When an AC dies in Tampa or a pipe bursts in Jacksonville, the search happens on Google. Florida service businesses that skip ads give that call to whoever is paying. This walkthrough covers Local Services Ads and Search Ads: paperwork, structure, tracking, and the seasonal budget swings that Florida trades actually live with.
Why Florida trades run two ad products
Emergency searches convert in hours and want a tap-to-call. Planned work (installs, replacements, remodels) involves comparison and needs a landing page. Geographic targeting has to be zip-tight or you pay for clicks you will not dispatch. HVAC needs more budget May through September. Roofers spike after storms. Plumbers see freeze events. Build the seasonal multiplier in before you launch.
Prep before you spend
- ·Claim and complete the Google Business Profile. Fresh photos, accurate hours, honest categories.
- ·Start LSA verification now. It can take 2-4 weeks: registration, insurance, licenses, background checks for customer-facing employees.
- ·Define service zips. Do not draw the whole state.
- ·Install call tracking and conversion actions before the first click. See call tracking marketing.
- ·Budget: around $5,000 per month is typical in a competitive Florida metro if you want enough data to optimize. Leads often show inside 7 days once tracking is live.
Local Services Ads
- 01 Create the account at ads.google.com/local-services-ads and pick the trade category.
- 02 Submit verification documents.
- 03 Set service area by ZIP, not a giant city blob.
- 04 Set a weekly budget you can sustain through the first month of learning.
- 05 Complete the LSA profile: services, photos, response-time claims you can keep.
- 06 Answer every lead fast. Google rewards response time.
LSAs sit at the top and charge per lead. You pay when someone calls or messages through the ad. Review depth caps how much Google will send you.
Search Ads
- 01 Separate campaigns by service and intent (emergency vs planned).
- 02 Emergency: call-only or call-primary ads, tight hours, high intent keywords.
- 03 Planned: Search ads to a service landing page with a three-field form and click-to-call.
- 04 Negative keywords weekly. Florida metros burn budget on DIY, jobs, and out-of-area queries.
- 05 Import qualified call conversions, not every 8-second hang-up.
Run LSAs and Search together. LSAs take the top slot for many emergency queries. Search covers branded terms, planned work, and keywords LSAs do not cover. Do not send emergency traffic to a slow homepage. Pages should load under two seconds.
"Google Ads setup for Florida contractors: Local Services Ads and Search Ads, verification, zip targeting, call tracking, and seasonal budgets for HVAC, plumbing, and roofing."
Florida negatives and bids
Add negatives from day one: DIY, salary, jobs, training, parts only, wholesale, and cities you do not serve. Miami-Dade and Orlando waste spend on bilingual and tourist zips if you do not exclude them. Hurricane weeks: raise roofing and tree budgets, watch LSAs for lead-quality drops, and pause vanity display. Bid to the job: emergency plumber and same-day AC terms cost more than maintenance. Do not set one max CPC across the account.
Landing pages that convert in heat
Mobile first. Click-to-call sticky. License and insurance in the first screen. Load under two seconds. Three fields on the form: name, phone, problem. A Tampa HVAC homepage with a slider and a chat widget will lose the emergency tap to a one-service page that says "AC repair in [zip] today."
Weekly management
Search-term report every week. Grade calls. Shift budget to zips and services that book. Pause what does not. Setup gets you to the starting line. Management wins. ServiceLine Pro manages Google Ads at $0 agency fee because Spectrum pays us. The $1,000 Growth Audit will tell you in writing if the current account is leaking. Or book a strategy call at (813) 669-7572.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should Florida HVAC companies run ads year-round?
Yes, with a seasonal budget. Cut waste in shoulder months. Do not go dark in winter if you sell heat and maintenance. Summer needs more spend, not a new account from scratch.
LSAs or Search Ads first?
Start LSA verification immediately because of the wait. Launch Search as soon as tracking and landing pages exist. Running both covers more queries.
How much should a Florida contractor spend on Google Ads?
Enough for roughly 10 qualifying clicks a day on core terms, sustained 90 days. In competitive metros that often lands around $5,000 per month. Tiny budgets never exit the learning phase.
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