Google Ads for electricians: Setting up campaigns by job type
The search "electrician near me" could mean a flickering light or a full panel upgrade. Google Ads cannot tell the difference unless you set the account up to.
Electricians have a volume problem in reverse. Plenty of people search for an electrician, but most of those jobs are small. A Google Ads account that treats every search the same will fill your schedule with small repairs. An account split by job type lets you choose the mix.
Campaigns by job type
List your services and their typical value. A common structure:
- Repairs and troubleshooting: "electrician near me", "outlet not working", "breaker keeps tripping". High volume, lower value.
- Panel upgrades: "electrical panel upgrade", "200 amp service upgrade". Lower volume, higher value.
- EV charger installation: "ev charger installation near me", "level 2 charger install". Growing and well defined.
- Generators: "whole house generator installation". High value, seasonal in storm-prone areas.
- Lighting and remodel work: "recessed lighting installation", "kitchen lighting electrician".
Each campaign gets its own budget, so you can put more behind panel upgrades and EV chargers without small jobs using it up.
Ads that match the job
A panel upgrade ad should mention permits, capacity for EVs and heat pumps, and financing if you offer it. An EV charger ad should mention the chargers you install and a typical timeline. A repair ad should lead with response time. Specific ads get more clicks from the right people and fewer from the wrong ones.
Landing pages
Send each campaign to a page about that job. Show what is included, a price range if you can, photos of your own work, reviews and a phone number at the top. See the service business landing page checklist.
Location and schedule
Target your real service area with presence-based targeting. If you do not take emergency calls at night, schedule repair ads to stop when nobody can answer, or send after-hours calls to an answering service. Project campaigns can run in the evening, when homeowners research.
Negative keywords
Start with negatives such as jobs, apprentice, salary, license, course, DIY, how to, wiring diagram, and parts or supplier terms. Review search terms weekly for the first few months. See negative keywords for service businesses.
Tracking
Count calls from ads above a minimum duration, calls from your website using call tracking, and form submissions. Record the job type and value of booked work so you can see which campaigns pay.
Illustrative example
These numbers are invented to show the effect.
An electrician spends $3,000 a month on one campaign and books 30 jobs averaging $400: $12,000. After splitting by job type, they spend $1,500 on repairs, $1,000 on panel upgrades and $500 on EV chargers. They book 22 repairs, 4 panel upgrades at $3,000 and 5 chargers at $1,200: $26,800.
Where to start
Split out your two most valuable job types into their own campaigns with dedicated pages. Measure booked jobs and revenue by campaign.
Our Google Ads management service builds accounts by job type for electricians. See also electrical contractor marketing ideas and our electrician lead generation service. For a review of your account, request a free audit.
Questions owners ask
Are Google Ads worth it for electricians?
Yes, especially for higher-value jobs such as panel upgrades, EV chargers and generators, when campaigns are split by job type.
What keywords should electricians target?
Service-specific searches with local intent, such as "panel upgrade near me" or "EV charger installation [city]", plus general searches in a separate campaign with its own budget.
How do I stop getting small electrical jobs from ads?
Give small repair searches their own lower budget, and put more budget and dedicated landing pages behind the job types you want.
Want us to look at your own numbers?
Get a free lead generation audit. We will review your ads, landing pages and tracking, and show you where enquiries are slipping away. If nothing is broken, we will tell you that too.
LeadWise MarketingAn owner-operated lead generation agency based in Cape Town, South Africa, working with service businesses across the United States and Europe. More about LeadWise.
