Should I run Google Ads?

By Ask a Shop OwnerUpdated Marketing

Short answer

Only after your Google Business Profile and organic ranking are solid. Then start small, track every dollar, and don't trust an agency that won't show you exactly where leads came from.

When ads make sense

You've outgrown organic leads. You have capacity to take more work. You can track which calls came from which keyword. If any of those three are missing, ads will burn money faster than you can think.

Local Service Ads first

For most trades, Google's Local Service Ads (the badge-style ones) are pay-per-lead, not pay-per-click. Cleaner economics for business owners than traditional search ads.

Ask your version of this question

This is one business owner-tested take. Your shop size, trade, and team change the answer. Ask the exact version inside Ask a Shop Owner and get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.