and Doubled Its Monthly Leads on the Same Ad Budget
From July to the 30 days ending Oct 8, 2026, this septic company’s cost per lead from Google Ads fell from $337.72 to $124.48. Monthly leads went from 3 to 8, and spend stayed at about $1,000 a month.
When a septic system backs up, homeowners don’t browse. They grab their phone, search “septic repair near me,” and call the first company that looks like it can help. This local septic company in Georgia wanted to be that company.
Client Snapshot
| Business | Local septic company offering septic repair and emergency service, pumping, new system installation, drain field replacement, and tank risers |
| Market | Coastal Georgia |
| Ads live since | May 27, 2026 |
| Monthly ad spend | About $1,000 (from July on) |
| Lead type | Phone calls |
The Challenge
This septic company wanted more repair and installation calls from homeowners searching on Google. Septic is one of the most expensive local service categories to advertise in, because the searches are urgent and the jobs are high-value. In its first full month, June 2026, the average click cost $23.04.
The goal was to bring that cost down and turn the budget into a steady flow of phone calls from people who need septic work now.
What We Did
1. Built the campaign around two money services.
We set up separate ad groups for Septic Repairs (“septic repair near me,” “emergency septic service near me”) and New Septic Installations (“septic installation service near me,” “septic installation companies near me”), with ads written for each.
2. Wrote ads around urgent problems.
Repair ads lead with emergency septic repair. Installation ads highlight tank installation, drain field replacement, and tank risers. The ads include a call button, sitelinks, location, and image assets, so homeowners can call straight from the search results.
3. Tracked every call.
Conversion tracking counts phone calls from the ads, so every decision is based on leads, not just clicks.
4. Kept out the wrong searches.
We review the search terms and block irrelevant searches, like job seekers, DIYers, and people looking for free information, so the budget goes to people ready to hire.
5. Optimized every month.
After the launch month, we retired a temporary branded ad group. We widened the keywords from exact match only to exact match with limited broad match in July, then added limited phrase match to Septic Repairs in August. Because most clicks come from mobile (61 of 75 in August, along with all 4 leads that month), we focused on phone calls.
The Results
Latest 30 days (Sep 9 – Oct 8, 2026)
| Leads (phone calls) | Cost per lead | Click-through rate | Avg. cost per click | Conversion rate | Ad spend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | $124.48 | 6.31% | $9.96 | 8.00% | $995.80 |
- Septic Repairs: 64 clicks, 5.90% CTR, 6 leads, 9.38% conversion rate
- New Septic Installations: 36 clicks, 7.19% CTR, 2 leads
Month by month since launch
| Period | Clicks | Impressions | CTR | Avg. CPC | Leads | Cost per lead | Conv. rate | Spend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 (first full month) | 24 | 213 | 11.27%* | $23.04 | — | — | — | $552.93 |
| July 2026 | 50 | 833 | 6.00% | $20.26 | 3 | $337.72 | 6.00% | $1,013.17 |
| August 2026 | 75 | 1,201 | 6.24% | $13.48 | 4 | $252.82 | 5.33% | $1,011.28 |
| Sep 9 – Oct 8, 2026 | 100 | 1,585 | 6.31% | $9.96 | 8 | $124.48 | 8.00% | $995.80 |
*June’s click-through rate includes a temporary branded ad group, which had a 35% CTR. June’s report doesn’t include lead data. The last row is the most recent 30-day period available.
Since launch (May 25 – Oct 5, 2026 view; ads live May 27)
| Leads | Clicks | Impressions | Ad spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 275 | 4.29K | $3.93K |
What changed
- Cost per lead down 63%: $337.72 (July) to $124.48 (latest 30 days)
- Monthly leads from 3 to 8, doubling from 4 in August
- Cost per click down 56%: $23.04 (June) to $9.96
- Clicks doubled: 50 to 100 a month on a steady budget of about $1,000
The Takeaway
Septic clicks aren’t cheap, but they don’t have to be wasted. With tight keyword targeting, ads built around urgent problems, call tracking, and monthly optimization, this Georgia septic company now gets more than twice as many leads as it did in July, and each lead costs 63% less, without spending more.
If you run a septic, plumbing, or other home-service business, the same approach can put you in front of homeowners at the exact moment they need you.
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