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Running a removals business in the UK is fast-paced and competitive. Whether you’re helping families move house across town, relocating offices, or offering man-and-van services, your success depends on a steady flow of new customers.
The challenge? People often need removals services quickly. When moving day is approaching, most will turn to Google and search for phrases like “removal companies near me” or “house removals in Glasgow” — and the businesses that appear at the top of the search results are usually the ones that get the call.
That’s where Google Ads comes in. It’s one of the most powerful tools for local removals businesses because it puts your services in front of people who are actively looking, often at the exact moment they’re ready to book.
But many removals businesses waste money on Google Ads by setting up campaigns too broadly, sending traffic to generic homepages, or failing to track leads properly. The result is wasted spend and missed opportunities.
In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how to use Google Ads strategically to generate high-quality local leads for your removals business, and how to avoid the common pitfalls that hold most businesses back.
Understanding the Market & Buyer Behaviour
To run effective Google Ads campaigns, you first need to understand how people search for removals services online and what their intent looks like at different stages.
Different Customer Types
- Residential customers
- Typical searches: “house removal companies near me”, “moving company in Manchester”, “man and van Glasgow”
- Usually one-off jobs with short decision cycles (days, sometimes hours). Price and availability are key.
- Commercial clients
- Typical searches: “office relocation London”, “commercial removals company”
- Tend to plan further ahead and may be more focused on reliability, insurance, and capacity than price alone.
- Service types
- Local moves (within the same city or region)
- Long-distance / national moves
- Specialist moves (e.g. pianos, antiques, storage integration)
- Urgency levels
- Some customers book months in advance.
- Others need “next-day” or even same-day service.
Example Search Terms & Intent
Here’s a simple breakdown of how different searches indicate different levels of intent:
Why this matters:
When you match your keyword strategy to the user’s intent, you attract the right traffic and avoid paying for clicks from people who are just browsing. For removals companies, focusing on high-intent local searches is where the best ROI comes from.
Campaign Strategy That Works
A solid Google Ads strategy for removals businesses has several moving parts. Here’s how to structure it for success.
1. Campaign & Ad Group Structure
Create one campaign per core service, for example:
- Residential Removals
- Office & Commercial Removals
- Man & Van Services
- Long Distance Moves
Within each campaign, use tight ad groups focused on specific themes (e.g. “house removals Glasgow”, “man and van Glasgow”) so that the ad copy matches the search terms closely. This improves Quality Score and lowers CPC.
2. Keyword Strategy
Targeted Keywords:
Focus on phrases that clearly indicate intent to book or request a quote. Examples:
- “house removal company [city]”
- “office removals near me”
- “man with a van [city]”
- “moving company quotes [city]”
Match Types:
- Use phrase match (“house removals Glasgow”) to keep relevance high.
- Use exact match for your best-performing keywords.
- Be careful with broad match — it can bring in irrelevant traffic like “DIY moving tips” or “removal jobs hiring”.
Negative Keywords:
This is crucial. Add negatives like: jobs, training, courses, cheap furniture, free, van hire only, etc. Review your search term reports weekly to catch new irrelevant phrases.
3. Geo-Targeting
Removals services are local by nature.
- Use radius targeting around your service area (e.g. 20 miles from your depot).
- Exclude areas you don’t serve to avoid wasted clicks.
- If you cover multiple cities, create separate campaigns or ad groups for each location so your ads and landing pages are tailored.
4. Ad Copy That Converts
Your ads need to quickly communicate what you do, where you are, and why you’re trustworthy.
Headline tips:
- Include the location: “Reliable House Removals in Bristol”
- Add a key USP: “Fully Insured”, “Same-Day Service”, “Free Quotes”
- Use urgency where appropriate: “Book Your Move Today”
Description tips:
- Reinforce benefits: years in business, trained team, insurance, punctuality.
- Add a clear call to action: “Get Your Free Quote Now” or “Call Our Local Team”.
5. Ad Extensions
Local service businesses thrive on extensions. Use as many as possible:
- Call Extensions – let mobile users call directly.
- Location Extensions – connect your Google Business Profile to show your address.
- Structured Snippets – highlight services (e.g. Packing, Storage, Long Distance).
- Sitelinks – link to “Get a Quote”, “Our Services”, “Reviews”, etc.
These extensions improve CTR and give your ads more screen space.
6. Dedicated Landing Pages
Sending traffic to your homepage is one of the biggest mistakes removals businesses make. Instead, use dedicated landing pages tailored to the ad.
A high-converting removals landing page should include:
- A clear, benefit-driven headline (e.g. “Trusted House Removals in Leeds”)
- Prominent contact options (phone number, form, chat)
- Trust signals – Google reviews, insurance logos, accreditations
- Service details – what’s included, what areas you cover
- A strong CTA (e.g. “Request Your Quote”)
- Mobile optimisation – most searches happen on mobile, so fast load times are vital.
Real-world example:
One removals company we worked with in the Midlands was sending all ads to their homepage. After creating location-specific landing pages with clear CTAs and reviews, their conversion rate jumped from 3% to 12%, while cost per lead dropped by over 50%.
Budgeting & Realistic Expectations
The removals industry is competitive, but not as expensive as legal or insurance sectors.
Typical CPCs in the UK for removals keywords range from £1.50 to £4.00, depending on the location and competitiveness. Major cities like London may see higher ranges (up to £6+), while regional towns are often lower.
Here’s a simple budget example:
- Budget: £600/month
- Average CPC: £3
- Estimated Clicks: 200
- Conversion Rate: 10% (with good landing pages)
- Leads: 20 per month
- Close rate: 40%
- Jobs booked: 8
- Average job value: £450
- Monthly revenue: £3,600 from £600 spend
Even a modest budget can deliver strong returns when campaigns are well structured. Start with what’s comfortable, collect data, then scale gradually as performance improves.
Tracking & Optimisation
You can’t optimise what you don’t measure. Conversion tracking is non-negotiable, and any decent PPC agency should ensure this is set up from the get-go.
What to Track
- Form submissions (quote forms, contact forms)
- Phone calls (using call extensions and call tracking numbers)
- Live chats or WhatsApp enquiries if applicable
- Online bookings if you have a booking system
Use Google Ads conversion tracking alongside Google Analytics 4 to see what’s working. Call tracking software (e.g. CallRail, WhatConverts) can reveal which keywords drive phone enquiries.
Weekly Optimisation Checklist
- Review search terms → add negatives as needed.
- Check keyword performance → pause underperformers, allocate budget to winners.
- Test new ad copy to improve CTR.
- Monitor landing page metrics (bounce rate, conversion rate, speed).
- Adjust location targeting based on lead quality.
Once you have enough conversion data, experiment with automated bidding strategies like Maximise Conversions or Target CPA to let Google optimise based on actual leads.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Many removals businesses make the same avoidable mistakes:
- Using Broad Match Everywhere
Leads to irrelevant clicks like “removal jobs” or “van for sale”. - Sending Traffic to Homepages
Homepages are too generic — use dedicated landing pages for higher conversion rates. - No Conversion Tracking
Without tracking, you’re flying blind and can’t see what works. - Wrong Location Settings
Not excluding irrelevant areas wastes budget fast. - Slow Response Times
Leads often choose the first company to reply. Delays = lost bookings. - Ignoring Search Term Reports
This is where you find hidden gold (or leaks). Check weekly. - Set-and-Forget Mentality
Google Ads isn’t “fire and forget”. Regular optimisation makes the difference.
90-Day Action Plan
Here’s a simple roadmap to get your Google Ads campaigns performing consistently within three months:
Month 1: Setup & Foundation
- Build or improve landing pages for each service/location.
- Set up conversion tracking (forms, calls, chats).
- Launch tightly structured campaigns with proper geo-targeting and negative keywords.
Month 2: Optimisation & Refinement
- Analyse search term reports weekly and expand negative lists.
- Test ad copy variations to improve CTR.
- Adjust bids and budget allocation based on performance.
- Refine landing pages based on early conversion data.
Month 3: Scaling & Systemising
- Increase budget on top-performing campaigns.
- Add remarketing campaigns to capture visitors who didn’t convert first time.
- Explore additional services or new locations.
- Test automated bidding strategies as conversion data grows.
Work with Prime Digital
Running effective Google Ads campaigns for a removals business isn’t rocket science — but it does require strategy, time, and ongoing optimisation.
At Prime Digital, we specialise in helping UK service businesses generate consistent, high-quality leads through Google Ads. We’ve managed campaigns for over 200 companies, combining data-driven strategy with hands-on expertise.
While you can manage ads in-house, working with specialists can save time, avoid costly mistakes, and accelerate your results.
If you’d like expert support with your Google Ads strategy, book a call with us to discuss your goals.
