What Do Google Ads Actually Cost in Australia?
Most Australian tradies spend $500 to $2,000 a month on Google Ads, paid straight to Google, plus a management fee if someone runs the ads for them (typical spend, 2026). Google estimates advertisers bid about $2 to $46 a click to show at the top, from landscapers at the low end to plumbers at the top (Google keyword data, October 2026).
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The Real Answer
Google Ads Costs Are Two Numbers, Not One
When someone asks what Google Ads cost, there are two separate numbers. Your ad spend is the money that goes to Google for clicks. The management fee is what you pay whoever runs the campaign.
Your ad spend should be billed to your own Google Ads account, at cost. If a provider will not show you the raw spend, or bundles it into one figure, treat that as a warning sign.
- Ad spend: paid straight to Google for clicks, $500 to $2,000 a month for most tradies
- Management fee: paid to your agency or freelancer, flat or a share of spend
- Cost per click: Google estimates about $2 to $46 across the five trades below
- On our Growth and Domination plans, ad management is in the weekly price. No commission on ad spend.
By Trade
What Google Ads Cost for Your Trade
Click prices are Google's estimated low and high bids to show at the top of the page. Urgent searches usually cost the most.
| Trade | Cost per click | Searches a month | Typical monthly ad spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $4 to $28 | "electrician near me" 40,500 | $1,000 to $2,000 |
| Plumbers | $5 to $46 | "plumber near me" 49,500 | $1,000 to $2,000, more for metro emergency work |
| Painters | $4 to $15 | "painters near me" 6,600 | $500 to $1,000 |
| Cleaners | $3 to $14 | "end of lease cleaning" 6,600 | Varies |
| Landscapers and gardeners | $2 to $7 | "landscaping" 12,100 | Varies |
Cost per click and searches: Google keyword data for Australia, October 2026. Searches are national monthly averages. Ad spend: typical tradie spend, 2026.
What Sets the Price
What Sets Your Cost per Click
Your click price is set by an auction. Four things push it up or down: how many other businesses bid on the same search, how urgent and valuable the job is, your city, and how good your ads and landing page are. "Emergency plumber" is dear because it is urgent and lots of plumbers want it. "Landscaping" costs a few dollars because fewer businesses fight for it.
A common mistake is bidding on broad words like "electrician" and paying for people looking for apprenticeships, jobs or DIY help. Tight, buyer-ready keywords and a strong list of blocked searches keep the cost per real lead down.
You need enough budget to learn what works. Below about $500 a month in a busy trade, the money runs out before you learn anything. For most tradies $1,000 to $1,500 a month in ad spend is the place to start, then raise it once you know what a booked job costs you.
Management Fees
Why We Charge a Flat Fee Instead of a Percentage
Some agencies charge a share of your ad spend as their fee. That gives them a reason to push your budget up rather than get you cheaper leads.
We charge one weekly price. Growth is $275 a week with no setup fee and covers one managed ad account, plus SEO every month. Your ad spend goes straight to Google with no markup, so our fee is the same whether you spend $500 or $5,000 a month on ads.
- Managed in-house, no ad-spend markup
- Your ad spend goes directly to Google, no commissions
- Same fee whether you spend $500 or $5,000 a month on ads
- No setup fee on Growth, no lock-in
Our Guarantee
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FAQs
Google Ads Cost Questions
How much should a tradie spend on Google Ads?
Most tradies spend $500 to $2,000 a month in ad spend, plus management if someone else runs it (typical spend, 2026). Painters can start near the low end. Electricians, plumbers and emergency work usually need $1,000 or more to compete.
What does a click cost for my trade?
Google estimates advertisers bid about $5 to $46 for plumbers, $4 to $28 for electricians, $4 to $15 for painters, $3 to $14 for cleaners and $2 to $7 for landscapers to show at the top (Google keyword data, October 2026). Urgent searches usually cost the most.
Do I pay the agency's fee on top of ad spend?
Usually, yes. Ad spend goes to Google, and the agency charges a separate fee, either flat or a share of your spend. Your spend should be billed to your own account at cost, never marked up. On our Growth and Domination plans, ad management is in the weekly price. See pricing.
Why are some tradie keywords so expensive?
Clicks are sold at auction. Urgent, high-value searches that lots of businesses want, like "emergency plumber", cost the most. Searches fewer businesses bid on, like "landscaping", cost a few dollars.
How long does it take Google Ads to bring in leads?
Often within the first week. The first month is about finding which searches turn into jobs for your business, then the campaign gets tuned from there.
Should I do Google Ads, SEO, or both?
Both, in order. Ads bring in leads from day one but stop when you stop paying. SEO takes a few months to build, then keeps bringing in enquiries with no cost per click. We compare them in SEO vs Google Ads for tradies, and the price of SEO in how much SEO costs for tradies.