Google Ads for Concrete Contractors: Beginner Guide

Google Ads puts your concrete business in front of people who are searching for concrete work right now. Done well, it brings in steady calls for driveways, patios and foundations. Done badly, it burns money fast. This beginner guide walks you through setting up, running and improving a Google Ads campaign for a concrete company in 2026.

I've run Google Ads for contractors for more than five years. For concrete, the account usually lives or dies on the landing page, and the numbers below show why.

1. Why Google Ads?

Google Ads puts you at the top of search results when someone looks for concrete services in your area. If you'd rather have an expert set it up, talk to us. Here's why it works:

• It's fast: SEO can take months. Ads can bring in calls the week they launch.
• The leads are ready: your ads only show when people search for the work you do.
• You control the budget: set a daily limit and change it any time.
• You can measure it: with tracking in place, you'll know what every lead costs.

For context, a contractor's search ad typically costs about $11.24 a click and $121 a lead, in Canadian dollars.^{1,4–9,11,15–20} A concrete lead usually costs more, about $175, because people compare several companies before they call.^1–3 Your numbers will depend on your city, your competition and how good your landing page is.

2. Setting Up Your Google Ads Account

Before launching your first campaign:

1. Go to ads.google.com and sign in with your business Google account.
2. Choose "Expert mode" if it's offered, so you get full control instead of a simplified campaign.
3. Pick Leads as your goal and Search as the campaign type.
4. Add your billing details and set up conversion tracking for calls and forms before you spend a dollar.

3. Choosing the Right Keywords

Keywords decide when your ads show. Start with specific, local searches like:

• "concrete contractor near me"
• "stamped concrete driveway [city]"
• "concrete foundation contractor [city]"
• "concrete patio installation [city]"

Tip: Use Google's free Keyword Planner to check search volume and suggested bids. Add negative keywords like "jobs", "DIY", "calculator" and "bags" so you don't pay for clicks from people who will never hire you.

Group the keywords by finish, so each ad and page matches what was searched. Here's a made-up driveway campaign in Kamloops:

4. Writing Ads That Get Calls

Google uses responsive search ads: you give it up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and it tests the combinations. Include:

• Your main service and area: "Concrete Contractors in [City]"
• A reason to pick you: "Free Estimates, Fast Scheduling"
• A clear next step: "Call Now for a Quote"
• Proof: years in business, number of reviews, warranties you offer
• Assets: add a call button, your location, sitelinks and photos of your work

Google stopped allowing new call-only ads in February 2026, and existing ones stop running in February 2027. Use a call asset on your regular ads instead.

5. Location and Audience Targeting

Most wasted spend comes from showing ads in the wrong places.

• Location: target the cities or a radius you actually serve, and set it to "people in or regularly in" your area, rather than people who are only interested in it.
• Audiences: on Search, the keyword does most of the targeting. Keep demographics broad unless your data shows a clear pattern.
• Schedule: if nobody answers the phone after 6 pm, send calls only during business hours.

6. Building a Landing Page

Send ad clicks to a page built for that service, not your homepage. Make sure it has:

• A headline that matches the ad
• A short contact form and a tap-to-call phone number
• Photos of your real concrete projects
• Reviews, service areas and what happens after someone reaches out
• Fast loading on a phone

Two concrete and hardscaping sites that do this well

Both are sites we built. Look at where the quote button sits on a phone, and how every service has its own page.

7. Budget and Bidding

Set a daily budget you're comfortable with for a full month, so Google has enough data to learn. Common bidding options:

• Maximize clicks: fine for the first few weeks while you collect data.
• Maximize conversions: once tracking is working, Google bids for calls and forms.
• Target CPA: once you have steady leads, set the cost per lead you want.
• Manual CPC: full control, but it takes more time to manage.

Tip: concretemarketing.ca has a detailed post on keywords, budgets and costs per click for concrete.

8. Tracking and Improving Your Ads

Check your campaign every week. The numbers that matter:

• Click-through rate: are people clicking your ad?
• Cost per click: what you pay for each visitor.
• Conversion rate: how many visitors call or fill out the form.
• Cost per lead and booked jobs: the numbers that actually pay the bills.

Look at the search terms report every week and add anything irrelevant as a negative keyword.

9. Remarketing: Bring Back Lost Leads

Most people visit your site and leave without calling. Remarketing shows them your ads again while they're still deciding.

• Show display or YouTube ads to past visitors in your area.
• Use a time-limited offer, like a spring sealing special.
• Use short videos of finished projects to bring them back.

10. Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Targeting an area far bigger than you'll actually drive to.
• Sending clicks to your homepage instead of a landing page.
• Generic ads that sound like every other contractor.
• No conversion tracking, so nobody knows what's working.
• Never checking the search terms report.

Where to start

Start with one service in one area, driveways in your home city for example, with its own landing page, call tracking and $30 to $60 a day for a full month. Then look at the cost per booked job, move budget to what's working and add the next service.

Looking for other ways to grow? Read our concrete advertising ideas, or see our Scaling Package if you want us to run your ads for you.