Most septic service businesses think the only way to get more jobs from Google Ads is to spend more money. But here’s the truth—if your campaign isn’t set up right, no amount of money will fix it. You could double your budget tomorrow and still not see better results. Worse, you might just get more of the wrong kinds of calls—people price shopping, asking questions, or looking for a service you don’t even offer. If you’re spending money on ads but not booking enough high-paying jobs, there’s likely one thing in your campaign holding you back. The good news? It’s an easy fix, and once you get it right, you can get more jobs without spending a dollar more on ads.
In this video, I’m going to show you why increasing your budget won’t fix a broken campaign, the secret to making your ad budget go twice as far, and a simple tweak that helps you target high-paying leads instead of time-wasters. If you’re tired of spending money on ads that don’t bring in real customers, this is for you.
Imagine you’re filling a septic tank with water to test for leaks. If the tank has cracks, no matter how much water you pour in, it’s just going to leak out. You could keep adding more and more, but you’ll never fix the problem until you seal the cracks. Running Google Ads without fixing your targeting is just like that. If your campaign has leaks—meaning bad keywords, the wrong audience, or wasted ad spend—throwing more money at it won’t get you more jobs. But if you fix those cracks first, you can get twice as much business for the same budget.
The biggest reason spending more money won’t fix a broken campaign is that if you’re targeting the wrong people, more money just means more of the wrong people clicking your ad. I see septic service businesses all the time running ads that show up for general searches like “septic information” or “DIY septic pumping.” These aren’t people looking to hire you. Even worse, some campaigns are set up to show ads for people searching things like “septic tank parts”—which means you’re paying for clicks from homeowners looking to do the job themselves. The first fix? Tighten your keyword targeting so your ads only show up for people actively looking for a professional septic service.
Once your targeting is right, the next step is making sure your ad budget goes further. The best way to do this is to stop bidding on broad terms and focus on what I call “buyer keywords.” These are the searches people type in when they’re ready to hire. Instead of “septic tank problems,” you want searches like “septic pumping near me” or “emergency septic repair in [city].” By switching your focus to high-intent searches, you get fewer wasted clicks, and the people who do click are more likely to turn into paying customers.
The last piece of the puzzle is making sure you attract the right customers—the ones who aren’t just looking for the cheapest price. A simple way to do this is by using “qualifier” words in your ads. Instead of just saying “Septic Pumping – Call Now,” say something like “Licensed Septic Experts – Fast Service.” This small tweak tells people who you are and what you do before they even click. It also helps filter out price shoppers who are just looking for the cheapest option. The better you qualify your leads, the more high-paying jobs you’ll book—without spending a penny more.
If this helped, check out my other videos where I break down more ways to make Google Ads work better for your septic service business. With a few simple changes, you can turn your ads into a lead-generating machine that brings in more jobs without wasting money on bad clicks.
