cash without seeing much in return. Tbh, the problem usually isn't the ads themselves, but the entire strategy behind them. Most businesses just throw keywords at Google and hope for the best, which is the fastest way to lose money.

The trick isn't getting more clicks; it's getting the *right* clicks from people in Boston who are in desperate need of your help right now. We need to shift from just 'doing ads' to building a proper customer acquisition system. Let's walk through how you can start doing that.

We'll need to stop thinking about 'Boston' and start thinking about 'pain'...

Right now, you're probably thinking your target customer is "someone in Boston." This is the first mistake. It's far too broad and tells you nothing useful. This leads to generic ads and bidding on keywords that attract time-wasters and DIY enthusiasts, not paying customers.

You need to get way more specific. Your ideal customer isn't a demographic; they're in a specific, urgent, and often expensive 'problem state'. Their nightmare is your opportunity. You don't sell a service; you sell a solution to their immediate pain.

Think about it this way:

• You don't target: "Homeowners in Boston, MA."
• You target: "A family in Beacon Hill whose heating has just failed on the coldest night of the year."

• You don't target: "Someone who needs an electrician."
• You target: "A cafe owner in the North End whose power has just cut out during the lunch rush, losing them hundreds of dollars per hour."

When you define your customer by their nightmare, it completely changes how you approach Google Ads. You stop bidding on vague, informational keywords like "how to fix boiler" and start focusing laser-like on the high-intent, 'I need help NOW' keywords that signal a real commercial opportunity, like "24 hour emergency boiler repair boston." This is the first step to stop wasting your budget.

I'd say you need to know your numbers before you spend another dollar...

The second biggest mistake local businesses make is flying blind on their numbers. The real question isn't "How low can my Cost Per Lead (CPL) go?" but "How high a CPL can I afford to pay for a good lead?" If you don't know this answer, you're just gambling.

Let's do some simple maths. We need to figure out what a customer is actually worth to you, which then tells us what we can spend to get one. I've run ads for lots of service businesses, and costs can vary widely. For instance, one campaign we're running for an HVAC company in a competitive area sees costs of around $60/lead. On the other hand, we’ve run ads for childcare services where the cost per lead was only around $10. The "right" price depends entirely on your business model.

Let's break it down:

1. Average Job Value (AJV): What's the average revenue from one single job or customer?
2. Gross Margin %: After materials and labour, what percentage is profit?
3. Lead-to-Customer Close Rate %: Out of all the qualified leads you get (phone calls, form fills), what percentage do you actually turn into a paying customer?

With these three numbers, we can work backwards to find your maximum affordable cost per lead.

Calculation: (Average Job Value * Gross Margin %) * Lead-to-Customer Close Rate % = Max Affordable CPL

For example: ($1,000 AJV * 50% Margin) * 20% Close Rate = $100 Max Affordable CPL.

In this scenario, you could pay up to $100 for a single lead and still break even. Anything less is profit. Suddenly, that $60 CPL for the HVAC client doesn't seem so expensive, does it? It looks like a perfectly healthy cost. This maths frees you from chasing cheap, low-quality leads and allows you to bid confidently for the high-quality ones that actually turn into business. Use the calculator below to find your number.

You probably should structure your campaigns by intent, not just keywords...

Once you know who you're targeting and what you can afford to pay, you need to structure your account properly. A messy account is an expensive account. Most people just create one campaign, one ad group, and dump hundreds of unrelated keywords in there. This is a complete disaster for relevance and budget control.

The best practice for local services is to create seperate campaigns for each core service you offer. Then, within each campaign, create ad groups for different locations or keyword themes. This is called a granular structure, and it gives you ultimate control.

Here's what a good structure looks like for a plumber in Boston:

Why does this work? Because now you can write hyper-relevant ads. Someone searching in Cambridge sees an ad that mentions "Cambridge." Someone with a burst pipe sees an ad that mentions "Burst Pipe Repair." This skyrockets your click-through rate and tells Google your ads are high quality, which often leads to lower costs. You can also allocate more budget to your most profitable service (like emergency call-outs) and less to the lower-margin jobs.

You'll need to write ads that speak to the 'nightmare'...

A great structure is useless if your ads are boring. Most local service ads are terrible. They just say "Plumber in Boston" or "Electrical Services." They don't connect with the customer's pain.

You need to use the "Problem-Agitate-Solve" formula. It's simple but incredibly effective.

• Problem: State the nightmare they are currently experiencing.
• Agitate: Remind them of the negative consequences of not fixing it.
• Solve: Present your service as the fast, easy solution.

Let's compare a bad ad to a good ad:

Bad Ad:

Headline: Plumber in Boston, MA
Description: We offer professional plumbing services. Call us today for a free quote.

It's forgettable. It doesn't stand out. It doesn't build any urgency.

Good Ad (using P-A-S):

Headline 1: Water Damage Ruining Your Floor?
Headline 2: 24/7 Emergency Plumber in Boston
Headline 3: Fast Call-Outs & Guaranteed Fix
Description: Don't let a small leak turn into a $5,000 disaster. Our certified Boston plumbers fix it fast. Fully insured. Call Now!

See the difference? This ad grabs their attention by naming their exact problem, agitates the fear of high costs, and then presents a trustworthy solution. It's built to get a phone call, not just a click. Also, you absolutely must use ad extensions. Enable the phone extension so they can call you directly from the ad. Add location extensions to show your address. The more information and trust you can build within the ad itself, the better.

Have you considered Google's 'easy mode' for local services?...

For many service businesses, the best place to start isn't even traditional Search ads. It's Google Local Service Ads (LSAs). These are the listings you see right at the very top of the search results, often above the regular ads and organic listings. They are specifically designed for local service providers.

Here's why they're so powerful:

• Pay Per Lead, Not Per Click: You only pay when a customer actually calls or messages you through the ad. You don't pay for tyre-kickers who just click your ad and leave.
• The 'Google Guaranteed' Badge: To run LSAs, you have to pass a background check by Google. In return, you get a green checkmark of trust next to your business name. This is a massive trust signal for customers, especially for in-home services.
• Top Placement: They appear in a prime position, giving you incredible visibility.

LSAs are not a replacement for a well-structured Search campaign, but they are a fantastic way to get high-quality, pre-qualified leads. Tbh, for many new advertisers, they can provide much better initial results while you get your main Search campaigns optimised. It's something you should absolutly look into.

Finally, let's talk about the leak in your funnel...

This is probably the most overlooked part. You can have the best ads in the world, but if they send people to a slow, confusing, and untrustworthy website, you are burning your money. Your website's only job is to convert that expensive click into a phone call or a form submission.

Look at your website right now, on your mobile phone, and be brutally honest:

• Is your phone number huge, bold, and clickable at the very top of the page? Someone with a flooded basement doesn't want to hunt for contact info.
• Does the site load in under 3 seconds? Mobile users are impatient. If it's slow, they'll just hit the back button and call your competitor.
• Is there a simple, short contact form for people who don't want to call? Ask for the bare minimum: Name, Phone, and a brief description of the problem.
• Do you have testimonials, reviews, or photos of your work? You need to build trust instantly. Show them you're a real, professional business. Things like customer reviews, links to your social profiles, and showing your address all help.

Your website isn't a brochure; it's a conversion tool. Every element should be designed to persuade a potential customer to contact you. If it's not, it's actively working against your expensive ad spend.

This is the main advice I have for you:

Getting local ads right is a process, but it's not magic. It's about a methodical, strategic approach that focuses on the customer and their problems first, and the technology second. Too many people do it the other way around. Here’s a summary of the plan you should follow.

As you can see, there's a lot more to it than just picking some keywords. It involves understanding your business economics, customer psychology, and the technical details of the platform. Doing this all correctly takes time, expertise, and constant testing and optimisation.

This is where getting expert help can make a huge difference. An experienced professional can implement this entire strategic process for you, avoiding the costly trial-and-error that sinks most businesses. We can ensure your account is structured for success from day one, that your budget is being spent efficiently, and that you're taking full advantage of all the tools, like LSAs, that Google offers.

Hope this helps! If you'd like to go through your specific situation and see how a tailored strategy could work for you, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation where we can review your current setup and identify the biggest opportunities for growth.

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh