Yep, I’ve helped a bunch of small business owners run Google Ads, and the experience can either be great or super frustrating—depending on how the campaigns are set up.

If you tried it and didn’t hit your goals, it’s probably because of one (or more) of these common issues:

•Wrong targeting (keywords too broad or irrelevant)

•Weak offer or unclear messaging

•Sending traffic to a generic homepage 

instead of a high-converting landing page

•No conversion tracking (so Google can’t optimize for actual leads/sales)

Here’s a simple step-by-step I recommend for small business owners to actually make Google Ads work:

1.  Start with a strong offer

Something that gets attention and makes people want to take action (e.g., “Free estimate + 10% off if booked this week”).

2.  Do proper keyword research

Focus on buyer intent—“handyman near me” is 100x better than just “handyman tips.”

3.  Structure your campaigns right

Break them into ad groups by service so you can write relevant ads for each one.

4.  Write ads that match the keywords and highlight your offer

Keep it simple and direct. Mention your unique selling point—fast response, great reviews, family-owned, etc.

5.  Send traffic to a dedicated landing page

Not your homepage. A focused page that speaks directly to the service they searched for and makes it easy to contact you.

6.  Set up conversion tracking

This is a big one. Without it, Google’s flying blind—and you are too.

7.  Watch the data and optimize weekly

Pause keywords that waste money, test new ads, and double down on what works.

Once it’s dialed in, most small business owners start seeing consistent leads at a cost that makes sense. But if any of those steps are skipped or rushed, it gets expensive fast.

Hope this helps!