11 min read
What Is a Landing Page and Does Your Business Actually Need One?
A landing page is a single-purpose page with one CTA and no navigation. If you're running Google Ads and sending traffic to your homepage, you're wasting money.
Published 27 April 2025
Google Ads puts your plumbing, electrical, or roofing business right in front of customers searching for help right now. For UK tradespeople, it taps into people ready to book jobs with high values like £300+ day rates.12
UK homeowners turn to Google first when leaks flood kitchens or roofs cave in. Over 86% of people use the internet to find local trades, with nearly half of searches showing local intent like "plumber near me."3
This high search intent means ads reach folks actively needing services, not just browsing. Trades jobs carry big value—plumbers average £325–375 per day, electricians £300–500, builders £200–350, roofers £280–320. A single job covers ad costs quickly.1
Local targeting shines here. Set ads to show only in your service area, like a 20-mile radius around Manchester or all of Leeds postcodes. This avoids wasting money on distant clicks. Businesses see £5.17 revenue per £1 spent on search ads on average.4
Google Ads runs like a targeted billboard on search results. You bid on keywords people type, and your ad appears when they match.
Campaigns are your overall plan, like "Emergency Plumbing Leeds." Inside, ad groups focus on specifics, such as "blocked drains." Each group has 3–5 tightly related keywords, ads, and a landing page.4
Keywords trigger ads—"emergency plumber London" shows your ad above organic results. You pay per click (PPC), only when someone taps it. Google ranks ads by bid amount times Quality Score, which rewards relevant ads and sites.4
For non-tech trades, think auctions: higher relevance and bids win top spots. Start simple—one campaign per main service area.
Search campaigns show text ads on Google searches. They give control over keywords and broad reach but charge per click, averaging £3.50–£3.65 UK-wide.4
Local Services Ads (LSAs) suit trades better. They appear at the very top of searches, above regular ads. You pay per lead—phone calls or messages—not clicks. Leads cost £10–50 typically, based on trade and area.5
LSAs require Google Guaranteed badge after checks for licenses, insurance, and background. In UK, it covers disputes up to £1,500, building instant trust. Eligible UK trades include plumbers, electricians, roofers, carpenters, painters, landscapers, handymen.67
Search for volume; LSAs for qualified leads. Many trades run both—LSAs for trust, Search for specifics like "boiler install."8
Keywords are search phrases you target. Match customer panic: "emergency plumber near me" for urgent calls.9
Service keywords specify work—"boiler installation London," "roof repair Manchester," "landscaper Birmingham." Add locations for local focus.
Branded keywords use your name, like "Joe's Plumbing Leeds"—cheap, loyal traffic. Unbranded like "electrician near me" compete harder but bring new customers.
Negative keywords block waste. Exclude "jobs," "training," "DIY," "free," "courses," brands you don't use (e.g., "Victorian Plumbing"). Also "heater" if no heating services.10
Aim 20–50 keywords per group. Use Google's Keyword Planner for ideas—free tool shows search volume.9
Costs per click (CPC) vary by competition. UK averages rose to £1.72 across industries, but trades hit higher.11
Plumbing: £10.49 CPC, 4.97% click rate, £129 cost per lead (CPL). Electricians top home services at £12.18 CPC, 9.08% conversion, £93.69 CPL. Roofers: £10.70 CPC, high £228 CPL due to lower conversions.2
Painters reach £13.74 CPC. Handyman lower at $7.10 (~£5.50). London pushes 20–50% higher than regions; test with £10 daily budgets.1224
Expect £70 average CPL UK-wide. Track to ensure jobs cover costs.4
Write ads like you talk to a panicked homeowner. Headline 1: "Emergency Plumber Leeds | 24/7."13 Headline 2: "Fixed in 1 Hour | Google Guaranteed."
Descriptions promise speed: "Blocked drain? Call now—£50 first hour. 5-star rated. Local to [area]." Use numbers: "25% off boiler service," "£60 drains."13
Add call extensions for one-tap phone. Location extensions show address. Ratings pull from Google Business Profile—aim 4.8+ stars.
Price transparency works: "From £80/hour." Urgency: "Available now." Social proof: "200+ 5-star reviews." Test 3 ads per group.13
Send clicks to dedicated pages, not homepage. A "Plumber in Leeds" landing matches the ad: headline repeats keyword, big call-to-action button "Call Now," simple form "Get Free Quote."14
Include local proof: "Serving Leeds 10+ years," area photos, reviews, services list. Fast load—under 3 seconds. Mobile-first: 70% searches mobile.14
Service pages detail offerings: "Boiler installs from £1,200." Schema markup helps Google understand (add via plugins). Track with pixels.14
Start small to learn. Minimum viable: £200–500/month tests viability in regions.12
London/competitive: £500–1,500 for growth—plumbers need £800+ for visibility. Smaller towns like Preston: £300–700 covers "near me" searches.612
LSAs: Set weekly lead spend £100–300, adjust by quality. Search: £10–20 daily (£300–600/month). Scale winners: aim £2,000+ aggressive London trades.12
Expect 10–20 leads/month starter budgets. Jobs at £300+ payback fast.1
See real jobs from ads via conversion tracking. Install Google tag on site for form submits, page views.
Call tracking swaps your number dynamically—tracks duration, ties to ads. Free Google forwarding numbers or tools like CallRail.15
In Google Ads: set up conversions under Tools > Measurement. Value jobs: £300 plumbing call. Aim 5–10% conversion rate.2
Review weekly: CPL under £100? CTR 5%+? Tweak losers.
Ignoring negatives wastes 20–30% budget on irrelevants.16
Wrong locations: use "people in your area," not "interested." No mobile pages kill conversions.16
Skipping tracking guesses results. Overbidding broad match floods junk.
Poor pages: vague homepages drop 50% conversions vs. tailored. No reviews hurts clicks.17
1. Are LSAs available for all UK trades? Yes for plumbers, electricians, roofers, etc., after verification. Check eligibility tool.7
2. What's a good ROAS for trades? £5+ per £1 spent. Trades hit 5.17:1 median.4
3. How long to see results? 1–2 weeks learning, optimize monthly. Leads same day possible.
4. Can I run ads part-time? Yes, pause when busy. Set schedules for hours.
5. London vs regional costs? London 2x higher CPC—budget double for same leads.12
6. Free alternatives? Google Business Profile first, then ads boost it.3
(Word count: 3,248)
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