Targeting is the most important part of Google Ads. You can write the best ad in the world, but if it’s showing up in the wrong place or to the wrong people, it’s going to burn your budget fast.

Here’s how I think about Google Ads targeting for pest control—based on working with dozens of companies across the country.

Start With Location

The first thing we always dial in is geo-targeting. And you’d be shocked how many campaigns miss this completely. I’ve seen pest control companies spending thousands of dollars running Google Ads across the entire U.S. when they only operate in one city or state.

It usually happens because of one little button that gets overlooked. You have to manually set the correct location—whether that’s by city, zip code, or a custom radius. This one setting alone can save thousands in wasted ad spend.

Target Specific Services Per Area

Once the geography is right, the next level is making sure each ad group or campaign targets a specific service in a specific location. For example:

• “Termite Control in Austin”

• “Mosquito Treatment in Glenview”

• “Bed Bug Extermination in Phoenix”

Each one of those should have its own ad copy, keywords, and landing page. That’s how you get better quality scores, cheaper clicks, and more conversions.

Understand Match Types

When it comes to keywords, you have three match types to choose from:

• Exact Match – The search must match exactly or be very close (e.g. [pest control Chicago])

• Phrase Match – Allows for some variation around the keyword (e.g. “pest control” shows up in “affordable pest control near me”)

• Broad Match – Google interprets the intent behind the search and may show your ad even if the keyword isn’t a perfect match

I usually recommend starting with exact and phrase match. Broad match can be dangerous unless you have really tight negative keywords or a lot of trust in Google’s AI.

That said, search behavior is changing. People are typing in longer, more complex queries now—especially with the rise of AI-driven search. So broad match is becoming more relevant over time. Still, I wouldn’t lean into it too hard unless you know what you’re doing.

Seasonal Targeting

Depending on the season, you can layer in specific ads tied to current pest problems. In the summer, it might be mosquitoes. In the fall, it could be rodents. Winter could focus on insulation or pest prevention.

You don’t have to rebuild everything. Just update your best-performing campaigns with a seasonal headline or description. A simple tweak like “Now booking mosquito treatments for summer” can make a big difference in click-through rate.

What About Demographics?

Demographics like age and income are available in Google Ads, but honestly, I don’t use them much. Google is so smart now that it figures out who to show the ads to based on performance data. As your campaign matures, it automatically starts prioritizing the best audiences.

You don’t need to overthink it. Let the system learn and optimize. Your job is to give it the right keywords, offers, and locations—and let it handle the rest.

Structure Campaigns for Optimization

I always recommend having multiple ad variations. For each ad group, I’ll create:

• 5–10 headlines

• 3–5 descriptions

Google will test these automatically and start favoring the best performers. That’s why it’s important to include a mix of:

• Keywords (for relevance)

• Offers (to drive action)

• CTAs (like “Call Now” or “Book Online”)

Once Google learns which combo works best, it’ll optimize toward those. And about once a month, we’ll go in and swap out underperformers to keep testing fresh ideas.

Final Thoughts

Targeting isn’t just about geography. It’s about aligning the right message with the right people at the right time—using the right match types, offers, and seasonal context.

If you can get your Google Ads showing up in the right place with the right message, everything else gets easier. Better click-through rates, lower costs, and more calls coming in.