The locksmith industry is plagued by bait-and-switch operators who quote $15 then charge $300. Google searchers are wary. Legitimate locksmiths must invest heavily in trust signals to overcome industry reputation issues.
Lockout keywords like 'locksmith near me now' command $15-25 CPCs because searchers are desperate. Without rapid response (under 30 seconds) and immediate dispatch, you'll pay premium CPC for leads that call competitors too.
Car lockouts ($50-150), residential rekeying ($150-400), and commercial security ($500-5,000) need different campaigns. Emergency car lockouts need speed messaging; commercial needs credentials and capability demonstrations.
Broad match keywords trigger your locksmith ads for searches like "locksmith jobs" and "locksmith salary". Without negative keywords, you're paying for clicks that will never convert.
Fix: Add comprehensive negative keyword lists and switch high-value keywords to exact match.
Your homepage isn't optimized for conversions. Locksmiths who click ads expecting specific services bounce when they land on a generic page.
Fix: Create dedicated landing pages for each service with clear CTAs and matching message.
You're paying the same CPC at 3 AM as you are during peak hours. But locksmith searches convert differently throughout the day.
Fix: Analyze your conversion data by hour and day, then adjust bids accordingly.
Running the same ads for months means you're leaving performance on the table. Different messages resonate with different locksmith customers.
Fix: Run at least 3 ad variations per ad group and let Google optimize.
These keywords waste budget without delivering customers:
Career seekers, not customers.
DIY/hobby locksport enthusiasts.
Curiosity or DIY intent, not paying customers.
Attracts price shoppers who complain most.
Job seekers, not customers.
Two powerful tools for locksmiths to improve your Google Ads performance