Why the Agency Choice Matters More in Cleaning
Cleaning companies run on thin margins and small budgets. A residential maid service might spend $1,000 to $2,500 a month on Google Ads. At that level, a few hundred dollars a month of wasted clicks is the difference between a profitable channel and one you switch off. The wrong agency rarely fails loudly. It sends reports full of clicks and impressions while the phone stays quiet.
Cleaning also has quirks a generalist agency may not know. Job seekers search "cleaning jobs near me", DIYers search "how to deep clean an oven", and other cleaners search "janitorial bids". Our negative keyword list for cleaning companies blocks more than 170 of these terms. An agency that doesn't block them pays for those clicks with your money.
12 Questions to Ask Before You Sign
About ownership
- Whose name is the Google Ads account in? The right answer is yours. The agency should be added as a manager, not the owner.
- Who owns the website and landing pages? If the agency builds them, ask whether you keep the files and domain if you cancel.
- Who owns the call-tracking numbers? If the tracking numbers are printed on your van and Google profile, losing them means losing calls.
About money
- Is ad spend paid directly to Google? If it goes through the agency, ask for monthly Google invoices so you can see the real spend.
- What exactly does the management fee cover? Setup, landing pages, call tracking, weekly optimisation and reporting are often priced separately.
- What is the minimum term and notice period? Anything over three months deserves a reason.
About the work
- How will you track booked jobs, not just leads? Look for call tracking, form tracking and a way to mark which leads booked. Our guide to conversion tracking for cleaning companies explains what good looks like.
- Which match types and bidding strategy will you start with? A careful answer starts tight (exact and phrase match) and opens up only once tracking works. See why broad match drains cleaning budgets.
- How often do you review the search terms report? Weekly is a good answer for a new account.
- Where will the ads send people? A homepage is a weak answer. Each service should have a matching page with a quote form or calculator.
About results
- What will the first 90 days look like? Expect a learning period. Be wary of anyone promising page-one rankings or a fixed lead count in week one.
- What happens if results don't come? If the agency offers a guarantee, read exactly what it measures and what you must do to qualify.
Red Flags in Proposals
- Reports that lead with clicks, impressions and CTR but never mention calls, quote requests or booked jobs.
- "Proprietary" campaigns you can't see. You should be able to log in to your own Google Ads account at any time.
- Shared leads. Some lead services sell the same enquiry to several cleaning companies. Ask directly whether your leads are exclusive. We compare this model in Thumbtack, Angi and pay-per-lead services for cleaners.
- No negative keyword plan or no answer to "how do you stop job seekers clicking?"
- Performance Max as the only campaign on a small budget, with no search campaign alongside it. Our take: should cleaning companies use Performance Max?
What a Good First Month Looks Like
- Conversion tracking for calls and forms is set up and tested before ads go live.
- Campaigns are split by service, with residential and commercial kept apart.
- Ads point to service-specific landing pages that load quickly on mobile.
- A negative keyword list is in place on day one, and the search terms report is reviewed weekly.
- You get a simple report: spend, leads, cost per lead and, once you tell the agency which leads booked, cost per booked job.
To check an agency's work yourself, use our 25-point Google Ads audit checklist. For pricing models and what management usually includes, see PPC management for cleaning companies: costs and what's included.
Where AmericaCleanLeads Fits
We only work with cleaning companies. Your Google Ads account, website and data stay in your name, ad spend is paid to Google directly with no markup, and plans run month to month. Our pricing page lists exactly what each plan includes. If you'd like us to answer these 12 questions about your own business, book a free strategy call using the calendar below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should a cleaning company use a Google Ads agency or run ads itself?
If you have the time to learn conversion tracking, negative keywords and weekly search term reviews, running ads yourself can work on a small budget. Most owners who are still cleaning or managing crews get better results from a specialist who does those weekly checks for them.
Who should own the Google Ads account?
You should. The account should be created in your business name with your payment method, and the agency added as a manager. That way your data and campaign history stay with you if you change agencies.
How long before a new Google Ads agency gets results?
Expect two to four weeks of learning, with clearer results by the end of the first 90 days. Leads should start in the first weeks, but cost per lead usually improves as negative keywords and bids are refined.
What is a red flag when hiring a PPC agency for cleaning?
Not letting you access your own account, reporting only clicks and impressions, marking up ad spend without telling you, and selling shared leads are the most common red flags.
