Budget for Google Ads costs in Vancouver

Ask for these costs separately when you collect quotes. Confirm which amount you pay Google to run the ads and what the management fee covers. Google’s guide to working with an advertising partner

Work backward from a booked job

Suppose the Burnaby painter can spend CA$180 in total to win a booking after allowing for job costs and the profit they want to keep. If one in four inquiries books and one in ten clicks becomes an inquiry, 2.5% of clicks turn into bookings. If the painter could put the full CA$180 into media, the average cost-per-click target would be CA$4.50.

Now allow for management. At 15 expected bookings, the CA$180 target gives the painter CA$2,700 for acquisition. After CA$800 in management, CA$1,900 remains for media, or about CA$127 per expected booking. At the same conversion rates, that is a media-only target of about CA$3.17 per click. If the painter also wants to recover the CA$400 setup cost in the first month, the target falls to CA$2.50 per click. Recalculate when the booking estimate or fees change.

Model a few ways the same CA$3,000 in monthly ad spend could perform. Here, an inquiry means a valid form or call before you check whether the job fits. The figures are planning assumptions.

In the middle scenario, if 25% of inquiries book, the result is 15 bookings at CA$200 each in media. Add CA$800 in management and that rises to about CA$253 per booking before one-time costs. For the business with a CA$180 target, that’s a reason to improve the quote page or follow-up, or test a service with more room in its margins.

Make the first test small enough to learn from

Forecast one service first. In Keyword Planner, the painter can compare Vancouver alone with Vancouver plus Burnaby. Keep the keywords and other settings the same, then compare estimated clicks and cost. Include both “interior painter” and “interior painter Vancouver” to reflect how local customers might search. Check the estimates against search terms, calls, and forms once the campaign runs. Google Keyword Planner forecasts

Google describes the monthly limit for most campaigns as “30.4 times your average daily budget.”

Google Ads spending limits

For a full month, a CA$3,000 media budget works out to about CA$98.68 per day if the average daily budget stays the same. Google may spend up to twice that daily amount on an individual day for most campaigns.

Judge the budget by the work it brings in

Ask for a report that shows ad spend, valid inquiries, qualified inquiries, and bookings. Divide the media and management costs you’re tracking by booked jobs. If inquiries are good but bookings are slow, listen to calls or check follow-up times. If inquiries regularly come from outside your service area, review targeting and ad copy.

For the painter, start with the stage that costs the most bookings. If the ads bring homeowners who want interior painting but few request quotes, check the page and form. If qualified homeowners request quotes but rarely book, check how quickly the team responds and what happens after the estimate. Compare cost per booking again after the leads have had time to close before raising spend.