If you’re running a cleaning business and want to generate consistent leads, Google Ads can be one of the most effective marketing tools — when set up correctly. In this guide, we’ll break down a real-life Google Ads campaign we ran for a house cleaning company in Calgary, Canada.
Over the course of 30 days, this campaign generated 32 leads from just 139 ad clicks — a 23% conversion rate. Below, you’ll see exactly how it was structured, which mistakes to avoid, and how to replicate these results for your own cleaning business.
When someone needs a cleaner, they go straight to Google and search for things like:
“house cleaning near me”
“maid service Calgary”
“move out cleaning service”
This means Google Ads puts your business in front of high-intent buyers, not just people browsing passively.
But success comes down to how you structure your campaign. Most business owners (and even some agencies) make basic setup mistakes that tank results.
We worked with a residential cleaning business based in Calgary, running a Google Ads campaign over 30 days.
Here’s what the numbers looked like:
Total spend: $2,000
Ad clicks: 139
Conversions (calls + lead forms): 32
Conversion rate: 23%
With nearly 1 in 4 clicks converting, this shows how critical the right setup is.
Most advertisers make the mistake of letting Google show ads to anyone “interested in” your location — including people thousands of miles away.
Fix: Set your location targeting to “People in or regularly in your target location.”
By default, Google enables two additional networks:
Search partners
Display network
These often send low-quality traffic that doesn’t convert.
Fix: Uncheck both options. Focus only on Google Search where intent is highest.
Google runs ads 24/7 by default — even at 3 AM. But you probably aren’t answering calls then.
Fix: Run ads only during business hours when you can respond quickly. This increases conversion rates and lead quality.
We set up two main ad groups:
Generic: e.g., “house cleaning”, “residential cleaners”
Location-specific: e.g., “house cleaners Calgary”, “maid service Calgary”
This allows us to see which types of keywords convert better and optimise accordingly.
We also used exact match keywords first to ensure high relevance. Once we needed more volume, we layered in phrase match (but avoided broad match due to low quality traffic).
The Search Terms Report tells you the actual phrases people typed into Google before clicking your ad.
In our campaign, 90% of the search terms were:
Service + Location: “move out cleaning Calgary”, “maid service Calgary”
High-intent generic: “house cleaning services”
No “how to clean a bathtub” searches. No competitors’ names. This clean search profile is a huge factor in hitting a 23% conversion rate.
Tip: Review your search terms weekly and add irrelevant ones to a negative keyword list.
Negative keywords stop your ads from showing for low-converting or irrelevant searches.
Examples:
Competitor names (e.g., “Angela’s Cleaning”)
DIY searches (“how to clean hardwood floors”)
Job seeker terms (“cleaning jobs hiring”)
At Project 83, we use a 6,000+ word negative keyword list across all cleaning campaigns to keep quality high.
Most people send Google Ads traffic to their homepage — a big mistake.
Your homepage has too many jobs:
Show you’re legit
Attract job applicants
Educate landlords, agents, etc.
It’s not designed to convert traffic into leads.
Solution: Create a dedicated landing page just for your ad traffic with:
Click-to-call phone number
Mobile responsive layout
Short lead form with “Get a Quote” CTA
Clear headline and local trust elements (reviews, photos, etc.)
To know if your Google Ads are working, you need to track:
Phone calls (especially mobile click-to-call)
Form submissions
Which ads and keywords are converting
We use tools like HighLevel, WhatConverts, or CallRail for reliable tracking.
Tight location targeting — no wasted impressions
Ads shown only on Google Search
Clear ad schedule during working hours
Exact match keywords to start
Clean search terms report + strong negative keyword list
Dedicated landing page that converts
Solid call and form tracking setup
We manage Google Ads for over 50 cleaning companies worldwide. If you’d like to see how we can help, then book a call at www.project83.com
