Written by: This is a case study showing how a pest control business generated 3,920 tracked leads over 40 months using a combined SEO and Google Ads strategy. It focuses on improving Google Ads efficiency, building high-intent SEO service and suburb pages, tightening tracking, and shifting away from traffic-focused SEO toward revenue and lead generation. It also touches on adapting to AI search changes and consolidating content for stronger commercial performance.
Over the last 40 months, we delivered 3,920 tracked pest control leads across SEO and Google Ads. That averages out to roughly 98 leads per month, and that figure is deliberately conservative. It only includes form fills and tracked Google Ads calls. It does not include SEO phone calls, Google Business calls, direct emails, or word-of-mouth enquiries – all of which matter for an established business. When we loosely modelled the revenue impact using conservative assumptions, the number landed around $3-3.5 million in influenced revenue. I’m not one to hang my hat on that figure. What matters more is how we got there, what nearly broke the campaign early, and what we’d do differently if we started again in 2026. 
The Business Context and Why This Campaign Was Harder Than Expected
This was a well-established pest control business with over 20 years of operating history, a solid team, and a strong reputation offline. On paper, it should have been straightforward. In reality, it was one of the more competitive local campaigns I’ve worked on. The business had worked with multiple agencies over the years. Different websites were built, Facebook ads were tested, Google Ads were run, and nothing ever really stuck. Each channel existed in isolation, with no overarching strategy tying them together. When I came in, the goal wasn’t to reinvent the business – it was to create consistency and predictability in lead flow. One thing I underestimated early on was the value of a visible Google Business address. Plenty of businesses have a Google Business Profile, but not all can display a physical address. In this case, having a legitimate, visible location played a much bigger role in local visibility than I expected, especially in map results.
Why Google Ads Came First, Not SEO
The client needed leads immediately. SEO, in its existing state, simply wasn’t ready to perform. The website had messy pages, duplicated service content, and no clear targeting. Ranking that site as-is would have been slow and risky. We launched Google Ads first to create breathing room. Two primary landing pages went live: one for general pest control and one for termite services. A third page for dead animal removal was briefly tested but was switched off after burning roughly $5,000. The data showed those jobs were mostly one-off, low-margin, and rarely led to repeat work. In the early months, Google Ads leads were expensive, often landing between $120 and $140 per lead. For jobs that might only generate $150 in revenue, those leads weren’t positively geared. That’s normal in the early stages. The long-term value comes from repeat treatments, referrals, and termite work – not the first invoice.
How We Tracked Leads (And Why the Real Number Is Higher)
Across the campaign, 1,386 leads came from SEO form submissions, while 1,197 web leads and 1,337 phone calls came directly from Google Ads. The phone calls were tracked using a dedicated number that recorded and redirected calls, giving the client instant visibility into missed or answered enquiries. We did not track SEO phone calls, Google Business calls, or direct emails. For a business that’s been around for two decades, those channels generate meaningful volume. I prefer to underplay results rather than inflate them, which is why the reported 3,920 leads should be viewed as a floor, not a ceiling.
Getting Google Ads Down to $48 Per Lead
Over time, the Google Ads account was sculpted aggressively. We didn’t chase volume. We chased relevance. The account now contains over 3,000 negative keywords, more than 40 unique ad variations, and upwards of 20 tightly themed ad groups. We target very few core keywords – pest control, termite control, termite inspection, and close variations. Everything else is excluded. Each month, we review search terms, cut waste, refine landing page copy, and adjust bids based on seasonality and staffing capacity. That process took years, not weeks, but it’s what brought the cost per lead down to a steady ~$48, even in a competitive market.
Building SEO Pages That Actually Convert
Once leads were flowing, SEO began properly. We didn’t chase traffic for the sake of charts. Every page had a job to do. We built approximately 250 SEO service pages, targeting specific pest types and treatments, and 180 suburb-based location pages across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. Over time, we trimmed those location pages, removing suburbs with no real demand. There’s no point ranking for areas that don’t convert. We also created species-specific pages – everything from German cockroaches to furniture beetles – not because they all generate leads, but because they help establish topical authority. Google needs to understand that a site truly knows its subject, especially in a regulated service industry. 
Why We Cut Content Instead of Adding More
Before AI, long educational guides worked exceptionally well. Five-thousand-word articles dominated search results and soaked up traffic. Those days are gone. As AI answers became more prevalent, traffic across many informational queries dropped. Instead of fighting that trend, we adapted. Hundreds of overlapping articles were consolidated into roughly 170 high-value guides, each focused on clarity, relevance, and commercial intent. If the top-ranking pages were 800 words, we wrote 800 words – not 5,000. Interestingly, while traditional traffic graphs flattened or declined, lead volume held steady, and AI citations increased. The content wasn’t just ranking in Google anymore – it was being referenced in tools like ChatGPT, which is now part of how people discover services. 
The Role of Backlinks and Authority Building
Each month, the site receives backlinks pointing to both blogs and service pages. Those blog pages then internally link to the main money pages, passing authority where it matters most. This isn’t flashy, but it works. On top of that, the business benefits from rank-and-rent-style directory and listicle sites that recommend the brand across Melbourne and Sydney. These sites don’t just help with SEO – they drive real leads to the business.
What This Campaign Proves for Other Local Businesses
This approach isn’t unique to pest control. Replace the service with tree removal, plumbing, dental, electrical, or medical, and the framework stays the same. You start where demand is obvious, validate with paid traffic, and then build SEO around what actually converts. The biggest mistake I see is businesses chasing traffic instead of revenue. Anyone can rank for keywords that don’t pay the bills. Sustainable growth comes from understanding intent, tracking properly, and being willing to cut what doesn’t work – even if it looks good in a report.
Final Thoughts
This campaign wasn’t about flashy numbers or celebrating graphs. It was about building a reliable lead engine that survived algorithm changes, increased competition, and the rise of AI-driven search. The takeaway is simple. If Google Ads works for your service, SEO will work too – but only if it’s built around real buyer intent. Everything else is noise. If you want, I can now:
- Tighten this into a conversion-focused landing page.
- Shorten it into a LinkedIn thought-leadership post
- Turn it into a repeatable local SEO framework article.
Just tell me which direction you want to go.
