Google Ads for pest control, from termites to cockroaches
Google Ads for pest control has a wide range of job values under one name. A cockroach treatment and a termite inspection that finds active damage are worlds apart in what they're worth. The account should bid for the jobs that build the business, not just the cheapest clicks.
100 calls a month, or you don't pay us that month.
If our call tracking records fewer than 100 calls from your Google Ads in a calendar month, we waive our management fee for that month. It applies while the campaign runs at the ad spend we agree on together. Ad spend goes to Google for clicks already delivered, so that part isn't refunded. Full terms.
Urgent treatments and high-value inspections.
- Termites: inspections, treatments, pre-purchase reports. The highest-value searches in the trade.
- General pests: cockroaches, spiders, ants, rodents. Frequent, urgent when someone's seen one.
- Seasonal: wasps, bees, possums, bed bugs. Spikes at predictable times of year.
- Commercial: food businesses and contracts needing regular service and paperwork.
The waste that's specific to pest control.
- DIY treatments and products: bug bombs, sprays, baits.
- Pest identification searches: "what does a termite look like".
- Wildlife rescue searches, which want a carer, not a technician.
- Pest control jobs and licence courses.
A starting list we'd add on day one.
- spray, bomb, bait, powder, buy, bunnings, diy, home remedy
- what does, identify, pictures, bite
- rescue, wildlife carer, wires
- jobs, licence, course, salary
Inspections booked, not just calls.
A termite inspection is often the start of a much bigger job, so we track bookings by type and give inspection campaigns room to win. General pest calls are tracked too, but they're judged on cost per booked treatment, not cost per click.
Termites first, then everything else.
- Termites. Inspections, treatments, barriers and pre-purchase reports. Highest value, so it gets its own campaign and budget.
- General pests. Cockroaches, spiders, ants. Frequent and urgent, often booked the same week.
- Rodents. Rats and mice, with a spike in the cooler months when they come inside.
- Seasonal. Wasps, bees and bed bugs, switched on when the season arrives in your area.
- Commercial. Food businesses and regular contracts, only if you want them.
When pest searches climb.
Timing varies by region and by year, so the account watches the searches rather than the calendar. The usual pattern in most of southern Australia:
| When | What lifts | What the account does |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Termite swarming, ants, spiders | Push termite inspections and general pest |
| Summer | Cockroaches, wasps, mosquitoes | Lift general pest and seasonal ads |
| Autumn and winter | Rats and mice moving indoors | Shift budget to rodent control |
| Before a house sale | Pre-purchase inspection searches | Keep a steady inspection campaign running |
What a good pest control ad says.
- Headline: Termite Inspection, [Area] · Description: Thermal and moisture checks with a written report. Book this week.
- Headline: Cockroach Treatment Today · Description: Licensed technicians, family and pet safe options. Warranty on treatments.
- Headline: Rats in the Roof? · Description: We find where they're getting in and seal it, not just lay bait.
What the page needs.
- Your pest management licence, near the top.
- For termites, what the inspection covers and what the written report includes.
- For general pests, whether treatments are safe around kids and pets. It's the first question people ask.
- Any warranty period on treatments.
- A phone number at the top and a short booking form.
The pest control searches we'd start with.
Phrase and exact match to start, so you only pay for searches that mean what you think they mean. Broad match comes later, if at all, once the negative list has had a month of real search terms fed into it.
| Search | Match | Why it's in |
|---|---|---|
| termite inspection [area] | Phrase | Highest value search in the trade |
| pre purchase pest inspection | Phrase | Steady, deadline-driven |
| pest control [area] | Phrase | Broad, needs the product negatives |
| cockroach treatment [area] | Phrase | Urgent, books fast |
| rodent control [area] | Phrase | Cooler months |
| wasp nest removal | Phrase | Seasonal, urgent |
| termite treatment cost | Phrase | Early research, good for a cost page |
Mistakes we find in pest control accounts.
- Termites inside a general campaign. The highest-value work competes for budget with cheap cockroach clicks.
- Product searches left in. Sprays, baits and bombs take a big share of pest searches, and most of those people will never book a technician.
- No seasonal changes. Wasp and rodent ads running at the same level all year, missing the weeks that matter.
- Wildlife searches not excluded. People looking for a wildlife carer click pest ads and can't be helped.
- No mention of pets or kids. It's the first worry most callers have, and ads that answer it get more calls.
Straight answers.
Do Google Ads work for pest control?
Yes, especially for termite inspections and urgent general pest treatments. They waste money on product and identification searches if those aren't excluded.
Should pest control businesses advertise termites separately?
Yes. Termite work is worth far more per job and the searches are different. It deserves its own campaign and its own budget.
When should pest control ads spend more?
In the weeks your seasonal pests show up in your area. Termite swarming, wasp season and the first warm weeks for cockroaches all bring spikes.
Are termite inspections worth advertising?
Usually yes. They're among the highest-value searches in pest control, and an inspection often leads to a treatment or a barrier.
Should pest control ads mention safety around pets?
Yes, if your treatments allow it. It's one of the most common worries, and answering it in the ad can lift the number of people who call.
How do I stop paying for people who want to do it themselves?
Exclude product and spray searches, and write ads that make clear you're a licensed technician coming to the house, not a shop.
Should pest control ads target real estate agents?
If you do pre-purchase and rental inspections, a small campaign for agent and conveyancer searches can bring steady repeat work.
How long does it take for pest control ads to work?
Urgent treatments usually book within the first week or two. Termite inspection campaigns take longer to judge because the bigger treatment jobs follow later.
Google Ads for other trades
Want more of the bigger jobs?
Tell me which treatments you want more of and where, and I'll tell you honestly whether ads make sense.