Small businesses
PPC for small businesses: a budget that has to work from month one
PPC for a small business works when the budget is focused on a few searches that turn into customers, the tracking shows which ones do, and the account is kept simple enough to learn quickly. We run Google Ads and Facebook ads for small businesses that cannot afford to spend months experimenting, and we will tell you plainly in the free audit if paid search is not yet the right use of your money.
In short
- Focused on a few profitable searches
- Simple structures that learn quickly
- Straight answer if PPC is not right yet
Not sure where to start? We review your account, tracking and landing pages first, in writing.
Small budgets need narrow focus
A small budget spread across every service, every town and every platform buys a few clicks of each and enough data on none. The accounts that work start with the one or two services that are most profitable and most searched for, in the area you serve best, on one platform. Once those are profitable, the next service goes in.
Before spending anything
- Check that people search for what you sell in your area, using Keyword Planner's volumes and cost per click.
- Work out what a customer is worth and how many enquiries it takes to win one.
- Divide one by the other: that is the most you can pay per enquiry. Our PPC calculator does the arithmetic.
- Make sure the landing page can turn a visit into an enquiry, and that calls and forms are tracked.
If those numbers do not work, more budget will not fix them. The audit tells you that before you spend.
Google or Facebook first?
If people search for your service, Google Ads usually comes first, because you reach them when they are looking. If your product is visual, sold on impulse, or not something people know to search for, Facebook and Instagram ads may come first. Very few small businesses need both from day one.
Doing it yourself, or not
Plenty of small businesses run their own Google Ads well. The common traps are the default settings: location set to people interested in your area, broad search terms with no negatives, the Display Network switched on in a search campaign, and conversions counted twice. If you manage it yourself, check those first; if you would rather not, that is what we do.
Related
Where this connects
Local PPC and lead generation
Call and lead campaigns for businesses that serve a postcode, not a country.
Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram)
Prospecting, retargeting and creative testing on Facebook and Instagram.
PPC calculator
Budget, cost per click and conversion rate in; clicks, leads, revenue and CPA out.
Free PPC audit
A written review of your account, tracking and landing pages, free and yours to keep.
Questions people ask us
Is PPC worth it for a small business?
When people search for what you sell, a customer is worth several times what it costs to win one, and the website can turn a click into an enquiry. If any of those is missing, fix it before spending on ads.
How much should a small business spend on Google Ads?
Enough for a readable number of clicks on your main service each month. Multiply the expected cost per click by the clicks you need to win a few customers; that is the minimum test budget.
Do Facebook ads work for small businesses?
Yes, particularly for local consumer businesses and visual products, when kept to one objective and one audience with enough budget to learn.
Can I run Google Ads myself?
Yes. Watch the default location setting, add negative keywords from your search terms report, keep search campaigns off the Display Network and make sure conversions are tracked once.
Stop guessing. Start scaling.
Find out where your paid advertising is losing money and where the next profitable campaign is hiding. The audit is free and you keep it whatever you decide.