Google Ads can put a locksmith in front of someone searching for urgent help, but the channel only works commercially when the business can answer, attend the job and measure the result. There is no reliable national “typical CPC” or guaranteed number of calls: auctions, locations, hours, competition and account quality all change the cost.
Build the first campaign around the locksmith's real service area and capacity. Start with a bounded budget, measure qualified and won jobs, and expand only when the economics hold.
Use responsive search ads with call assets
Old advice to create new call-only ads is out of date. Google removed the option to create new call-only ads in February 2026 and says existing call-only ads will stop receiving impressions in February 2027. Its current route is a responsive search ad with a call asset.
Add the business's verified phone number as a call asset, enable call reporting where appropriate, and schedule the asset for times when someone can answer. The ad can still lead to a useful landing page for people who want to check the business before calling.
Do not count every tap as a job. Google can measure calls from ads and calls after a website visit, while offline call conversions can connect later outcomes from another system. Use those options to distinguish:
- a call attempt;
- a connected call;
- a suitable locksmith enquiry;
- an attended or booked job;
- a paid job and its contribution.
A call-duration threshold is only a proxy. A long call can be irrelevant, and a short call can book valid work. Reconcile ad data with the business's own call or job log whenever possible.
Separate services that need different answers
Do not put every locksmith service into one vague ad group. Separate meaningful intent where the service, coverage or landing-page answer differs. A simple starting structure might be:
| Campaign or ad group | Include only when true | Landing-page answer |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency home lockout | You take urgent domestic work in the targeted area | Current hours, coverage, call route and pricing process |
| Lock repair or replacement | You repair the relevant door and lock types | Services, parts approach, credentials and quote route |
| Auto locksmith | You have the tools, vehicle coverage and competence | Supported vehicle work, area and response route |
| Commercial locksmith | You accept business premises and access-control work | Commercial capability and enquiry process |
This separation keeps the ad and page relevant. It also prevents an auto enquiry being treated as a good lead by a domestic-only locksmith.
Use keywords that describe services actually offered. Avoid publishing a fixed “essential negative keyword” list without checking the account: a term such as a lock brand, key cutting or safe work may be valuable to one locksmith and irrelevant to another.
Review the searches that spent money
Google's search terms report shows the queries that triggered ads when they meet the report's privacy thresholds. Review it frequently while a new campaign gathers data, then at a cadence justified by spend and query change.
Add a negative keyword when the search represents work the business does not want or cannot fulfil. Common categories to inspect include:
- jobs, salaries, courses and training;
- tools and do-it-yourself instructions;
- areas outside the real coverage;
- vehicle work for a domestic-only service, or the reverse;
- products or services the business does not supply.
Check match type before applying a negative. Negative keywords work differently from positive keywords, and an over-broad exclusion can block wanted searches. The report does not reveal every low-volume query, so its visible rows are useful evidence rather than a complete audit of all traffic.
Target the area you can attend
Google Search campaigns default to reaching people in, regularly in, or interested in a targeted location. Google also provides a “Presence” option for people likely to be in or regularly in the area. A local emergency service should inspect this setting rather than assume that selecting a town limits every click to someone physically there.
Location targeting is based on signals and Google says it is not 100% accurate. Compare the Geographic and User locations reports with accepted and rejected jobs. Exclude places you cannot serve, but retain legitimate searches from customers arranging help for a property in the service area when those are valuable to the business.
Make each claim provable
Write the ad from verified business facts. Suitable differentiators might include an actual local base, named service coverage, a genuine professional membership, the hours answered, accepted payment methods or a clear pricing process.
Only state claims such as “24/7”, “no call-out fee”, “DBS checked”, a starting price or an arrival time when they are current, consistently honoured and supported by the business. Do not invent an average response time or use a professional body's logo without valid membership and permission.
The landing page should quickly show:
- the exact service advertised;
- towns or postcodes genuinely covered;
- a clickable phone number and answered hours;
- who will attend and any verified credentials;
- how pricing is agreed, including any call-out charge;
- another contact route for non-urgent enquiries;
- privacy information for any form or tracking used.
Real job photographs and accurate reviews can help a visitor assess the business. They must not imply that a stock image documents a local job or that an unverified badge is a current credential.
Set a budget from margins and capacity
Begin with the maximum acquisition cost the business can afford, not a generic daily-budget table.
For each job type, estimate contribution after labour, parts, travel and other direct costs. Then decide how much of that contribution can reasonably fund acquisition. For example, if the business can afford £60 to win one paid job, that is the commercial ceiling to test; it is not a forecast of what Google Ads will achieve.
Track:
Cost per qualified enquiry = ad spend ÷ suitable enquiries
Cost per won job = ad spend ÷ paid jobs attributed to the campaign
Contribution after ads = contribution from won jobs − ad spend
Also watch missed-call rate, out-of-area rate and jobs declined for lack of capacity. Buying more clicks when the phone is unanswered or the diary is full does not create useful growth.
A controlled first test
Start with one service family, one real coverage area and ads scheduled around answerable hours. Confirm the landing page and phone route work, record a clean baseline, then review search terms and lead quality before adding services or locations.
If you want help assessing an existing campaign, request a free Google Ads audit. The review should use the account's actual searches, costs and won-job data; it cannot promise a fixed CPC, number of calls or return.
Official sources checked
- Google Ads Help: transition from call ads to call assets — accessed 8 September 2026
- Google Ads Help: call assets — accessed 8 September 2026
- Google Ads Help: measure calls from ads — accessed 8 September 2026
- Google Ads Help: search terms report — accessed 8 September 2026
- Google Ads Help: negative keyword ideas from search terms — accessed 8 September 2026
- Google Ads Help: advanced location options — accessed 8 September 2026