Google Ads & PPC
Your cost per lead should be under $100.
If it's not, something is broken. Here's how to fix it.
The benchmarks
What healthy looks like.
Under $50
Top Tier
Top-performing home service accounts. Tight targeting, strong landing pages, dialed negatives.
$50-$100
Healthy
Normal range for most home service campaigns. Worth scaling spend.
Over $150
Broken
Something is leaking. Could be keywords, landing page, ad copy, geo targeting, or campaign structure.
The four things that fix high CPL
In this order.
- 01
Negative keywords
If you're paying for clicks you'd never close, CPL goes up. Audit the search terms.
- 02
Landing page
If the landing page converts at 1%, CPL is 5x what it should be. Most fixes are on the page, not in the ad.
- 03
Ad copy
If the ad attracts the wrong searcher, you pay for clicks that bounce. Match the ad to the keyword tightly.
- 04
Geo targeting
If your radius is too wide, you're paying for clicks outside your service area. Tighten it.
The deeper issue
A $200 CPL isn't always a bad campaign.
If your average job is $5,000 and you close 1 in 3 leads, $200 CPL = $600 cost per booked job on $5,000 of revenue. That's still a great ROI. The benchmark matters less than the math. Always tie CPL back to job value.
The takeaway
Aim for $50-$100. Tolerate higher if the job value justifies it.
But always know the number. If you can't see CPL, you can't fix it.