How Construction Companies Can Maximize ROI with Google Ads

Is your advertising budget climbing, but your leads aren’t following suit? Are you spending more on pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns without seeing a meaningful return?

Don’t lose hope! With the right strategic optimizations, Google Ads can become a powerful tool to drive quality leads and grow your construction business effectively. As an AEC-focused marketing agency, we’ve helped construction companies like yours leverage digital marketing to achieve measurable results. In this short guide, we’ll explore actionable strategies to improve your Google Ads campaigns, reduce costs, and maximize conversions.

The Power of Targeted Construction Marketing

The key to effective Google Ads campaigns lies in precision. For construction companies, this means zeroing in on your ideal audience like a bullseye on a dart board and excluding irrelevant traffic. Here’s how:

Leverage Location Targeting
Construction companies typically operate within specific geographic areas. By setting precise location targeting by city, zipcode or county, you can ensure your ads are only shown to users searching within your service region.

Choose the Right Keywords
“Choose the wrong keywords and all your labor is in vain.” This quote couldn’t be more true. Put yourself in the mind of your ideal customer. What search words are they using on Google? Go to Google, and search like your customer. Do similar companies pop up? If not, chances are you are targeting the wrong keywords. Leverage Google’s Keyword and Performance Planners under “Tools” to get keyword ideas. When getting started, only use what is called “phrase match” and “exact match” keywords. “Broad match” may attract people do not fit your target market.

Implement Negative Keywords
Negative keywords in Google’s “Exclusion Lists” help you exclude irrelevant searches. For example, if you specialize in commercial construction, you may want to exclude searches for “DIY construction” or “free construction tips.” Negative keywords could include free, DIY, cheap, inexpensive. This prevents wasted ad spend on traffic unlikely to convert. By focusing on your ideal client base and weeding out irrelevant clicks, you can reduce costs while boosting the efficiency of your campaigns.

Write Ad Copy That Drives Conversions

Your ad copy is often the first interaction a potential client has with your construction company. It needs to be compelling, clear, and relevant.

Highlight What Makes You Unique
What sets your construction company apart? Whether it’s your decades of experience, a strong portfolio, or excellent customer reviews, make sure your ad copy communicates your unique selling points (USPs).

For example:
“Award-Winning Commercial Construction Services”
“Residential Renovations with 20+ Years of Expertise”

Utilize All Available Ad Space
Google Ads allows up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions for responsive ads. Use this space wisely to include keywords, value propositions, and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) like:
“Get a Free Consultation Today!”
“Schedule Your Project Estimate Now.”

Our team at Third & Arch specializes in crafting keyword-optimized ad copy that not only attracts clicks but aligns with searcher intent, ensuring higher conversion rates.

Use Ad Assets to Stand Out

Google Ads Assets (formerly called Extensions) are an excellent way to provide additional information about your business and increase your ad’s visibility. Construction companies can benefit from the following:

Sitelink Assets
Direct users to important pages on your website, such as “Services,” “Portfolio,” or “Contact Us.”

Call Assets
Make it easy for potential clients to call you directly from the ad. This is especially valuable for urgent projects.

Location Assets
Help local customers find you by including your business address and a link to Google Maps. By incorporating these extensions, you’ll improve your ad’s performance and make it easier for potential clients to connect with your construction company.

Callout Assets
Callout assets are short sentences of text that are featured alongside your ads at Google’s discretion. Callouts are a great way to tout specific benefits and credibility: 25 years in business. Hundreds of projects. Free consultation.

Image Assets
Image assets are images that can be uploaded and displayed alongside your ads at Google’s discretion. Use high quality images that reflect your business and ad copy if possible.

Optimize Landing Pages for Better Conversions

Driving traffic to your website is only half the battle; converting that traffic into leads is where the real value lies. A well-optimized landing page can significantly impact your Google Ads success.

Align Content with Your Ads
Your landing page URL content should match the promises made in your ad copy. For example, if your ad promotes “High-End Kitchen Renovations,” the landing page should showcase examples of completed kitchen projects, customer testimonials, and pricing information. Google considers landing page content relevancy when determining which ads to display.

Emphasize Professional Design
A professional, clean website design builds trust and reflects the quality of your work. As AEC branding and website design experts, we specialize in creating visually compelling pages that resonate with your target audience.

Create a Powerful “Hero” Section
The hero section is the very top portion of your landing page. Visitors typically will decide within 2 seconds whether or not they want to stay on the page, so every element in this “first look” section matters:

• Write a strong, benefit-driven headline
• Use 3-5 bullet points highlighting your most important USP, trust factors, and main capabilities and benefits of your firm.
• Add a logo “garden” if possible to show off your clients.
• Use an image that clearly reflects your offering
• Add a call to action

Streamline Navigation
Avoid cluttered pages that confuse visitors. Use clear headings, bullet points, and concise paragraphs to guide users through your content.

Incorporate Strong Call To Action (CTA)
Effective CTAs are critical to driving conversions. Use action-oriented language like:
“Request Your Free Quote”
“Schedule a Design Consultation”

The goal is to make it as easy as possible for visitors to take the next step in your sales cycle.

Embrace Continuous Testing and Improvement

Google Ads success doesn’t come from a “set it and forget it” approach. Construction companies should regularly analyze campaign performance, and make data-driven adjustments.

Run A/B Tests
Test variations of your ad copy, headlines, CTAs, and landing page designs to see what resonates most with your audience. For example, test whether “Get a Free Quote” performs better than “Request Your Estimate Today.”

Analyze Performance Data
Use Google Ads reporting tools to monitor metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost-per-conversion. Identify underperforming campaigns, keywords and search terms and make adjustments accordingly. Add negative keywords to your exclusion lists regularly. Continuous testing and optimization ensure your campaigns stay competitive and deliver the best possible results.

Target the Right Audience with Bid Adjustments

Google Ads allows you to adjust bids based on demographic factors, such as age, income, and device type. This is particularly valuable for construction companies with niche audiences. For instance, if you specialize in luxury home renovations, focus your budget on higher-income demographics. Similarly, if your target audience is property managers, adjust bids to prioritize users likely to fall into this category.

Remarketing: Nurture Leads and Stay Top-of-Mind

Remarketing is one of the most cost-effective strategies in digital marketing. It allows you to re-engage users who have already visited your website or interacted with your ads. For example, if someone visits your “Commercial Construction” page but doesn’t fill out a contact form, you can target them with remarketing ads showcasing your portfolio or offering a free consultation. This strategy keeps your construction company top-of-mind and encourages potential clients to return and take action.

Stay Agile with Google’s Recommendations

Google Ads provides ongoing recommendations to help improve your campaigns. While some suggestions, like bid adjustments or new keyword ideas, can be beneficial, it’s essential to evaluate them critically. Our team ensures that any recommendations align with your construction marketing goals, and don’t simply increase your spend without delivering measurable results.

Partner with Experts in AEC Marketing, Branding, and Website Design

At Third & Arch, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities construction companies face in the digital marketing landscape. From designing high-converting websites to managing data-driven PPC campaigns, we specialize in helping AEC businesses achieve sustainable growth.

Our Services Include:

• Google Ads Management: Custom strategies to maximize ROI.
• Website Design: Visually stunning, user-friendly designs tailored to construction companies.
• SEO and Content Marketing: Elevate your online presence and drive organic traffic.
• Branding Services: Build a memorable brand that resonates with your target audience.

Take the Next Step Toward Digital Success

Optimizing your Google Ads campaigns isn’t just about cutting costs—it’s about driving meaningful results that help your construction company grow. With a strategic approach and expert guidance, you can turn your digital marketing efforts into a reliable source of leads and revenue.

Ready to transform your construction marketing?

Contact Third & Arch today to learn how we can help your construction company achieve its goals through tailored marketing, branding, and website design solutions.