Google Ads and Meta ads: straight answers
Practical answers on Google Ads, Meta ads, budgets, tracking and media buying for Indian business owners who want calls and enquiries from paid ads.
Questions on this page
- How much does Google Ads cost in India?
- How do I set up a Google Ads campaign?
- How much should I spend on Google Ads per day?
- What is a good cost per lead?
- Why is my Google Ads not getting calls?
- How do Google Ads work for local businesses?
- How do Google Ads work for packers and movers?
- How do Google Ads work for hospitals and clinics?
- What is a call-only campaign?
- What is Performance Max?
- How do I reduce my cost per click?
- What is a negative keyword?
- How do I track conversions in Google Ads?
- How much do Facebook and Instagram ads cost in India?
- How do I run Meta ads for lead generation?
- Why are my Instagram ads not working?
- What is media buying?
- What is a media buying agency?
- What is ROAS and what is a good one?
- How do I retarget website visitors?
- How do I use LinkedIn ads for B2B?
How much does Google Ads cost in India?
Google Ads in India has two costs: your ad spend and any management fee. Published Indian guides put a local single-city ad budget at about ₹30,000 to ₹75,000 a month, and management at 10 to 20% of spend or a fixed fee, as market ranges. Cost per click varies by industry, for example ₹25 to ₹75 for home services and ₹95 to ₹210 for healthcare.
How do I set up a Google Ads campaign?
Set up a Google Ads campaign by choosing one goal, such as calls, then building a search campaign around a few tightly matched keywords for your city. Install conversion tracking first. Write ads that state your service, location and offer. Add call, location and sitelink assets. Add negative keywords to block irrelevant searches. Set a daily budget you can sustain, then review search terms every week.
How much should I spend on Google Ads per day?
Your daily Google Ads budget should be enough to buy a meaningful number of clicks each day at your industry's cost per click. Divide your monthly budget by about 30. Published Indian guides put a local single-city budget at ₹30,000 to ₹75,000 a month, as a market range, which is roughly ₹1,000 to ₹2,500 a day. Start at the lower end, track cost per enquiry, then scale what works.
What is a good cost per lead?
A good cost per lead is one that leaves you profit after you close a share of those leads, so it depends on your job value and closing rate. Work it out backwards. If an average job earns you ₹20,000 profit and you close one in five leads, you can afford well under ₹4,000 per lead. Track cost per sale, not just cost per lead, because cheap leads that never buy are expensive.
Why is my Google Ads not getting calls?
Google Ads usually fail to get calls because of the wrong keywords, wrong location settings, a weak landing page or no call tracking. Check the search terms report for irrelevant queries and add negatives. Make sure location targeting is set to people in your area, not just interested in it. Add a call asset and a visible call button on the landing page. Check that your ads run during business hours.
How do Google Ads work for local businesses?
Google Ads for local businesses work best as search campaigns targeting people in your city who search for your exact service. Use keywords like "plumber in Anantapur", set radius targeting, and add call and location assets linked to your Google Business Profile. Schedule ads for business hours. Published Indian guides put a single-city budget at ₹30,000 to ₹75,000 a month, as a market range. Track calls, WhatsApp clicks and forms.
How do Google Ads work for packers and movers?
Google Ads for packers and movers work best as search and call campaigns targeting route and city searches, such as "packers and movers in Kadapa" or "house shifting Hyderabad to Bengaluru". Exclude job seekers and DIY searches with negative keywords. Use call assets and a fast quote page with WhatsApp. Home services CPCs typically run ₹25 to ₹75 in published guides. Ananthapur Packers and Movers saw 200% Google Ads ROI with BRANDSWOT Consultancy.
How do Google Ads work for hospitals and clinics?
Google Ads for hospitals and clinics work best as search campaigns for specific specialities and locations, such as "gynaecologist in Chitradurga". Send each ad to its matching speciality page with timings, doctors and a call button. Published guides put healthcare CPCs at ₹95 to ₹210. Google has healthcare ad policies, and doctors must follow National Medical Commission (NMC) rules, so avoid cure claims, guarantees and before/after promises; check current NMC guidance.
What is a call-only campaign?
A call-only campaign is a Google Ads setup where the ad shows a phone number and a click places a call instead of opening your website. It suits businesses where customers decide by phone, such as packers and movers, repairs or clinics. It only shows on devices that can make calls. Schedule it for hours when someone answers, and track calls above a set duration as conversions.
What is Performance Max?
Performance Max is a Google Ads campaign type that uses automation to show your ads across Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Maps and Discover from one campaign. You supply goals, budget, images, videos and text, and Google decides placement and bidding. It needs accurate conversion tracking to work well. Many local businesses start with standard search campaigns and add Performance Max once they have reliable conversion data.
How do I reduce my cost per click?
Reduce cost per click by improving Quality Score, tightening keyword targeting and removing wasted spend. Group keywords into small, focused ad groups and write ads that closely match them. Send clicks to a fast, relevant landing page. Add negative keywords and cut poor locations, devices or hours. Use phrase and exact match for your main terms. Lower CPC only matters if conversions stay steady.
What is a negative keyword?
A negative keyword is a word or phrase you add in Google Ads so your ad does not show for searches containing it. For example, a packers and movers company might add "jobs", "salary" and "truck driver" to avoid job seekers. Review the search terms report every week and add negatives for irrelevant queries. Good negative lists often cut wasted spend quickly.
How do I track conversions in Google Ads?
Track conversions in Google Ads by setting up conversion actions for calls, form submissions and WhatsApp clicks, then installing the tag through Google Tag Manager or linking Google Analytics 4. Use call tracking for calls from ads and from your website. Test every conversion after setup. Import offline sales from your CRM if possible, so Google optimises for real customers, not just enquiries. Keep the account in your own name.
How much do Facebook and Instagram ads cost in India?
Facebook and Instagram ads in India cost what you choose to spend, because Meta works on budgets and auctions rather than fixed prices. Your actual cost per lead depends on audience size, competition, creative quality and season, such as festival periods. Start with a small daily test budget per ad set and compare cost per enquiry. Published guides put full organic plus paid social management at ₹70,000 to ₹1,00,000+ a month, ad spend extra.
How do I run Meta ads for lead generation?
Run Meta ads for lead generation with a Leads objective, using either Instant Forms, click-to-WhatsApp or a landing page. Target your city and a broad audience, and let strong creative do the filtering. Add one or two qualifying questions to the form to cut junk leads. Use reels and real photos rather than stock images. Connect leads to a CRM or WhatsApp so your team replies within minutes.
Why are my Instagram ads not working?
Instagram ads usually fail because of weak creative, the wrong objective, poor targeting or a broken follow-up process. Check that you chose a Leads or Sales objective, not just engagement. Test new hooks in the first two seconds of reels. Make sure the offer is clear and specific. Check that tracking works and that leads are contacted quickly. Give each test enough budget and time before judging.
What is media buying?
Media buying is planning and purchasing ad space across channels such as Google, Meta, YouTube, OTT, newspapers, radio and outdoor hoardings at the best price for your goals. It includes choosing channels, negotiating rates, setting budgets and schedules, and tracking results. In digital, most media buying runs through self-serve auctions, so skill lies in targeting, bidding and creative testing rather than negotiation.
What is a media buying agency?
A media buying agency is a firm that plans, buys and manages advertising space for brands across digital, print, TV, radio and outdoor channels. It decides where your budget goes, runs campaigns and reports on results. Ask whether its fee is a percentage of spend or fixed, and make sure ad accounts stay in your name. BRANDSWOT Consultancy manages Google and Meta media buying for clients.
What is ROAS and what is a good one?
ROAS, or return on ad spend, is the revenue earned from ads divided by the amount spent on them. If ₹50,000 of ads brings ₹2,00,000 in sales, ROAS is 4. A good ROAS depends on your profit margin, so calculate your break-even point first. A low-margin product needs a much higher ROAS than a high-margin service. Track it against real sales, not just leads.
How do I retarget website visitors?
Retarget website visitors by installing the Meta Pixel and the Google tag, building audiences of past visitors, and showing them ads on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Display. Segment by intent, for example people who viewed your price page but did not enquire. Show proof, reviews or an offer. Cap frequency so people do not tire of your ads. Mention data use in your website privacy policy.
How do I use LinkedIn ads for B2B?
Use LinkedIn ads for B2B by targeting decision-makers by job title, industry, company size and location, then offering something valuable, such as a guide or a consultation. Lead Gen Forms prefill details and usually convert better than sending people to a website. Clicks on LinkedIn tend to cost more than on Meta, so focus on high-value deals. Follow up quickly with email and a call.