The Google Ads Riddle: Are You Bidding on a Ferrari or a Ford Fiesta?

Most business owners get this wrong.

They see a flood of searches for their trade and think, "A bigger pond, more fish, easier leads."

They see fewer searches for a high-value service and think, "Niche market, no competition."

The reality is often the complete opposite.

Google Ads isn't one marketplace. It's a series of different auctions, running at different speeds. Your trade doesn't just determine what you sell; it determines which auction you are forced to enter.

And you cannot win if you don't know the game you're playing.

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Auction #1: The Ferrari (High-Value Installations)

This is the world of solar panels, full-house rewires, and other high-ticket installations.

The prize is a single job worth thousands. It's a high-value asset. While there may be fewer buyers at any one time, those in the market are serious. The bidders are specialist firms with deep pockets, and they know the value of the prize.

This creates intense, calculated competition. The bidding war for attention—a single click—is where the first cost is incurred. A realistic Cost Per Click (CPC) is between £3.00 - £7.00.

Let's run the math using conservative industry benchmarks:

• Clicks Needed for 1 Job: ~200 (based on a 5% click-to-lead conversion rate and a 10% lead-to-job closing rate)
• Average Cost Per Click: £3.50
• Cost to Acquire One Customer (CPA): ~£700

The final number lands in the £600 - £800 range.

This is a sobering number, but it is a rational investment if the job profit is £3,000. It's a machine. The goal isn't to guess; it's to pay to find out your exact number.

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Auction #2: The Ford Fiesta (Standard Trades)

This is the world of plumbers, locksmiths, and electricians doing everyday jobs.

The prize isn't a Ferrari. It's a £250 job—an everyday necessity. The search volume is massive, which attracts an ocean of competitors. It's a high-volume battle.

The competition is fierce, but the economics are different. The lower value of the prize puts a hard ceiling on what anyone can afford to bid. The result is a lower cost per lead, maybe £20-£50.

Let's run the math for a plumber:

• Leads Needed for 1 Job: ~4
• Realistic Cost Per Lead: £40
• Cost to Acquire One Customer (CPA): ~£160

At first glance, this looks like a broken model. Why pay £160 to earn £250?

The Plumber's Dilemma: Making the £160 Worth It

This is the most critical point. A business that pays £160 for a one-off £250 job will fail. Successful trades don't do this. They operate with a different mindset.

1. They Think in "Lifetime Value," Not "First Job Value" The £160 isn't spent to acquire a single job. It's spent to acquire a new customer relationship. The first job is just the entry point. That same customer could lead to:

• A boiler installation next winter (Value: £2,000+)
• A recommendation to a friend who needs a bathroom refit (Value: £4,000+)
• Annual servicing contracts (Value: £100/year)

They are willing to break even on the first transaction to acquire a long-term, profitable asset.

2. They Target Higher-Value Work Ad campaigns are surgical tools. A savvy electrician won't bid on "change a light switch." They will target keywords that signal higher value, like "consumer unit replacement cost" or "EICR certificate London." They use their ads and website to filter for the jobs that make the maths work.

3. They Treat £160 as a Starting Point to Optimise This number isn't fixed. The entire game is to push this cost down by improving every step: writing better ads to lower the cost per lead, improving the website to increase conversion rates, and refining the sales process to close more leads.

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The high-agency question isn't "Should I use Google Ads?"

It is: "Which auction am I in, and how will I build a system to make its economics work for me?"

First, know the value of your prize—both immediate and long-term. Only then will you understand the price of the fight.

Reminder to self: You don't choose your competitors. You choose your market, and the market gives you your competitors.