Small budgets work when they are focused: a few tightly chosen search terms, one area, one clear offer, and a landing page built to convert. Spread the same money across broad keywords and the whole country, and it disappears by lunchtime.
Three quick wins this week
- Target intent, not topics. Bid on searches like "emergency plumber Fourways", not just "plumbing".
- Add negative keywords. Exclude words like "free", "jobs" and "DIY" so you stop paying for clicks that will never buy.
- Track calls and forms. If you cannot see which clicks became leads, you cannot tell what is working.
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