BlueSmith
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What we build Video AdsFilmed on your jobs. Written and edited by us.Project Pages + EstimatorsYour work, a price range, a booking calendar.Speed-to-Lead + BookingInstant replies, reminders, and follow-up.
How it works The Acquisition EngineAttention × Offer × Sales × System.How It StartsFive steps, no surprises.Free ToolsLead value, break-even CPL, ad budget.
Who we build for RemodelersKitchens, baths, whole-home projects.RoofersFull replacements, not leak calls.All TradesHVAC, solar, pools, plumbing, electrical, and more.
GOOGLE ADS FOR GENERAL CONTRACTORS

Google Ads for general contractors, minus the license-exam searches.

“General contractor” is one of the messiest phrases to buy on Google. Students, job seekers, commercial bidders, and people with a broken door all type it.

  • General Contracting
  • Google Ads
Show me where I’m losing jobsFree 2-minute assessment · No pitch, no obligation

At a glance

Who it’s for
General Contracting contractors: room additions, second-story additions, whole-home renovations
What goes wrong
  • The broad phrase eats the budget
  • Commercial and public bid traffic
  • Every click lands on the homepage
What we run
  • Project keywords, not the job title
  • A negative list built for GCs
  • Planning pages that match the search
  • Your Business Profile as the second look
Judged on
  • Cost per booked planning meeting from search
  • Share of clicks from non-homeowner searches
  • Planning meeting to signed build rate
  • Signed builds by keyword group
What it costs
Ad spend is paid directly to Meta or Google, never through BlueSmith. Setup and monthly management are scoped on a strategy call after the free assessment.
WHERE IT BREAKS

Google Ads for general contractors: what goes wrong.

01

The broad phrase eats the budget

“General contractor” searches include how to get licensed, GC salaries, and subcontractor job hunts. None of them are hiring you.

02

Commercial and public bid traffic

Tenant improvements and public works searches look similar on the keyword list and send people who want a bid package, not a homeowner meeting.

03

Every click lands on the homepage

Someone searching “second story addition” sees your company story and a contact form, then goes back to the results.

WHAT WE RUN

Built for general contractors. Run by us.

Project keywords, not the job title

Separate groups for room additions, second stories, whole-home renovations, and building on an owned lot, each with its own ad.

A negative list built for GCs

License, exam, school, salary, jobs, subcontractor, commercial, tenant improvement, and handyman terms blocked before launch, then updated from real search terms.

Planning pages that match the search

A second-story search lands on second-story work, a range from your past projects, and the planning meeting calendar.

Your Business Profile as the second look

Current build photos and an accurate service area, so homeowners who check your listing see the same projects as the ad.

AN EXAMPLE WE WROTE

Example search terms review for a GC account (illustration, not real account data)

  1. 01Keep: “room addition contractor [city]” → additions page.
  2. 02Keep: “second story addition cost” → second-story page with the range and planning meeting.
  3. 03Block: “general contractor license,” “contractor exam,” “GC salary,” “construction jobs.”
  4. 04Block: “tenant improvement contractor,” “commercial general contractor,” “bid opportunities.”
  5. 05Block: “handyman,” “door installation,” “drywall repair” → small jobs outside your offer.
  6. 06Watch: “design build firm” → keep only if you offer design in-house or with a partner architect.
Judged on
  • Cost per booked planning meeting from search
  • Share of clicks from non-homeowner searches
  • Planning meeting to signed build rate
  • Signed builds by keyword group

Example written by BlueSmith to show the approach. Not a client ad or a result.

RUN YOUR NUMBERS

Contractor CAC: what does it cost you to sign one job?

Cost per lead tells half the story. Customer acquisition cost counts everything you spent and divides it by the jobs you actually signed.

35%

Customer acquisition cost per signed job: $1,500

Customer acquisition cost per signed job$1,500
CAC as a share of each job’s revenue
6.0%
CAC as a share of each job’s gross profit
17.1%

$7,500 a month all-in for 5 signed jobs at $25,000 and 35% margin.

See what we’d build for these numbers

Starts with example numbers. Change them to yours. Arithmetic only, not a promise of results.

Open the full contractor cac calculator

KEEP GOING

Everything for general contractors, connected.

STRAIGHT ANSWERS

Questions we hear.

Should a GC bid on the keyword “general contractor”?

Usually not as broad match. Most of that traffic is researching licenses, jobs, or commercial work. Specific project searches cost more per click and bring homeowners who are actually planning something.

Search ads or Local Services Ads for a general contractor?

Local Services Ads bill per lead and send people to your Google listing, with little control over which projects show up. Search ads let you pick project keywords and land people on a planning page. Some GCs run both and compare signed builds.

How long before Google Ads produce a signed build?

Planning meetings can come in the first weeks. Signed builds take as long as your design and permitting cycle, which is why tracking has to stay attached for months.

Do I need a website for Google Ads to work?

You need landing pages that match the searches. We build planning pages for each project type, and they can live alongside your current site.

Your crew is ready for the next job. Is your calendar?

Seven questions. Two minutes. See the one part of your engine holding your projects back.

Show me where I’m losing jobsFree 2-minute assessment · No pitch, no obligation

Avg response time 2.5 minutes