Google Ads for Landscaping: Grow Your Client Base This Season

If you're a landscaping business owner struggling to find new clients during peak season, don't worry – you're not alone. Research shows that 70% of small businesses don't have a clear understanding of their target audience, which can lead to wasted marketing efforts and a dwindling client base.

As a small business owner, you're likely juggling multiple responsibilities, from operations to customer service. But without a robust marketing strategy, you're leaving money on the table. According to a recent study, landscaping businesses that invest in targeted marketing can expect to see a 25% increase in revenue.

Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a Google Ads campaign for your landscaping business, tailored to your specific needs and goals.

Before you begin creating your campaign, make sure you have a Google Ads account set up. If you don't have one, sign up for a free account and follow the instructions to create a new account.

There are two main types of Google Ads campaigns: Search Ads and Display Ads. Search Ads are ideal for targeting specific keywords and phrases, while Display Ads are better suited for visual advertising.

Determine how much you're willing to spend on your campaign and choose a bidding strategy that suits your goals. You can opt for a cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) bidding strategy.

Organize your ad groups and ads around specific themes, such as lawn care or gardening services. Use relevant keywords and phrases to attract the right audience.

Your landing pages should be designed to convert visitors into leads or customers. Make sure they're mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and contain clear calls-to-action.

Regularly monitor your campaign's performance and make adjustments as needed. Use data from Google Ads to inform your decisions and optimize your campaign for better results.

Here's a comparison of the average cost-per-click (CPC) for landscaping businesses in different cities:

According to this chart, landscaping businesses in Los Angeles tend to have the highest CPC, followed closely by New York City.

Be aware of common mistakes that can hurt your campaign's performance, such as:

Q: How much does a Google Ads campaign cost? A: The cost of a Google Ads campaign depends on your budget, bidding strategy, and the performance of your ads. You can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $500 or more per month.

Q: How long does it take to see results from a Google Ads campaign? A: It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to see results from a Google Ads campaign, depending on your budget, bidding strategy, and the performance of your ads.

Q: Can I trust Google Ads to reach my target audience? A: Yes, Google Ads can be a highly effective way to reach your target audience, but it's essential to set up your campaign correctly and regularly monitor its performance.

Q: What are the most common mistakes to avoid when creating a Google Ads campaign? A: Common mistakes to avoid when creating a Google Ads campaign include not targeting the right audience, not optimizing your landing pages, and not regularly monitoring and adjusting your campaign.

Q: Can I use Google Ads for local SEO? A: Yes, Google Ads can be used to improve your local SEO by targeting specific keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business and location.

Q: Can I use Google Ads for e-commerce? A: Yes, Google Ads can be used to drive sales and revenue for e-commerce businesses by targeting specific keywords and phrases that are relevant to your products or services.

If you're ready to grow your landscaping business with targeted Google Ads, contact us today for a free audit and consultation. We'll help you create a customized campaign that drives real results and sets your business up for success.

Start with $500–1,000 a month if you’re a solo operator or small crew. That’s enough to test a few keywords and get 10–20 leads. If you have a team of 3+ crews, $1,500–3,000 is more realistic. I’ve seen clients in medium-sized markets (Nashville, Portland) generate $4,000–8,000 in new revenue from $1,500 in ad spend — but only if the campaign is set up correctly. The average cost per click for landscaping keywords in the US is $4–7. Do the math: $1,500 ÷ $5 = 300 clicks. If your conversion rate is 5%, that’s 15 leads. If you close 30%, that’s 4–5 new clients. That pays for itself.

You’ll see clicks within 24 hours. But real results — calls that turn into paying customers — usually take 2–4 weeks. The first week is data collection. The second week you start optimizing. By week four you should see a trend. I’ve had accounts that were profitable in 10 days (when the keywords were tight and the landing page was strong) and others that took two months to break even (because we had to kill bad keywords). Don’t judge after one week.

Use phrase match and exact match for the first 90 days. Broad match is a money pit for small businesses. I’ve seen broad match campaigns waste 40% of the budget on irrelevant searches like “landscaping salary” or “landscaping near me free.” Once you have a history of conversions and a solid negative keyword list, you can try broad match with smart bidding — but only if you have at least 30 conversions in the past 30 days. Most landscaping businesses don’t have that volume, so stick with phrase and exact.

Yes, and you probably should. Landscaping calls rarely come in at 2 a.m. on a Saturday. I set most landscaping campaigns to run Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time). You can also add Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. if you do weekend consultations. But watch your data — if you’re getting calls on Sunday from people who want a Monday estimate, don’t cut Sunday entirely. Use ad schedule bid adjustments to lower bids during low-quality hours instead of turning ads off completely.

First, add your competitors’ names as negative keywords. Someone searching “Better Lawn vs GreenScape” is comparing — they may click just to see your prices. Second, use IP exclusions if you know your competitor’s office IP. But in practice, competitor clicks are overblown. Google’s invalid click detection catches most of them. I’ve managed accounts with $100,000+ monthly spend and never seen more than 1–2% invalid clicks. If you’re truly worried, use a click fraud detection service like ClickCease. It costs about $20/month and can block repeat offenders.

You can use call-only ads (no website) if your goal is phone calls. That works well for simple services like lawn mowing or leaf removal. But if you offer multiple services (design, installation, maintenance, snow removal), a landing page is better. You can direct people to a page that lists services, shows photos, and has a clear “Get a Free Estimate” button. That page should load in under 2 seconds. I’ve seen landing pages that take 5 seconds to load destroy conversion rates — drop from 8% to 2% just from load time alone.

I once watched a client in NYC spend $4,000 in two weeks on a broad match campaign targeting “landscaping New York” — their ad was showing in Buffalo. They couldn’t understand why they got zero calls. I told them it’s like opening a lemonade stand in Brooklyn and putting up a sign that says “Lemonade” in Times Square. People are looking, but they’re not at your stand. That’s the problem Google Ads solves — if you set it up right. Most guides skip this part, but I’ve seen too many small landscaping businesses throw money at ads and get nothing back. You don’t have to be one of them.