01
You pay for searches you never wanted
Broad or poorly reviewed search coverage can attract informational, employment, DIY, free or otherwise irrelevant intent.
Google Ads Starter Pack
Google Ads Starter Pack for Australian Service Businesses
Launch a focused Google Search campaign around the services you provide and the locations you serve. The Google Ads Starter Pack brings together keyword targeting, relevant ads, landing-page direction and conversion-tracking foundations to help you assess what paid traffic produces.
No guaranteed lead volume or cost per lead. Performance depends on market demand, competition, budget, offer, location, landing-page quality and what happens after the enquiry arrives.
Clicks are easy to buy. Useful enquiries are harder.
More clicks are useful only when the enquiry journey is ready
Paid search can generate activity quickly, but poor targeting, weak exclusions, generic ads and mismatched landing pages can turn budget into visits that were never likely to become clients.
02
The ad and landing page do not match
A prospect searches for one thing, sees one promise in the ad, then lands on a generic page that makes them work to find the answer.
03
You cannot tell which clicks became enquiries
Without sensible conversion measurement, impressions and click numbers can look busy while the commercial result remains unclear.
Who this is for
Is the Google Ads Starter Pack right for your business?
This package suits service businesses with relevant search demand, a clear offer and capacity to handle enquiries. The Enquiry Review helps decide whether paid search should come first or whether your website, tracking or positioning needs attention.
Likely to be a good fit
Especially useful where the business:
- offers a service people actively search for
- has a viable margin or client value relative to acquisition cost
- can define the services and locations it wants to target
- has capacity to respond quickly to new enquiries
- can provide a credible landing page or allow one to be improved
- is prepared to measure calls, forms or other lead actions
May not be the right first service
Another starting point may be better where:
- there is little measurable search demand for the offer
- the website has serious speed or conversion problems
- the business cannot respond to enquiries consistently
- the available media budget is too small for the target market
- the offer or positioning is still unclear
- the industry or proposed claims create unresolved advertising-policy issues
Why alignment matters
Google Ads works best when the whole journey points in one direction
Google’s Quality Score diagnostic includes ad relevance and landing-page experience. For your business, the practical objective is to connect a relevant search with a useful destination and an enquiry you can evaluate.
Intent
Start with searches that indicate genuine demand for the service, location or problem the business can actually solve.
Message
Build responsive search-ad assets that reflect the service, the searcher's need and the business's real point of difference.
Destination
Send the click to a page that is relevant, useful, easy to navigate and consistent with what the ad led the prospect to expect.
Measurement
Track the lead actions that matter so campaign decisions are based on useful business behaviour rather than clicks alone.
Paid search can create faster visibility than waiting for organic rankings, but speed to visibility is not the same as guaranteed profitability. The commercial outcome still depends on the market, offer, budget, destination and follow-up.
Platform guidance: Google’s explanation of Quality Score.
What the Starter Pack covers
Six foundations for a cleaner paid-search launch
The exact campaign structure depends on the business, but the package is built around the components most likely to improve relevance, control and measurement from the beginning.
Keyword and enquiry-intent mapping
Structure targeting around the services, locations and types of enquiries the business actually wants.
- Core service keyword research
- Commercial-intent review
- Keyword theme and ad-group structure
- Match-type recommendations
- Initial exclusion opportunities
Keep services, locations and budgets understandable
Build a structure that is easier to interpret and improve rather than hiding everything inside one undifferentiated campaign.
- Campaign and ad-group structure
- Location targeting setup
- Budget allocation framework
- Scheduling considerations
- Account hygiene and naming conventions
Responsive ads built around relevance and real benefits
Provide Google with a useful set of truthful headlines and descriptions while retaining a clear commercial message.
- Responsive search-ad copy
- Multiple headline and description assets
- Service and location relevance
- Appropriate call-to-action language
- Ad-policy and claim-awareness review
Reduce obvious wasted search intent
Exclude searches that are clearly inconsistent with the service, audience or commercial objective.
- Initial negative-keyword list
- Employment / careers exclusions where appropriate
- Free / DIY / irrelevant intent review
- Cross-service exclusions where needed
- Post-launch search-term review
Make the paid click feel like a continuation—not a detour
Review or improve the destination so the visitor quickly understands the service, proof, next step and reason to enquire.
- Message alignment with the ad
- Offer and CTA clarity
- Mobile usability review
- Trust and proof opportunities
- Form / call pathway recommendations
Measure actions that look like business—not just traffic
Put the foundations in place to record appropriate lead actions. A phone-button click shows an attempt to call, not a completed conversation; successful forms and measurable call outcomes need their own checks.
- Form-submission tracking review
- Phone-click tracking where appropriate
- Google Ads conversion action review
- GA4 alignment where available
- Initial post-launch performance check
What you do not target matters too
Search-term control is part of protecting the budget
Google Ads can match keywords to related searches, depending on the selected match type and other campaign signals. Negative keywords help prevent ads from showing for search terms that do not fit the business.
After launch, the search-terms report becomes useful evidence: keep the searches that reflect good intent, refine uncertain ones and exclude obvious waste.
The click is only halfway there
Your landing page has to finish the job the ad started
A relevant landing page helps visitors understand the service, find credible proof and take a clear next step. Someone who clicks your advertisement still needs enough confidence to contact you.
- Repeat the service and intent that brought the prospect there
- Make the next step obvious without forcing unnecessary navigation
- Show proof, credibility and realistic expectations
- Make phone and form actions easy on mobile
- Remove friction that does not help the prospect decide
If conversion problems are broader than the paid-search landing page, the next logical service may be the Speed & CRO Tune-Up.
Explore Speed & CRO Tune-UpFor a practical diagnostic guide, read Seven Reasons a Service Website Gets Traffic but Too Few Enquiries.
Investment and expectations
Clear setup pricing. Separate the setup from the media budget.
The Starter Pack is a focused one-off build and launch project. Ongoing campaign management can be scoped separately if it is justified after the account begins producing useful data.
$1,990
For the focused Google Ads Starter Pack described on this page.
- Search campaign and intent structure
- Responsive search-ad setup
- Initial negative-keyword work
- Landing-page direction
- Conversion-tracking foundations
- Early post-launch review
Advertising media spend, ongoing management and any third-party costs are separate unless a written proposal expressly states otherwise. GST treatment should also be confirmed in the proposal or invoice.
What we can responsibly commit to
IMS can commit to the quality and scope of the agreed setup work. It cannot responsibly guarantee Google's auction outcomes or a fixed number of leads at a fixed cost.
Typical launch target Campaign setup can often be prepared within roughly 7–10 days once required access, information and approvals are available.
Early review Initial behaviour can be reviewed after launch, with a more useful early refinement point around the first 30 days.
No fixed CPL promise Cost per lead varies by auction competition, location, service, offer, budget and conversion performance.
No forced retainer The Starter Pack is a defined one-off setup. Ongoing management is a separate commercial decision.
How the Starter Pack works
Review. Structure. Launch. Refine.
The aim is to get paid search moving with a clean starting structure, useful measurement and enough clarity to know what deserves adjustment after real search behaviour begins appearing.
Review
Assess services, target locations, offer, search intent, current account if one exists, landing pages and lead priorities.
Structure
Build the campaign, keyword, exclusion, ad, location and measurement framework around the business's real priorities.
Launch
Implement the agreed setup, connect the essentials and begin collecting real paid-search behaviour.
Refine
Review early search terms, conversions and obvious inefficiencies, then identify the next sensible improvements.
Frequently asked questions
Paid search without the magic-number promises
Google Ads can be very effective, but the useful question is whether it fits your economics, market and enquiry process.
Ask About My Google Ads Starting PointShould I improve my website before starting Google Ads?
If the offer is unclear, contact options are difficult to use or relevant visitors already struggle to enquire, those issues may deserve priority. The Enquiry Review helps identify what should be fixed before a campaign launches.
Explore the Google Ads readiness guideHow quickly can Google Ads start generating activity?
Search campaigns can begin generating impressions and clicks after approval and launch, but useful optimisation depends on collecting enough real search and conversion data. Activity can begin quickly; dependable commercial conclusions usually take longer.
Does the $1,990 include the Google advertising budget?
No, not unless a written proposal specifically says otherwise. The $1,990 is the current one-off IMS Starter Pack setup fee. Google media spend should be treated as a separate campaign budget.
Does this include ongoing Google Ads management?
No. This is a focused setup and early-review package. Ongoing management can be scoped separately if continued optimisation is commercially justified.
Can you guarantee a cost per lead?
No. Auction competition, location, service value, keyword demand, budget, ad relevance, landing-page performance and lead follow-up all influence acquisition cost. IMS can improve the setup and measurement; it cannot control every variable in Google's auction or the prospect's decision.
Do I need a dedicated landing page?
Not always, but the destination needs to match the ad and search intent well. If an existing service page is relevant, clear and conversion-ready, it may be suitable. Otherwise a dedicated or substantially improved page may be the better option.
Why are negative keywords important?
They help prevent ads from showing for selected irrelevant search terms. This is especially useful when searches contain words or phrases that clearly do not match the service, customer or commercial objective.
Can Google Ads target only the locations I service?
Google Ads supports geographic targeting and exclusions, but Google describes location targeting as a best-effort system based on multiple signals rather than a guarantee of perfect geographic accuracy. Campaign settings and search-term behaviour should be reviewed accordingly.
Is Google Ads better than Local SEO?
They solve different problems. Paid search can create faster visibility while Local SEO builds organic local foundations over time. For some businesses one clearly comes first; for others the two channels support each other.
Explore Local SEO JumpstartBefore you buy clicks, make sure the numbers and the journey make sense.
Start with the 15-minute Enquiry Review. We will look at your service, market, geography, likely search intent and current conversion pathway before recommending the Google Ads Starter Pack.
Beyond Digital Marketing
Looking Beyond Marketing?
Google Ads can generate enquiries. Building the business systems to convert and retain them is equally important.
