We'll need to look at your website and offer first...
Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you're in a common spot, trying to figure out the best way to get Google Ads working for your tax relief company. Deciding between going it alone, using a freelancer, or just getting audits is a big decision. I'm happy to give you some of my initial thoughts and a bit of guidance based on what we see works.
Honestly, before you even think about spending a single pound on ads, the first thing we'd look at is your website and what you're actually offering people. A lot of folks jump straight into ads, but if the destination isn't right, you're just paying to send people to a place where they won't convert. It's like inviting guests to a party before you've even tidied the house.
For a service like tax relief, trust is everything. People are dealing with their finances, with HMRC, and it's a stressful, high-stakes situation for them. Your website has to instantly make them feel like they've found the right people to help. It needs to look professional, be easy to navigate, and clearly explain how you can solve their problem. A slightly dated or confusing site can kill your conversion rates before you've even started, meaning any money you spend on ads is pretty much wasted.
You also need to think about the 'ask'. What's the very first step you want someone to take? Just having a "Contact Us" page isn't enough. People are hesitant. You need a clear, low-commitment call-to-action. Something like a "Free, No-Obligation Eligibility Check" or "Book a 15-Minute Confidential Consultation". This makes it much easier for someone to take that first step. Your entire homepage should be geared towards persuading a visitor to take this one action. We often find that having some professional sales copy written makes a massive difference here; it's not just about listing services, it's about showing you understand their pain and have a clear path to a solution.
You probably should be very careful with Google's Policies...
Now, this is a really big one, especially for you. Google is extremely strict when it comes to financial services. Tax relief is a particulerly sensitive area for them. They have a whole host of policies designed to protect users from misleading claims or unqualified advisors, and they enforce them without mercy. I can't stress this enough – getting this wrong can get your ads disapproved, or worse, your entire ad account suspended. And getting a suspension overturned is a nightmare.
This isn't just about avoiding certain keywords. It's about everything: the language in your ad copy, the claims you make on your landing page, your disclaimers, and even your business model. You can't make promises you can't keep, like guaranteeing a certain amount of tax relief. You need to be transparent about your fees and your qualifications. Google's bots and human reviewers will scrutinise everything. This is probably the biggest risk with the DIY approach. You might build what looks like a great campaign, but if it unknowingly violates one of these complex policies, it could be shut down overnight.
Hiring a freelancer is a good step, but you have to be certain they have direct, provable experience in the financial services sector. Running ads for a local plumber is a completely different world to running ads for tax advice. An inexperienced freelancer could easily make these compliance mistakes for you. You should definately ask them for case studies or examples of other financial clients they've worked with. This is an area where genuine expertise is non-negotiable.
I'd say you need a solid Google Ads strategy from the start...
Assuming your website is ready and you're aware of the compliance hurdles, the next step is building the actual campaigns. Just turning on ads and hoping for the best won't work. You need a proper structure.
Keyword research is the foundation. You need to get inside the head of your ideal client. What are they typing into Google when they realise they need help? It's probably a mix of things:
-> Problem-Aware Keywords: "how to claim R&D tax credits", "capital allowances help", "disputing a tax bill with HMRC"
-> Solution-Aware Keywords: "tax relief company London", "best tax advisor for small business", "freelance tax specialist"
-> Branded Keywords (for your competitors): Targeting the names of other known tax relief firms (this can be effective but needs careful handling).
You'll also want to be smart with match types. A lot of beginners use 'broad match' for all their keywords, which lets Google show your ad for all sorts of irrelevant searches. This can burn through your budget with absolutely nothing to show for it. You're better off starting with more controlled 'phrase match' and 'exact match' keywords to make sure you're only paying for clicks from people who are actually looking for your services. You'll also need a comprehensive list of 'negative keywords' – terms you *don't* want to show up for, like "free tax advice", "jobs", or "HMRC login".
And you absolutely have to setup conversion tracking properly. If you don't, you're flying blind. You need to know exactly which keywords and ads are generating leads (form fills, phone calls) and which are just wasting money. Since you mentioned being technically competent, this is something you could likely handle, but it needs to be done correctly from day one. It's the only way to effectively optimise the account and improve your results over time.
You'll need a realistic view on costs and results...
So, what should you expect to pay for a lead? This is the million-dollar question. The honest answer is: it varies. A lot. Financial services are a very competative space on Google Ads. You're bidding against established firms with deep pockets.
We don't have a case study for a tax relief firm specifically, but we can look at other professional services to get a ballpark idea. We're currently running a campaign for an HVAC company in a competitive area, and they're seeing a cost per lead of around $60. For B2B software, we've seen leads from LinkedIn at about $22. Your costs will likely fall somewhere in that kind of range, maybe even higher to start with as the account is new and unoptimised. I would reccomend starting with an ad spend budget of at least £1,500 - £2,000 a month to get enough data to make meaningful decisions.
But the cost per lead is only one part of the equation. What really matters is your return on investment. You need to know your numbers: what's the average lifetime value of a new client? And what percentage of leads do you typically turn into paying clients? Once you know that, you can figure out what you can afford to pay for a lead.
Here's a simple example of how the maths might look:
| Metric | Example Value | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Ad Spend | £2,000 | Your monthly budget |
| Cost Per Lead (CPL) | £70 | Your cost to get one person to contact you |
| Number of Leads | 28 | £2,000 / £70 |
| Lead-to-Client Rate | 15% | Your sales team's closing rate |
| New Clients | ~4 | 28 leads * 15% |
| Average Client Value (Revenue) | £3,000 | The average revenue from one new client |
| Total Revenue | £12,000 | 4 clients * £3,000 |
| Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) | 600% (or 6x) | (£12,000 / £2,000) * 100 |
As you can see, even with a relatively high cost per lead, the service can be very profitable if your client value is high enough. The goal of any good ad manager is to try and bring that CPL down over time while keeping the quality of leads high.
This is the main advice I have for you:
To summarise, here are the main actions I'd be looking at if we were working together. This is a good checklist whether you do it yourself or hire someone.
| Area of Focus | Actionable Recommendations |
|---|---|
| Website & Offer | -> Review your website for professionalism and trust signals (testimonials, case studies, clear contact info). -> Define a single, clear, low-risk call-to-action (e.g., 'Free Eligibility Check'). -> Ensure the landing page copy is persuasive and addresses client pain points directly. |
| Google Ads Compliance | -> Thoroughly read and understand Google's policies for Financial Services. This is not optional. -> Avoid any guarantees or misleading claims in your ads and on your site. -> Ensure all necessary disclaimers are present and easy to find. |
| Campaign & Keyword Strategy | -> Conduct deep keyword research based on client problems and solutions. -> Start with tighter match types (Phrase, Exact) to control costs and ensure relevance. -> Build a strong list of negative keywords to avoid wasting budget on irrelevant clicks. |
| Tracking & Budgeting | -> Implement conversion tracking for all lead actions (form fills, calls) before spending. -> Set a realistic starting budget (£1.5k+ monthly) to gather data. -> Calculate your maximum allowable CPL based on your client value and closing rate. |
Tackling all of this on your own is a huge undertaking, especially when you're also trying to run your business. The idea of periodic audits is good, but it's often reactive – you're paying someone to spot mistakes after they've already happened and cost you money. The real value of an experienced professional is in the proactive strategy, the setup, and the day-to-day management to prevent those mistakes in the first place and constantly look for opportunities to improve.
My honest advice would be to seek out an expert who can prove they've done this before in your space. The compliance risks alone are enough to justify the management fees. An expert will get you to profitability faster and more safely than you likely could on your own.
Hope this detailed breakdown gives you a clearer picture. It's a lot to take in, I know. If you'd like to chat through your specific situation in more detail, we offer a free initial consultation where we can look at your goals and see how we might be able to help.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
