Builders, if you’ve been told you need a complex marketing strategy to generate leads, you’ve probably also been told to pay thousands to an agency to make it happen. The truth? You don’t need most of what they’re selling you.
What you actually need is:
- A solid Google Ads campaign that targets people ready to build.
- A good website or landing page experience when they click through.
We’ll cover landing page strategy in another article. For now, let’s walk through how to set up Google Ads in just 5 minutes and take control of your own lead generation.
Why Google Ads Works for Builders
Google Ads puts you in front of people who are actively searching for a builder. Unlike social media, where you’re interrupting someone’s scroll, these users already have intent—they’re ready to build or at least get quotes.
Better yet:
- You only pay when someone clicks your ad.
- You can control your daily spend.
- You can target your exact service area.
Step 1: Create Your Account
Head to ads.google.com and log in with your Google account. Click “New Campaign” to get started. Google’s setup process is straightforward, so don’t be intimidated.
Step 2: Choose Your Goal
For builders, your main goal should be Leads—you want people to call or fill out an enquiry form. Select “Leads” as your campaign objective.
If you’re looking for more traffic to your website, you can also choose “Website Traffic.” But leads are where the money is.
Step 3: Select Your Campaign Type
Choose Search Ads. These ads appear when people type queries like “custom home builder Brisbane” or “new home builder near me.” These are high-intent searches that convert.
Step 4: Set Your Location and Budget
Only advertise where you actually build. Use the location targeting tool to set your service area (e.g., 20km radius around your business).
Start with a daily budget of $20–$30 per day. You can always increase as results come in.
Step 5: Do Keyword Research (with AI)
Keywords make or break your campaign. Instead of guessing, use AI to help you find the best ones.
Here’s a prompt you can use in ChatGPT:
“Please give me 20 high-intent Google Ads keywords for a custom home builder in [Your City]. Make sure they are relevant, specific, and likely to convert leads.”
You’ll get a list of keywords like:
- custom home builder Brisbane
- knockdown rebuild Sunshine Coast
- luxury home builder near me
You can also ask for negative keywords (terms you don’t want your ad to show for):
“Please give me 15 negative keywords for Google Ads for a custom home builder in [Your City] to avoid irrelevant clicks.”
Example negatives: jobs, DIY, training, free plans.
Step 6: Write Your Ads (with AI)
Writing ads can feel hard—but with AI, it’s a breeze.
Here’s a prompt you can use in ChatGPT:
“Please write 3 Google Search Ads for a custom home builder in [Your City]. Each ad should include 3 headlines (30 characters max) and 2 descriptions (90 characters max). Focus on quality homes, fixed-price contracts, and free quotes.”
In seconds, you’ll have ad copy ready to copy and paste into Google Ads.
Step 7: Review and Launch
Check your location, budget, keywords, and ads. Then hit Publish. Your campaign will start running almost immediately.
What Happens Next?
You’ve just set up your first Google Ads campaign without an agency—and in under 5 minutes.
This is the fastest way to get leads as a builder, and it’s something agencies often charge thousands for.
In our next guide, we’ll show you how to build a landing page that converts clicks into customers. Because once someone lands on your site, the experience matters.
Take Control. Spend Less. Get More Leads.
If you want to learn more about marketing strategies for builders, follow us here or check out our latest videos on The Good Builder YouTube channel.
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