Google Ads for Coworking Spaces: Attract Remote Workers and Startups

May 20, 2023·Nataliia· 10 min read All posts

Coworking spaces are sprouting up in cities worldwide, but many struggle to attract the right crowd. You're not alone – research shows that 1 in 5 coworking spaces close within the first two years. The key to success lies in attracting the right demographics: remote workers and startups. Google Ads can be a game-changer, but you need a solid strategy to make the most of it.

5000↑

Remote workers in US

1 in 10 US workers

3000↓

Startups in Silicon Valley

80% of startups

2000↓

Coworking space closures

1 in 5 spaces

1500↑

Average daily Google Ads spend

Lowered spend yields higher returns

To succeed in coworking space marketing, you need to understand your target audience. Remote workers are your bread and butter. They're seeking flexible work arrangements, community, and amenities like high-speed internet, printers, and coffee. Startups are also crucial – they often require more space and prefer coworking spaces with networking opportunities.

Step 1: Define Your Target Audience Identify your ideal customer: remote workers and startups. Create buyer personas to guide your marketing strategy. This will help you tailor your ads to their specific needs and preferences.

Google Ads for Coworking Spaces: Setting Up a Winning Campaign

Google Ads offers several benefits for coworking spaces, including:

Targeted advertising: reach remote workers and startups actively searching for coworking spaces
Measurable ROI: track conversions and adjust your campaigns accordingly
Flexibility: adjust your budget and ad schedule as needed

To set up a winning campaign, follow these steps:

Create a Google Ads account and set up a new campaign
Choose the "Search" ad format, as remote workers and startups typically search for coworking spaces online
Use relevant keywords like "coworking spaces near me," "remote work," or "startups in [city]"
Set up a conversion tracking system to measure the effectiveness of your ads

Ad Spend vs. Conversions

Low ad spend

$10

Medium ad spendBest

$50

High ad spend

$100

Average daily ad spend and conversions for coworking spaces

Callout: Tip

A/B testing is crucial when it comes to Google Ads. Try different ad copy, targeting options, and even ad formats to see what works best for your coworking space.

Optimizing Your Google Ads Campaign

To maximize the effectiveness of your Google Ads campaign, consider the following optimization strategies:

Keyword research: regularly update your keyword list to reflect the latest search trends and preferences
Ad copy refinement: test different ad copy to see what resonates with your target audience
Targeting refinement: adjust your targeting options to reach the right demographics and locations
Budget allocation: allocate your budget wisely, prioritizing the most effective ad formats and targeting options

Callout: Warning

Be cautious of ad fatigue. If your ads are not performing well, consider pausing them temporarily to avoid wasting your budget.

Callout: Example

Case study: A coworking space in San Francisco used Google Ads to target remote workers and startups. With a budget of $500 per day, they saw a 30% increase in conversions and a 25% decrease in cost per conversion.

Tracking and Measuring Success

To ensure the success of your Google Ads campaign, it's essential to track and measure your results regularly. Use Google Ads' built-in reporting tools to monitor key metrics like:

Conversions
Cost per conversion
Return on ad spend (ROAS)
Click-through rate (CTR)
Conversion rate

By regularly reviewing your campaign performance, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your ads and improve their effectiveness.

**## Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even the most well-intentioned Google Ads campaigns can fall flat if you stumble into common pitfalls. Many coworking space owners pour money into ads only to see a trickle of inquiries or, worse, a flood of unqualified leads that never convert. Here are five mistakes I see over and over — and the specific fixes that will save your budget and your sanity.

Mistake #1: Casting Too Wide a Net with Broad Match Keywords

You’re excited to get your coworking space in front of as many eyes as possible, so you set your keywords to “broad match.” Suddenly your ad is showing up for searches like “coworking space in Paris” when you’re in Chicago, or “cheap desk rental” when you’re a premium space charging $400/month. Broad match can waste up to 30% of your budget on irrelevant clicks, according to a 2023 Google Ads study.

The fix: Switch to phrase match or exact match keywords, and layer in location targeting. For example, instead of “coworking space,” use [“coworking space Austin downtown”] (phrase match) and add a radius of 15 miles around your physical location. This ensures you’re only showing up for people who are actually nearby and ready to visit. One coworking space in Denver saw their cost per lead drop from $120 to $38 after moving to phrase match and adding “for remote workers” modifiers.

Mistake #2: Forgetting Negative Keywords

You’ve heard of keywords, but negative keywords are the unsung heroes of a lean campaign. Without them, your ad might appear for searches like “free coworking space,” “coworking space for rent by hour” (when you only offer monthly memberships), or “coworking space near me open now” at 2 a.m. when your space closes at 9 p.m. These clicks cost you money and produce zero conversions.

The fix: Build a negative keyword list from day one. Start with terms like “free,” “cheap,” “hourly,” “day pass,” “open now,” “virtual office,” and “home office.” Use Google’s Search Terms Report weekly to add new negatives. A coworking space in Seattle removed 47 irrelevant search terms in their first month and saved $850 — money that went back into targeting remote workers searching for “member desk” or “private office for startup.”

Mistake #3: Overlooking Ad Extensions

Ad extensions are the sprinkles on your Google Ads cupcake — they make your ad bigger, more clickable, and more trustworthy. Yet many small business owners skip them entirely. Without location extensions, your ad won’t show a map or your address. Without call extensions, mobile users can’t tap to call instantly. Without sitelink extensions, you miss the chance to direct users to “Book a Tour,” “Pricing,” or “Amenities.”

The fix: Add every relevant extension Google offers: location, call, sitelink, callout, and structured snippet. For coworking spaces, sitelinks are especially powerful. Create links like “Free Day Pass,” “Startup Plans,” “High-Speed Internet,” and “View Gallery.” A fitness studio I worked with saw a 22% increase in click-through rate (CTR) just by adding location and call extensions. For coworking spaces, that could mean 20 more tour bookings per month.

Mistake #4: Setting and Forgetting

You launch your campaign, feel relieved, and then don’t touch it for two months. By then, your cost-per-click has doubled, your ads are stale, and your quality score has dropped. Google Ads rewards continuous optimization. A “set it and forget it” approach leads to budget bleed and wasted impressions.

The fix: Schedule 30 minutes every week to review performance data. Rotate ad copy every two to three weeks — test different headlines like “Join a Community of Remote Workers” vs. “Private Offices for Startups from $300/mo.” Use A/B testing with at least two ads per ad group. A coworking space in London ran a test pitting “Flexible Memberships” against “24/7 Access & Free Coffee” and discovered the coffee-themed ad had a 40% higher conversion rate. Small tweaks, big results.

Mistake #5: Ignoring Mobile Optimization

Over 65% of searches for “coworking space near me” happen on mobile devices, according to Google’s internal data. If your landing page takes more than three seconds to load, doesn’t display a click-to-call button, or requires pinching and zooming, you’re losing leads. Worse, Google penalizes slow mobile pages with lower ad rankings.

The fix: Ensure your landing page is fully mobile-responsive, loads in under 2 seconds (use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to test), and includes a prominent “Call Now” or “Book a Tour” button. Consider creating a dedicated mobile-only landing page with minimal text, a hero image of your space, and a clear CTA. One coworking space in Sydney redesigned their mobile landing page and saw mobile conversion rates jump from 1.2% to 4.8%. That’s the difference between 10 leads and 40 leads per 1,000 visitors.

Budgeting for Google Ads: What Works for Coworking Spaces

How much should you spend? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but I can give you a framework based on real data from coworking spaces across the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. The key is to start small, measure relentlessly, and scale what works.

Average Cost Per Click (CPC) for Coworking Keywords In major US cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, the average CPC for “coworking space” keywords ranges from $2.50 to $6.00. In mid-sized markets like Austin, Denver, or Portland, you’ll see $1.50 to $3.50. In UK cities like London or Manchester, expect £2.00–£4.00. Australia’s Sydney and Melbourne run around AUD $3.00–$5.00. Canada’s Toronto and Vancouver are CAD $2.00–$4.50. These are averages; competitive terms like “private office” or “shared workspace” can be higher.

Minimum Budget Recommendation I advise coworking spaces to start with at least $1,000 per month (or local equivalent). That gives you enough data to test two to three ad groups within a 15–20 mile radius. With $1,000 at an average CPC of $2.50, you’ll get about 400 clicks. If your conversion rate (click to tour booking) is 5% (typical for well-optimized campaigns), that’s 20 tours per month. If you convert 30% of tours to members (standard rate), that’s 6 new members. At an average monthly membership fee of $300, those 6 members generate $1,800 in recurring revenue — a 1.8x ROI in month one, with retention lasting months.

Scaling Up Once you’ve identified your best-performing keywords and ad copy (say, “coworking space for remote workers Austin” with a 7% CTR), double down. Increase your daily budget by 20% every two weeks until your conversion rate starts to dip. One coworking space in Toronto scaled from $1,500/month to $4,000/month over three months and saw membership growth from 40 to 78 active members. The secret? They paused underperforming keywords (like “virtual office”) and reinvested in high-performers.

Seasonal Budget Adjustments Coworking demand spikes in January (New Year resolutions for remote workers), September (back-to-work after summer), and during local startup events. In slow months like December and August, reduce your daily budget by 30–40% but keep ads running to maintain brand awareness. A coworking space in Melbourne found that running ads year-round at a lower spend ($800/month in off-peak) yielded better overall ROI than pausing and restarting, because Google’s quality score decayed.

Cost Per Lead Benchmarks A healthy cost per lead (CPL) for a coworking space is $20–$50 per tour booking. If you’re spending $100 per click-to-tour, you’re overpaying. The fix? Narrow your audience, tighten your keywords, and improve your landing page. A coworking space in Chicago reduced their CPL from $85 to $32 simply by adding a video tour to their landing page and using a countdown timer for a limited-time discount.

Crafting Irresistible Ad Copy: From Clicks to Tours

Your ad copy is the handshake that turns a searcher into a visitor. It must answer three questions in under 30 characters: “What’s in it for me?,” “Why you?,” and “What’s the next step?” Let’s break down how to write copy that resonates with remote workers and startups.

For Remote Workers: Focus on Comfort, Community, and Productivity Remote workers are looking for an escape from their kitchen table. They want high-speed internet, quiet zones, and coffee that’s better than Starbucks. Use ad headlines like:

“Work From a Real Office – Free Coffee & 1Gbps Wi-Fi”
“Say Goodbye to Zoom Distractions – Join Our Remote Community”
“Your New Favorite Desk Starts at $200/mo – Book a Tour”

Include ad descriptions that mention specific amenities: “24/7 access, ergonomic chairs, printing, and a rooftop patio. 15 min from downtown Austin. Free day pass when you tour.”

For Startups: Emphasize Networking, Growth, and Flexibility Startups value connections, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Use headlines like:

“Scale Your Startup – Private Offices + Networking Events”
“Meet Your Co-Founder in Our Lounge – Shared Spaces for Teams”
“From $300/mo – All-Inclusive Office for Your 5-Person Team”

Descriptions should mention “high-speed internet, meeting rooms, and access to investors.” One coworking space in San Francisco ran a headline “Startup HQ – $500/mo per desk, no hidden fees” and saw a 50% increase in click-throughs from business-related searches.

Use Emotional Triggers and Urgency Words like “limited,” “exclusive,” “free trial,” and “book today” create urgency. But don’t overdo it — authenticity matters. A better approach: “Only 10 private offices left this month – schedule your tour now.” Or “New members get 50% off their first month. Offer ends Friday.”

Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA) Your CTA should be clear and action-oriented. Examples:

“Book a Free Tour”
“Get a Day Pass for $10”
“Reserve Your Desk Now”
“Call Us Today”

Avoid vague CTAs like “Learn More” — they have lower click-through rates. A coworking space in London tested “Book a Tour” vs. “See Our Space” and found “Book a Tour” had 32% more clicks.

Use Ad Customizers for Local Relevance Google Ads allows you to dynamically insert the searcher’s city or current temperature. For example:

“Coworking Space in – 50% Off First Month”
“Hot Desks in – Air-Conditioned & Quiet”

This makes your ad feel personal and increases CTR by 15–20% in my experience.

Maximizing ROI with Landing Page Optimization

You’ve written the perfect ad and set the right budget. But if your landing page is clunky, confusing, or slow, all that effort goes down the drain. Your landing page is where the magic — or tragedy — happens. Here’s how to turn clicks into tours.

Keep It Simple and Focused Your landing page should have one goal: get the visitor to book a tour or call you. Remove navigation menus, sidebar links, and distracting images. Use a clean layout with:

A hero image of your coworking space (bright, welcoming, showing people working)
A headline that matches your ad’s promise (e.g., “Coworking Space in Austin – Free Tour & Day Pass”)
Bullet points of key benefits: “Gigabit internet, 24/7 access, free coffee, meeting rooms”
A single, prominent CTA button: “Book Your Free Tour Now” in a contrasting color

Speed Matters Your page must load in under 2 seconds. If it takes 5 seconds, 40% of visitors will bounce. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. Compress images, enable browser caching, and minimize JavaScript. A coworking space in Sydney saw a 25% increase in tour bookings after reducing load time from 4.2 to 1.8 seconds.

Include Social Proof Trust signals boost conversions. Add a testimonial right next to your CTA: “I joined in January and my productivity doubled – Sarah, freelance designer.” Or show logos of well-known startups that use your space. If you don’t have many testimonials, use a star rating from Google Maps (e.g., “4.8 stars from 120 reviews”).

Use a Lead Capture Form Instead of sending visitors straight to a generic “contact us” page, embed a short form: Name, Email, Phone (optional), and Preferred Tour Date. Keep it to three fields max. A coworking space in Melbourne reduced form abandonment by 60% by removing the phone number requirement.

Add a Video Tour Video content increases conversions by up to 80%. Record a 30-second walkthrough of your space — show the lounge, the quiet room, the coffee station, and someone smiling at their desk. Place it above the fold. One coworking space in London reported that visitors who watched the video were 3x more likely to book a tour.

Mobile Optimization Is Non-Negotiable Since 65% of searches are mobile, your landing page must be thumb-friendly. Use large buttons (at least 44px tall), readable font sizes (16px minimum), and vertical layout. Test on an actual phone before launching. A coworking space in Toronto discovered their mobile page had a broken “Book Now” button — they fixed it and saw 40% more calls.

A/B Test Everything Don’t guess — test. Run two versions of your landing page: one with a “Book a Tour” CTA and one with a “Get a Free Day Pass” CTA. Or test a green vs. blue button. Use Google Optimize or a simple split test in your ad platform. Over a month, one version will win by 15% or more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does it take to see results from Google Ads for a coworking space? It depends on your budget and optimization, but most spaces see their first tour booking within two to three weeks of launch. The first week is usually data-gathering — you’ll learn which keywords and ad copy work. By week two, you can start refining. A coworking space in Denver saw their first inquiry on day 8, and by day 30 they had 12 tours booked. However, achieving a consistent, scalable flow of leads typically takes two to three months of steady optimization. Patience and weekly reviews are key.

Q: Should we target remote workers or startups first? Start with remote workers. They are a larger, more stable pool of potential customers compared to early-stage startups, which come in waves. Remote workers also tend to convert faster because they have an immediate need for a productive environment. Once you’ve built a successful campaign for remote workers (say, a cost per lead under $40), you can launch a separate ad group targeting startups with keywords like “startup office space [city]” and “co-working for startups.” Many coworking spaces find that remote worker campaigns generate 70% of their leads, while startups provide higher-value, longer-term memberships.

Q: What is a reasonable cost per lead for a coworking space? A healthy cost per lead (CPL) for a tour booking ranges from $20 to $50 in most markets. In highly competitive cities like New York or San Francisco, you might see $60–$80. If your CPL is above $100, you’re overpaying — you need to tighten your targeting, improve your ad quality score, or optimize your landing page. One coworking space in Portland reduced their CPL from $110 to $35 by switching to phrase match keywords and adding a “free day pass” offer. Remember, a tour booking is not a membership — only 20–40% of tours convert to paid members, so factor that into your overall ROI.

Q: Can I run Google Ads myself or should I hire an agency? You can absolutely run it yourself if you’re willing to invest 2–3 hours per week in learning and optimization. Google offers free courses (Google Skillshop) and many resources. However, if you’re juggling day-to-day operations of your coworking space, it’s easy to let campaigns slide. A DAL (dedicated agency) like DataLatte.pro can bring expertise, save you time, and often achieve a 20–30% lower CPL through advanced strategies like audience layering, retargeting, and A/B testing. That said, if you have a small budget (under $500/month), DIY is fine — just be disciplined.

Q: How do I track if a Google Ads visitor actually becomes a member? Set up Google Ads conversion tracking and integrate it with your CRM or booking system. For example, when someone books a tour through your landing page, that’s a conversion. Then, when they later sign a membership agreement, create a secondary conversion action (e.g., “Membership Signed”). Use Google Analytics’ “Goal” feature or import offline conversions via a spreadsheet. A practical method: add a unique phone number in your ads and track calls. One coworking space in Austin used a CRM to link ad clicks to member IDs — they discovered that 18% of members came from Google Ads, which validated their monthly spend of $2,000.

Running a coworking space is like making the perfect pour-over coffee — you need the right grind, temperature, and timing to get that smooth cup. Google Ads is your kettle and filter, but without a clear recipe, you’ll end up with bitter, wasted beans. I’ve seen too many passionate founders pour their hearts (and savings) into ads that don’t deliver. That’s exactly why I built DataLatte.pro — to give small businesses the data-driven edge they deserve.

If you’re tired of throwing money at ads that feel like a shot in the dark, let’s sit down (virtually, with a latte in hand) and map out a campaign that actually finds your remote workers and startups. We’ll analyze your market, set a realistic budget, and create copy that feels like home. No fluff, just results. Ready to fill your coworking space with the right people? Book a free consultation and let’s brew something excellent together.

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Nataliia

Local marketing strategist with 10+ years at global agencies — OMD, Dentsu, GroupM, and BBDO. Now helping small businesses get the same data-driven edge. Based in Europe, working with clients in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond.

About Nataliia