The 20-Point Contractor Ad Leak Audit for Google Ads, LSA and Business Profile

When we look at a home-service contractor's Google account, the same problems keep appearing. Budget leaks into the wrong searches, the wrong ZIP codes, unanswered calls and campaigns nobody reviews. Here is a 20-point checklist you can run yourself in an afternoon. Each item is a place where money can quietly drain. Want us to run it for you? Request a free campaign audit.

This is a general checklist, not a guarantee of results. Mentions of Google rules reflect the linked help pages as of October 2026.

Ownership and Local Services Ads (points 1 to 6)

1. You own your accounts. You are admin on Google Ads, Local Services Ads and your Business Profile. If an agency created them under its own login, ask for access now.
2. LSA is verified, all job types are selected, and service areas are set broadly (county level) per Google, improve LSA performance.
3. Reviews: at least 5, healthy rating, recent activity. See our review guide.
4. Responsiveness. Google notes missed calls may hurt LSA ranking (Google, LSA ad rankings). Check your missed-call rate, and whether message and booking leads are on.
5. Bidding and budget. Is the weekly budget gone before the weekend? Is the bid strategy still right?
6. Invalid leads. Are you disputing wrong-service, out-of-area and spam leads? See our LSA guide.

Business Profile (points 7 and 8)

7. Categories, services, hours and photos. Primary and secondary categories are correct, hours are accurate (and match when you actually answer), and photos are real. See Google, local ranking and our Business Profile management page.
8. Review recency and replies. Have you replied to recent reviews? BrightLocal found 89% of consumers expect owners to respond (BrightLocal, Feb 2026).

Tracking and calls (points 9 and 10)

9. Conversion tracking works. Calls from ads, calls from the site, and forms are all measured, with no double-counting. A top mistake Hook Agency lists is no conversion tracking at all.
10. Call recordings are reviewed. Check answer rate, after-hours handling and booking rate. See call tracking for contractors.

Google Ads search campaigns (points 11 to 17)

11. Location targeting is "Presence", not "Presence or interest". Google's default also reaches people merely interested in your area. Per Google Ads, location targeting, switch it so you reach people actually in your service area, and make sure radius or ZIPs match where you really work.
12. Read the search terms report. What share of spend goes to irrelevant queries: job seekers, DIY, parts, courses, the wrong trade?
13. Negative keywords exist, including plurals and misspellings. According to Google Ads, negative keywords, negative keywords do not match close variants, so blocking "jobs" will not block "job". Add plurals, singulars and common misspellings yourself.
14. Match types are controlled. Broad match without negatives, or Smart campaigns left on autopilot, can burn budget fast.
15. Branded and non-branded are separated. Industry data from SearchLight, Jan 2026 shows branded search at $34 per lead versus $149 non-branded for HVAC and plumbing combined, so blending them hides the real picture. Also check Auction Insights for lead aggregators bidding on your name.
16. Call-only ads are gone or replaced. Google has stopped new call-only ads, and existing ones stop serving in February 2027. Move to responsive search ads with call assets (Google Ads, call ads to call assets). Check that every ad has call assets.
17. Ad schedule matches your staffing. Either ads run when you can answer, or an answering service covers after-hours.

Landing page, budget and reporting (points 18 to 20)

18. The landing page matches the ad. One service per page, fast on mobile, click-to-call above the fold. Sending every click to the homepage is a classic mistake.
19. Budget is going to the right campaigns. Your best campaign shows "limited by budget" while weak ones keep spending? Move the money.
20. Reporting shows booked jobs and revenue, not just clicks and impressions. If your report cannot tell you cost per booked job, you are guessing.

How to score yourself

Give yourself one point for each item you can confirm with evidence, not memory. Under 12 means you likely have material leaks. For context on what leaks can cost, SearchLight, Q1 2026 reported plumbing account-level cost per lead from $77 (10th percentile) to $396 (90th percentile) across 524 contractors, a gap that often comes from settings like these. That is industry data, not a promise of what you will save.

What to fix first

Do not try to fix all twenty at once. Change one thing at a time, note the date, and watch the next week of data so you know what helped.

1. Ownership and tracking (points 1, 9, 10), because you cannot manage what you cannot measure.
2. Location and negatives (11 to 13), the fastest wins on wasted spend.
3. Call handling (4, 17), because the best ad is wasted on a missed call.
4. Landing page and reporting (18 to 20).

If you want help, see our services for HVAC, plumbing and electrician contractors, check pricing, or send us your account details through the free audit.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I run this audit?

Quarterly is a good habit, and sooner after any big change: new budget, new service area or a new agency.

Can I fix these myself?

Many items, like negatives, location settings and review replies, are doable yourself. Tracking and campaign structure take more time, so some owners prefer to delegate.

Will fixing these leaks guarantee more leads?

No. It reduces wasted spend and improves measurement. Lead volume still depends on your market, budget and competition. Results vary.