Google Ads for Generator Installation & Repair: Campaign Structure That Converts
Generator installation searches have immediate commercial intent. Jobs typically run $8,000 to $16,000, which justifies $50 to $150 cost per lead. Here's how to structure campaigns that convert.
Why the channel math works
Homeowners who search "whole house generator installation" or "generator repair near me" are ready to book. They're dealing with an outage or planning to avoid the next one. The commercial signal is strong.
A plumber paying $80 for a $300 drain clearing loses money. A generator installer paying $80 for a $12,000 installation closes profitably at 30 percent conversion.
Demand spikes after power outages and severe weather. Pre-positioned campaigns capture the surge when competitors are scrambling. The installers who win have campaigns already running, conversion tracking set up, and landing pages live when the storm hits.
Generator work is seasonal and event-driven. Storm season in Texas and Florida, winter in the Northeast. Miss the window and you wait six months.
Local Services Ads vs Search campaigns
Local Services Ads charge per lead, not per click. Generator installation leads can run $40 to $80 depending on market. You only pay when someone calls or messages through the LSA interface. Lead cost is fixed, which removes your ability to optimize landing pages or messaging.
LSAs require Google Screened or Google Guaranteed status: background checks, license verification, insurance documentation. Approval can take several weeks. Start the paperwork before you need to run ads.
Search campaigns give you control over landing pages, messaging, and targeting, but you pay per click whether the lead converts or not. A $6 CPC with 15 percent conversion rate means $40 per lead. A $6 CPC with 5 percent conversion means $120 per lead. The math depends on your landing page.
Run both. LSAs capture low-intent browsers who trust the Google badge and call without visiting your site. Search campaigns capture high-intent searchers who read your financing options and book a quote. The leads behave differently and close at different rates.
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Emergency vs preventive campaign structure
Emergency keywords like "generator repair near me", "generator not starting", and "backup generator service" convert faster and justify higher bids. Someone whose generator won't start during an outage will pay to get power back.
Installation keywords like "whole house generator cost", "Generac installation", and "standby generator near me" have lower intent but drive higher ticket jobs. The homeowner is planning, not panicking. They'll compare three quotes and take two weeks to decide. But when they close, they're buying a $12,000 installation, not a $400 repair.
Split these into separate campaigns. Bid aggressively on emergency repair without burning budget on top-of-funnel installation searches. Emergency campaigns might run at $8 to $12 CPC during storm season. Installation campaigns should stay under $5 CPC or the math breaks.
Emergency campaigns need phone-first landing pages with click-to-call buttons and service-area proof. Installation campaigns need price anchoring and financing CTAs. The landing page for "generator not working" should have a phone number in 72-point font. The landing page for "Generac dealer near me" should have photos of installed generators and a financing calculator.
Keyword targeting and match types
Start with exact match on your 8 to 12 highest-intent terms: [generator installation near me], [Generac dealer near me], [whole house generator cost]. Exact match gives you control and keeps you from bleeding budget on tangential searches.
Add phrase match for emergency repair to capture variations: "generator not working", "standby generator repair", "transfer switch repair". You'll catch "Kohler generator not working" without showing for "portable generator not working".
Exclude DIY and informational terms immediately. Add "DIY", "portable", "how to", "YouTube", "manual" as negatives. Someone searching "how to install a generator" is not hiring you.
Geo-target a 25 to 40 mile radius around your service area. Generator installation is hyperlocal. If you don't install in a city, don't bid there.
What to expect for lead costs
Generator installation leads via Search can cost $60 to $150 per lead in competitive markets. Repair leads can run $30 to $80. The range depends on market competition, storm activity, and landing page conversion. A Tampa installer during hurricane season pays double what a rural Ohio installer pays in May.
LSA leads can cost $40 to $80 but have lower qualification. Expect more tire-kickers compared to Search traffic. LSA leads didn't choose you based on your landing page. They called the first number in the Google Guaranteed box. These leads often close at lower rates than Search leads if your site converts.
Markets with frequent power outages have higher CPCs during storm season. If your repair campaign jumps from $40 per lead to $90 after a hurricane, that's supply and demand. Decide whether the higher cost still pencils.
Track cost per booked job, not cost per lead. A $100 lead that closes at 40 percent is cheaper than a $50 lead that closes at 10 percent. If you're paying $150 per lead and closing one in three, your cost per sale is around $450. If you're paying $60 per lead and closing one in six, your cost per sale is around $360.
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Landing pages and conversion tracking
Generator landing pages need three things above the fold: click-to-call button, service-area proof, and financing CTA. The homeowner needs to know you're local, available now, and they can afford it.
Show installed generator photos with the home in frame. Stock images don't build trust. Real installation shots in your market do. The homeowner wants to see what their neighbor's house looks like with a generator installed.
Track phone calls as conversions. Most generator leads call instead of filling out forms. Use Google call tracking or a third-party number to attribute leads back to campaigns. If you're not tracking calls, you're flying blind.
Set up conversion tracking for form fills, calls over 60 seconds, and schedule-appointment clicks so Google's algorithm can optimize for actions that turn into revenue. The more conversions Google sees, the better it gets at finding similar searchers.
When to run and when to scale
Run year-round at baseline to own your brand terms and capture repair searches, then scale installation campaigns during storm season and after local outages. Baseline budget of $1,000 to $1,500 per month keeps your ads live and conversion tracking warm. Scale to $5,000 to $10,000 when demand spikes.
Monitor impression share on your top 5 emergency repair keywords. If you're below 70 percent impression share, you're losing leads to competitors bidding higher. At 50 percent impression share, you're missing half the searches. Raise bids or raise budget.
Pause or reduce installation campaigns when lead costs exceed $150 unless your close rate is above 35 percent and average job value is above $12,000. At $150 per lead and 30 percent close rate, you're paying $500 per sale. If your average job is $10,000 and margin is 25 percent, you're spending 20 percent of gross profit on lead acquisition. That pencils. If your average job is $8,000, it doesn't.
Use ad scheduling to increase bids during business hours when your phone is staffed. After-hours leads are cheaper but convert worse if they hit voicemail. A homeowner who calls at 2pm and talks to a human books. A homeowner who calls at 8pm and gets voicemail shops three more companies before you call back.
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