Solved: Poor PPC Conversion in San Jose (A Step-by-Step Fix)

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out!

I had a look at the problem you're facing with your PPC campaigns in San Jose. It’s a really common issue, seeing clicks come in but not seeing them turn into actual customers. Frustrating, isn't it? A lot of people assume it's a simple targeting mistake, but usually the problem runs a bit deeper. I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on how I'd approach fixing this. It's usually about getting the fundamentals right before you even think about spending more money.

The core of the issue often isn't just about tweaking location settings; it's about a fundamental disconnect between who you're targeting, what your ads are saying, and what people experience when they land on your website. We need to make sure all three of those things are perfectly aligned.

We'll need to look at who you're actually selling to...

Right, let's get one thing straight. The idea of an "Ideal Customer Profile" or ICP that most marketing people talk about is rubbish. "Homeowners in San Jose, aged 35-65, with an income over $100k" tells you absolutely nothing of value. It leads to the kind of generic, boring ads that people scroll past without a second thought. You're not selling to a demographic; you're selling a solution to a problem.

To stop burning cash, you have to define your customer not by who they are, but by the specific, urgent, expensive nightmare they are currently living through. Your customer isn't just a person; they are a person in a problem state. This is the single most important shift in thinking you can make.

Let's imagine you're an emergency plumber. Your ICP isn't "John, 45, from Willow Glen". Your ICP is "a person standing in an inch of water at 2 AM, frantically Googling for help because a pipe has just burst under their sink and they're terrified of waking their family and facing thousands in water damage". That's a nightmare. It's specific, urgent, and has a high cost associated with inaction.

Or maybe you're a roofer. Your ICP isn't "a family in a detached home". It's "a homeowner who just saw a damp patch appear on their ceiling after a heavy storm and is now panicing about leaks, mould, and the integrity of their entire house".

Do you see the difference? When you define the nightmare, you understand the emotion. You understand the urgency. And that gives you everything you need to write ads and create a landing page that speaks directly to their fear and offers immediate relief. Before you spend another dollar on ads, take an hour and write down, in detail, the absolute worst-case scenario your ideal customer is facing when they need you. This isn't a fluffy marketing exercise; it's the foundation of your entire paid advertising strategy.

I'd say you need ad copy that speaks to that nightmare...

Once you've identified that nightmare, writing effective ad copy becomes much easier. You can stop using boring, feature-led language and start using a powerful framework that works exceptionally well for service businesses: Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS).

You don't just state the service you offer. You remind them of the pain they're in, you twist the knife a little bit by highlighting the consequences of not acting, and then you present your service as the fast, easy solution to make it all go away.

Let's look at a practical example for a fictional HVAC company in San Jose. Most ads are terrible. They say something like this:

Bad Ad (The one everyone else is running):
Headline: HVAC Repair San Jose
Description: A&B Heating & Cooling. Licenced and insured. Call for a free estimate on repairs and installations.

It's boring. It's forgettable. It's what I call a "tombstone ad"—it just lists facts. It doesn't sell anything. It relies on the customer to do all the work.

Now, let's write an ad using the Problem-Agitate-Solve framework, aimed at the person whose AC has just died during a heatwave (their nightmare):

Good Ad (The one that gets the click):
Headline: AC Broken? 24/7 Emergency Repair San Jose
Description: Don't suffer through another sleepless, sweltering night. We offer upfront pricing & fast, reliable service to get your home cool again. Get help now.

• Problem: "AC Broken?" - It calls them out directly.
• Agitate: "Don't suffer through another sleepless, sweltering night." - It reminds them of the pain and frustration.
• Solve: "upfront pricing & fast, reliable service to get your home cool again. Get help now." - It offers a clear, trustworthy solution with an urgent call to action.

This second ad will outperform the first one every single time. It connects on an emotional level. It understands the customer's situation and offers immediate relief. It's not just an ad; it's an answer to a desperate prayer. Your ads need to stop being announcements and start being answers.

You probably should focus *only* on Google Search...

You mentioned "PPC campaigns," which can mean a lot of things. If you're running ads on Facebook, Instagram, or the Google Display Network, I'd reccomend you stop. Immediately. For a local service business that solves an urgent need, these platforms are a waste of money when you're trying to get traction.

Here's an uncomfortable truth: when you run a "Brand Awareness" or "Reach" campaign on a platform like Facebook, you're telling the algorithm to "find the cheapest possible eyeballs". The algorithm is brilliant at this. It will find you all the people in San Jose who are least likely to click, least likely to engage, and absolutely, positively least likely to ever become a customer. Why? Because their attention is not in demand, so it's cheap. You are actively paying to reach non-customers.

You need to be on the one platform where people go when they have an urgent problem: Google Search. Nobody goes to Facebook when their toilet is overflowing. They go to Google. This is not about brand awareness; it's about capturing intent. You need to put your solution directly in the path of someone who is actively, desperately searching for it.

This means your entire focus should be on building a rock-solid Google Search campaign. The key is bidding on keywords that signal high commercial intent. You want to avoid broad, informational queries and focus on keywords that scream "I need to hire someone now".

Here’s a breakdown of the types of keywords you should be building your campaign around:

• Emergency & Urgent Keywords: These are your highest priority. People searching these terms need help *now* and are less price-sensitive. Examples: "emergency plumber san jose", "24 hour electrician near me", "same day roof repair san jose".
• Service + Location Keywords: These are people looking for a specific job to be done in their area. Examples: "water heater replacement san jose", "electrical panel upgrade ca", "kitchen cabinet painting san jose".
-"Near Me" Keywords: These are golden. Google automatically uses the searcher's location, so you just need to bid on terms like "hvac repair near me" and ensure your campaign's location targeting is set correctly to San Jose and the surrounding areas you service.
• Negative Keywords: Just as important is telling Google what *not* to show your ads for. You need a long list of negative keywords to avoid wasting money. Examples: "free", "diy", "how to", "jobs", "training", "school", "salary". You sell a service, you don't provide free advice or jobs.

You'll need a website that actually converts...

Now we get to the heart of it. This is almost certainly your biggest problem. I could build you the best, most perfectly targeted Google Ads campaign in the world, sending you dozens of desperate, high-intent customers every day. But if your website is slow, confusing, untrustworthy, or doesn't make it blindingly obvious what to do next, you will get zero conversions. You're pouring water into a bucket full of holes.

Your website is not a brochure. It is your 24/7 salesperson. Its only job is to take the interested visitor from your ad and convince them to take the one action you want them to take: call you or fill out a form. Everything else is a distraction and is costing you money.

Forget the "Request a Demo" or "Contact Us" buttons that B2B companies use. That's high friction. For a local service, you need to make it as easy as possible to get in touch. Here are the non-negotiable elements your landing page (the page your ad links to) must have:

1. A Headline That Matches the Ad. If your ad says "Emergency AC Repair", the headline on your page better say "Emergency AC Repair in San Jose". This instantly reassures the visitor they're in the right place.
2. An Unmissable Call-to-Action (CTA) Above the Fold. "Above the fold" means visible without scrolling. This should be a big, bold phone number that is "click-to-call" on mobile, and a simple "Get a Free Quote" form with as few fields as possible (Name, Phone, a brief description of the problem is enough). Don't make them hunt for it.
3. Trust Signals Everywhere. People are inviting a stranger into their home. You need to build trust instantly. This means:
   • Real reviews from local customers (with photos if possible).
   • Badges like "Licenced & Insured", "Family Owned", "20+ Years Experience".
   • Affiliations like the Better Business Bureau.
   • Photos of your actual team and your branded vans, not stock photos.
4. It Must Be Blazing Fast on Mobile. Most of your customers will be searching on their phone, often in a state of panic. If your page takes more than 3 seconds to load, they are gone. Use Google's PageSpeed Insights tool to check your site.
5. Simple, Clear Copy. No jargon. Use the Problem-Agitate-Solve framework on your page too. Briefly describe the problem, explain why you're the best choice to solve it, and guide them to the CTA.

Clean up your website. Make it focused. Make it trustworthy. This is the single highest-leverage activity you can do to fix your conversion problem.

You'll need to understand your numbers...

Finally, you need to stop guessing and start calculating. The question isn't "How low can my Cost Per Lead (CPL) be?" but rather "How high a CPL can I afford to acquire a great customer?". The answer to this changes everything. It's the difference between timidly spending a few dollars and hoping for the best, versus confidently investing in growth because you know the maths works in your favour.

Let's run through a quick example. Say you're an electrician and:

• Your Average Revenue Per Job is $1,000.
• Your Closing Rate (the percentage of qualified leads you turn into paying customers) is 25% (or 1 in 4).
• You want a 4x Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). Meaning for every $1 you spend on ads, you want to make $4 back in revenue.

The calculation would look like this: For every 4 leads you get, you close 1 job, generating $1,000 in revenue. To maintain a 4x ROAS on that $1,000, you can spend a maximum of $250 on advertising ($1000 / 4). Since it took 4 leads to get that job, you can afford to pay up to $62.50 per lead ($250 / 4 leads).

Suddenly, seeing a $50 lead from Google Ads doesn't look expensive anymore—it looks profitable. And these numbers are realistic. For example, we're currently running a campaign for an HVAC company in a competitive area, and they are seeing costs of around $60 per lead, which is profitable for them based on their job value and closing rate. This is the maths that frees you from the tyranny of cheap leads and unlocks intelligent, scalable growth. Use the calculator below to find your own number.

This is the main advice I have for you:

I know this is a lot to take in. It’s a complete shift from how most people think about paid advertising. To make it more actionable, I’ve broken down the entire process into a clear plan. If you follow these steps, you will fix your campaign performance.

As you can see, fixing a "PPC problem" is rarely about just changing a few settings in Google Ads. It's a strategic process that involves understanding your customer deeply and aligning your entire funnel—from the keyword they search to the final click on your "Call Now" button.

Implementing all of this correctly takes time and expertise. Getting it wrong can mean more wasted ad spend and continued frustration. If you feel like this is a bit overwhelming and would prefer to have an expert guide you through the process, that's what we're here for.

We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation where we can take a deeper look at your specific situation, review your current campaigns and website, and give you a tailored action plan. It's a great way to get some clarity and see if we might be a good fit to help you grow your business.

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh