Google Ads & LSA for movers

PPC for Moving Companies: Google Ads and LSA That Book Moves

Google Ads and Local Services Ads run by a team that works only with movers and reports cost per lead, not clicks.

Movers Development manages PPC and Google Ads for moving companies in the US, Canada, and other countries: Google Search campaigns by city and move type, Local Services Ads, and tracking that ties every call and form to the campaign that brought it. Budgets follow the moving calendar, so spend rises in May and drops in January instead of burning cash in the slow months. Management costs $700 a month plus 10% of ad spend, with a minimum ad budget of $3,000 a month. See how paid ads fit into our digital marketing for moving companies, then book a call to get your quote.

What you get

What does moving company PPC management include?

Every account gets the same core work. The size of the account decides how many campaigns and cities we run.

IncludedWhat it means for you
Google Search campaigns by city and move typeLocal, long-distance and commercial moves get their own ads and budgets, so one city or move type doesn't eat the whole budget.
Local Services Ads managementYour LSA profile, service area and budget set up and watched alongside your search campaigns.
Negative keywords and geo rulesNo spend on job seekers, DIY truck rentals or cities you don't serve.
Budget planned by seasonSpend follows the moving calendar instead of staying flat all year.
Call and form tracking setupEvery call and form is tied to the ad that brought it.
Monthly lead-quality checkWe look at which leads became booked moves, not just how many clicks came in.
Landing page conversion reviewWe find what stops visitors from calling or asking for a quote, and tell you what to fix.
Alerts when spend or leads change sharplyProblems get caught in days, not at the end of the month.
A/B tests on landing pagesWhen traffic allows, changes are tested, not guessed.
Monthly reportCost per lead and booked moves by campaign, what we changed and what comes next.

How we track a lead

  1. Ad click
  2. Call or form
  3. Lead in your CRM
  4. Booked move

Your monthly report ends with booked moves and cost per booked move, from your CRM or your team's notes.

What we need from you

  • Access to your Google Ads and Local Services Ads accounts, or we open them in your company's name.
  • The cities and move types you want more of, and the ones you don't.
  • Feedback on which leads booked, once a month.

Not included in the management fee

Ad spend is paid directly to Google. Landing page builds and website changes are quoted separately.

Google Ads vs LSA

Google Ads or Local Services Ads: which works better for movers?

Both show up when someone searches for movers, but they charge and behave differently.

Google Ads search campaigns

You pay for each click, you choose the searches and cities, and the visitor lands on your website. That control makes Google Ads the better fit for long-distance and commercial moves, for specific services such as packing or storage, and for testing new cities.

Local Services Ads

Local Services Ads appear at the very top of the results with your rating and a Google verification badge, and you pay per lead instead of per click. They work best for local moves when your reviews are strong, and you have less control over which searches trigger them.

Most of the movers we work with run both and move budget between them by season. We cover the details in Google Ads vs Local Services Ads for moving companies and in what moving companies need to know about Google LSAs.

Budget and fee

How much should a moving company spend on Google Ads?

Plan for at least $3,000 a month in ad spend, paid directly to Google. Our management fee is $700 a month plus 10% of that spend.

Monthly ad spend (to Google)Management feeTotal monthly cost
$3,000 (minimum)$700 + $300 = $1,000$4,000
$5,000$700 + $500 = $1,200$6,200
$10,000$700 + $1,000 = $1,700$11,700

What does a good cost per lead look like for movers?

What a lead costs depends on the market. Big, expensive metros cost more per lead, and so do long-distance moves. Our guide to reducing cost per lead for moving companies shows where most accounts lose money.

Slow season

How do we keep cost per lead down in the slow season?

Most moves are booked between May and September. An account that spends the same amount in January as in June pays more for every lead in the winter, because fewer people are moving and the same competitors are still bidding.

  • Budget by month. Spend goes up before the busy season and down after it, planned with you at the start of the year.
  • Cities and move types by season. Campaigns that still book jobs in the winter keep their budget; the ones that don't are paused until spring.
  • Tighter negatives in the slow months. Fewer searches means each wasted click costs more.
  • Landing pages with a price. Ads that send visitors to a page with the instant moving quote calculator turn more clicks into leads when people shop around.

For long-distance campaigns, see our guide to PPC for long-distance moving services.

Reports in booked moves

The report ends with booked moves and cost per booked move, not clicks and impressions.

Ad spend stays visible and separate

Your ad budget is paid directly to Google, in your account. Our fee is a separate line.

Changes are tested, not guessed

New ads, landing pages and bids run as tests before they replace what already works.

Your team

Who manages your ads?

Jelena leads paid media at Movers Development, and Irena is your contact for everything on the account.

Jelena Bjelos, Head of Paid Media and Social at Movers Development

Jelena Bjelos

Head of Paid Media and Social

Jelena runs Google Ads, Local Services Ads and Meta campaigns for moving company clients. She sets budgets month by month so spend follows the moving calendar, and reports cost per lead rather than clicks.

Ask Jelena about: cost per lead by season, Local Services Ads, why clicks don't turn into booked moves

The Movers Development team at work, with the company sign on the desk

400+ moving and storage companies have worked with Movers Development since 2016

  • Big Apple Moving and Storage logo
  • Zippy Shell logo
  • Van Express Moving logo
  • Orange Movers logo
  • Wolley Movers logo
  • Evolution Moving logo
  • Number 1 Movers logo
  • Next Stop Movers logo
  • Tender Touch Moving logo
  • Verrazano Moving logo
  • Miracle Movers logo
  • Purple Heart Moving logo

FAQ

Questions movers ask about PPC

How much should a moving company spend on Google Ads?

Plan for at least $3,000 a month in ad spend, paid directly to Google. Bigger markets and long-distance campaigns need more. Movers Development charges $700 a month plus 10% of ad spend to manage the account, so at $3,000 in spend the total is $4,000 a month.

What is a good cost per lead for movers?

In the client accounts shown on this page, cost per lead ended at about CA$55 in Ottawa and the GTA and about US$109 in the San Fernando Valley. It depends on the market: lower in mid-size cities and local moves, higher in expensive metros and for long-distance moves. Judge cost per booked move, not just cost per lead.

Are Local Services Ads worth it for moving companies?

Usually yes for local moves, when your Google rating is strong: LSA shows your company at the top with a verification badge and you pay per lead, not per click. For long-distance moves and specific services, Google search campaigns give more control.

How fast do Google Ads leads start?

Most campaigns show clear results within about a month. The first weeks show which searches and cities book jobs, so we judge cost per lead on a full month of data, not on the first few days.

I tried Google Ads before and it didn't work. What is different?

Most failed moving accounts share the same problems: one campaign for every city and move type, no negative keywords, no call tracking and a flat budget all year. We separate campaigns by city and move type, track every call and form, and move budget with the season.

How do you know which ads bring booked moves, not just calls?

We track every call and form back to the campaign and keyword, then check each month which leads turned into booked moves, from your CRM or your team's notes. Budget moves to what books jobs.

Get your quote on a 30-minute call

Pick a time in the calendar. On the call we go through your current setup, your markets and what you want to book more of. A written quote follows ($700/mo + 10% of ad spend). If this is not the right next step for your company, we tell you on the call.

Movers Development runs PPC for moving companies the way an owner would want it run: every dollar tied to a lead, every lead checked against booked moves. Book a call to get your quote, or contact our team with a question about your account.

You own every account and file we create, reports count calls and quote requests, and we tell you on the first call if we are not a fit. See what we commit to in writing.

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