Google Ads for Local Businesses
£199£398launch sale price
Leave your email and you will hear first when it opens, with an early-bird price for the waitlist.
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Beginner to improver, Green run Grow
Google Ads that bring local calls, not just clicks
A short, practical course for small businesses who want a lean Search campaign they understand, with tracking that proves what it is earning.
Recording now. Join the waitlist and you will hear first, with an early-bird price.
5Modules
21Lessons
2 hrsVideo
1Hours of 1:1 included
Beginner to improverLevel
Mini coursePractical task and certificate
Sound familiar?
Google makes it easy to start spending and hard to see what you got for it. Default settings show your ads to people outside your area, on websites you would never choose, for searches that have nothing to do with your business. Without tracking you are left guessing whether the phone rang because of the ads or in spite of them.
What you'll build
A Search campaign for your own business (or a client's) with tight location targeting, sensible keywords, a proper negative keyword list, well-written ads, and conversion tracking for calls and forms, set up with Consent Mode for UK cookie rules. You will finish with a monthly routine and report you can keep using.
By the end you'll be able to
- Open a Google Ads account in Expert mode and avoid the default settings that waste money on day one.
- Build a tightly targeted Search campaign around the services and towns you actually cover.
- Choose keywords and match types deliberately, and build negative keyword lists that block irrelevant searches.
- Write responsive search ads and add assets (sitelinks, callouts, call, location) that earn more clicks from the right people.
- Track calls, form submissions and WhatsApp clicks as conversions with GA4 and Google Tag Manager, with Consent Mode v2 set up correctly for the UK.
- Pick a sensible budget and bidding strategy, and know when (and when not) to switch on AI Max, broad match or Performance Max.
- Read the search terms and campaign reports, spot wasted spend and run a 30-minute monthly check-up.
Practical task
Put it to work on your own site
Finish with a practical task on your own site, check it against the published marking guide and unlock your completion certificate.
Who it's for
- Small business owner / self-employed. a plumber, salon owner, tutor or mobile tyre fitter who has tried "boosting" or Smart campaigns, spent money and cannot tell whether it brought a single call. She wants a small, controlled Search campaign that she understands.
- Marketer with an inherited site and account. has been handed an existing Google Ads account with Performance Max running and no conversion tracking. She needs to audit it, fix tracking and explain results to her boss.
- Aspiring freelancer. wants to offer "Google Ads setup and management" to local clients and needs a repeatable, honest process before he charges for it.
Who it's not for
- Large e-commerce stores running Shopping feeds, agencies managing big budgets, or anyone looking for a "set and forget" trick. This course is about a small, controlled local account you check regularly.
Curriculum
5 modules and 21 short lessons, about 2 hrs of video. Every module ends with a quick quiz and an exercise on your own site.
01Set up without the traps4 lessons, 22 mins
You have a correctly configured account, linked to your other Google tools, and you know what a lead is worth before spending anything.
- How Google Ads works for a local business6 min
- Creating the account in Expert mode6 min
- Linking GA4, Search Console and Business Profile5 min
- What is a lead worth? Budget maths before you start5 min
02Build a Search campaign that only shows to the right people5 lessons, 33 mins
A live (or ready-to-launch) Search campaign with tight location targeting, sensible keywords, negatives, ads and assets.
- Campaign settings that matter7 min
- Location targeting done properly5 min
- Keywords and match types7 min
- Negative keywords and lists7 min
- Responsive search ads and assets7 min
03Conversion tracking with GA4 and Tag Manager4 lessons, 23 mins
Every call, form submission and WhatsApp click is tracked, consented and visible in Google Ads.
- Deciding what counts as a conversion5 min
- Google tag and Tag Manager setup7 min
- Consent Mode v2 and enhanced conversions for leads6 min
- Testing and importing5 min
04Budgets, bidding and Google's automation4 lessons, 20 mins
You can choose a budget and bid strategy for your stage, and make informed decisions about AI Max, broad match and Performance Max.
- Daily budgets and how Google spends them5 min
- Bidding strategies for a new local account6 min
- AI Max, broad match and auto-applied recommendations5 min
- Performance Max: proceed with caution4 min
05Reading reports and stopping wasted spend4 lessons, 22 mins
A repeatable weekly and monthly routine that keeps the account lean.
- The search terms report6 min
- The columns that matter6 min
- Ten common money leaks5 min
- Your 30-minute monthly check-up and report5 min
Lesson lengths are estimates and may change slightly when the course is recorded. Every lesson is re-recorded or annotated when the tools change, free for everyone with an active course.
Everything included
- Around 2 hours of video in 21 short lessons
- 1 hour of 1:1 live tutoring with Shaz (use within 12 months)
- Keyword and negative keyword starter lists
- A settings checklist
- A monthly report template
- Quizzes
- A practical task and certificate
- 12 months' access, with updates when Google changes things
Before you start
A working website with a contact form or phone number, and a Google account. No ads experience needed. Completing the SEO course first helps but is not required.
Your tutor: Shaz
I'm Shaz, a UK web designer with over 20 years of experience. Through my agency, E-web UK, I build and look after WordPress sites for businesses every week. I'll answer your questions, review your work, and your included one-to-one tutoring is with me directly.
More about ShazBe first in when it opens
This course is being recorded now. Waitlist members hear first and get an early-bird price.
Grow path bundle
£859£1,077 separately
WordPress SEO for Beginners, Fast WordPress: Speed, Google Ads for Local Businesses, together. Save £218 on buying them one at a time.
See the bundleGuarantee
30days money back
Try the course for 30 days. If it is not for you, email us for a full refund - no hoops.
Refund policyQuestions about this course
Anything else? Send me a message or book a 30-minute taster lesson.
How much do I need to spend on ads?
You can complete the course without spending anything - the practical task can be built and left paused. When you go live, many local businesses start at £5-20 a day; the course shows you how to work out your own number.
Do I need Google Analytics and Tag Manager already set up?
No. Module 3 walks you through setting both up on a WordPress site from scratch.
I already have an account that Google set up for me. Is this still useful?
Yes. Every module includes a checklist you can run against an existing account, and the most common problems in inherited accounts are covered.
Will this be out of date next month?
Google Ads changes often. The course focuses on principles that last and lessons are re-recorded or annotated when features change, at no extra cost.
Free guides on this topic
Start with these, then take the course when you want it in order, with help.
Google Ads6 min read
50 negative keywords every local service business should add on day one
Stop paying for clicks from job hunters, DIYers and bargain seekers. Here are 50 negative keywords to add before your first click, and a few to avoid.
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Google Ads5 min read
Presence or interest? The Google Ads location setting that wastes local budgets
Google Ads targets people interested in your area by default, not just those in it. For local service businesses, that often means paying for useless clicks.
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Google Ads6 min read
Should a small business use Performance Max? An honest answer
Performance Max is often pushed as the default Google Ads campaign. For most small local businesses it is not the right place to start. Here is why, and when it does make sense.
Goes deeper in Google Ads for Local Businesses
Next in the Grow path
Each course builds on the one before. Take the next one when you are ready, or save with the path bundle.
Get on the list. Start first.
This course is being recorded now. Join the waitlist and you will be first to hear when it opens, at the £199 sale price (usually £398).