My Best Practices for Running Google Ads for Sydney-Based Businesses (From Experience)

These are my tips — all what I like to think are some best practices to better manage your Google Ads. When you're running a business in Sydney, it can get chaotic, and it's easy to forget about small details that can end up costing you real money. I’ve worked with a lot of local businesses — from podiatrists to plumbers — and I’ve seen the same mistakes pop up again and again. So here’s what I’d recommend from hands-on experience to make sure your ads are performing well and you’re not wasting your budget. If you’re looking for help, I also offer Google Ads freelance Sydney services tailored to local businesses who want results.

Don’t Run Google Ads While You’re on Holiday (Unless You’re Ready to Answer Calls)

From my experience as a Google Ads freelancer in Sydney, I’ve noticed something common — businesses often leave their campaigns running while they’re on holiday or closed for a few days. It might just be forgotten, but every click you pay for is someone genuinely interested in your service. If you don’t pick up the phone or return the enquiry, that not only wastes your ad spend — it also hurts your reputation. That person might never call again and may even leave a review saying, “Tried to reach them but no one answered.”

Tip: Pause your campaign during time off, or set up an auto-responder and clear messaging to let people know when you’ll get back to them. You can also use ad scheduling to avoid weekends or hours when you’re unavailable.

Only Run Ads When You Can Actually Help — Especially in Urgent Industries

Running Google Ads when your business is open? Great. Running them when you can’t respond to leads for hours — or until Monday — is a different story. I’ve seen this especially with podiatry clinics, plumbers, and other trades in Sydney. These are services people often need urgently — foot pain, burst pipe, power outage, etc. If your clinic or trade business is closed over the weekend but your ads are still showing, you're paying for clicks from people who need help now. They might land on your website, see you're closed, and bounce to a competitor who is open. That’s a wasted click and a lost lead.

Tip: Use ad scheduling in Google Ads to only show ads when: You (or your receptionist) can answer calls You have appointments or job slots available soon You’re not booked out days in advance This keeps your spend focused on relevant, ready-to-convert traffic.

Only Run Ads When You Can Actually Help — Especially for Urgent Sydney Services

Running Google Ads when your Sydney business is open? Perfect. But if you're running them when you can’t respond to leads — like on weekends or after hours — you’re risking wasted spend. I see this a lot with Sydney podiatry clinics, plumbers, and other trades. These are services people often need urgently — like sharp foot pain or an emergency plumbing issue. If your clinic or business is closed over the weekend but your ads are still live, customers will land on your website, realise you're not available, and bounce to a competitor who is open. It’s a wasted click — and a missed opportunity to win that lead.

Tip: Use Google Ads scheduling to only show your ads when: Your Sydney team can answer the phone or respond quickly You have availability for same-day or next-day appointments You’re not booked out or away on leave In competitive local markets like Sydney, being responsive is everything — and your ad schedule should reflect that.

Check Your Location Targeting — People Won’t Drive Across Sydney (or Interstate!) for You

One of the most common mistakes I see in Sydney Google Ads campaigns is businesses not narrowing down their radius targeting properly. Just because someone can technically see your ad, doesn’t mean they’re a good lead. For example, if you’re a physiotherapist in Western Sydney and your ads are showing up for someone in the Eastern Suburbs or Northern Beaches — they’re unlikely to drive 45+ minutes (and pay multiple tolls like the M2, M7, or Harbour Bridge) just to see you. That’s a wasted click. Even worse — I’ve seen some ads from Sydney-based businesses appearing in entirely different states because location settings weren’t set up right. Tip: Use a tight radius around your clinic or service area (e.g., 10–15km max unless you offer something unique) Choose “People in or regularly in your targeted location” instead of “interested in” Double-check your search terms and geographic report regularly

Sydney traffic and tolls are real barriers — make sure your Google Ads only show to people who are actually likely to convert.

If Google Gives You Space — Use It! Fill in Every Ad Extension You Can

Ever notice those extra lines under some Google Ads — phone numbers, extra links, services, or callouts? Those aren’t just nice to have. They’re called ad extensions, and they make your ad bigger, more detailed, and more trustworthy. From my experience managing Google Ads for Sydney businesses, the ads that perform best are the ones that fill in every available field. If you leave parts blank — like sitelinks, callouts, or structured snippets — your ad will be smaller. Smaller ads = less attention = fewer clicks. My rule is simple: if there’s a box for it, fill it in. Add sitelinks to key services or pages (e.g., “Sports Physio” or “Emergency Plumber”) Use callouts to highlight your value (e.g., “Locally Owned in Sydney”, “Open 7 Days”) Add your phone number, business hours, location, and even your Sydney suburb if relevant Google gives you hints — blank spots that can make your ad stronger. Take the hint. Maximise your real estate, and speak directly to your ideal customer.

Use Google Keyword Planner to Find the Right Sydney Keywords

Before you launch any Google Ads campaign, you need to know what people are actually searching for. That’s where Google Keyword Planner comes in — it’s a free tool inside your Google Ads account that shows you keyword ideas and search volumes. It helps you: Discover which keywords your potential customers use See how many people search for those terms each month Spot related keywords you might’ve missed

For example, if you run a health clinic in Sydney, typing in “health clinic Sydney” or “chiropractor Sydney” will show you how popular those terms are, plus other ideas like: Back pain clinic Sydney Sports injury clinic Sydney Local physio near me Tip: Set the location filter to Sydney so you’re getting accurate data for your service area — not the whole country. This helps you avoid targeting keywords that sound right but don’t actually bring in the right local traffic. It’s a great starting point to shape your ad copy, set bids, and decide what you want your ads to appear for — and more importantly, what not to show up for. These are essential for running google ads for your physio clinic

Use the Google Ads App to Check Performance on the Go — Especially for Sydney Insights

One of the best habits you can build is regularly checking in on your Google Ads performance — and you don’t need to be at a desk to do it. Google gives you full control through the Google Ads mobile app, which is perfect for busy Sydney business owners. Whether you’re a physio between appointments or a tradie wrapping up a job, you can quickly see: What keywords triggered your ad Where in Sydney your ad was seen (Metro? Hills District? Northern Beaches?) How many clicks and calls you got Which ads are performing best These insights are gold. If most of your traffic is coming from one part of Sydney, maybe you double down there. If a keyword is getting clicks but no calls, maybe it’s not relevant. Tip: Make it a habit to check your campaign daily or weekly. Even a 5-minute scroll in the app can help you catch wasted spend or spot new opportunities. Running ads is one thing — optimising them in real time is what separates good campaigns from great ones.

Google ads app link https://business.google.com/aunz/ad-tools/google-ads-app/

Always Double Check Your Negative Keywords

One of the most underrated things I see in Google Ads accounts — especially for Sydney businesses — is people forgetting to use negative keywords. These stop your ads from showing up in searches that won’t convert. For example, if you're a Sydney plumber, you probably don't want to pay for clicks from people searching for “free plumbing services” or “DIY plumbing tips.”

That’s wasted budget on people who were never going to become customers in the first place.

Tip: Regularly check your search terms in your account. See what people actually typed before clicking your ad. If anything looks irrelevant, add it as a negative keyword straight away. Over time, this tightens up your targeting and makes your ad spend go further.

Bonus: Watch out for location mismatches too — if someone in Perth sees your “Plumber Sydney” ad because you forgot to exclude broader locations, that’s another wasted click. Keep it lean.

Target Specific Sydney Regions

Sydney is huge — make your ads more relevant by narrowing your focus.

Tip: Target by regions, not just the whole metro. Some examples:

• Sydney CBD

• Eastern Suburbs

• Inner West

• North Shore

• Northern Beaches

• South Sydney

• Western Sydney

• Sutherland Shire

• Northern Suburbs

• South West Sydney

If you're a service provider or looking for a Google Ads freelancer Sydney, targeting your region properly is key.

Use Ad Scheduling to Hit Peak Times

Not all times are created equal — and your ads shouldn’t run 24/7 just because Google lets them.

Let’s say you’re a physiotherapist in Sydney. Most of your ideal clients are probably searching during work breaks, early mornings, or evenings — not at 2am. If your ad runs overnight and someone clicks but you’re closed, that’s a wasted opportunity and a wasted click.

Same goes for tradies. If you’re getting leads after hours and no one is available to answer the call or follow up quickly, that lead might go cold — especially if a competitor answers right away.

Tip: Use ad scheduling to only run your ads during the times your business is actually responsive. That could be 8am to 6pm on weekdays, or weekends if you’re open then. Even if someone’s searching late at night, they’re more likely to go with the business that picks up the phone when they’re ready to act.

Bonus: Over time, Google Ads will show you which times of day are performing best for conversions — use that data to fine-tune your schedule.

Thanks for reading — I hope these tips help you tighten up your campaigns and avoid wasting money on irrelevant clicks. Whether you're a clinic in the Inner West or a tradie in Western Sydney, a well-run Google Ads campaign can be the difference between steady leads and missed opportunities.

If you're looking for tailored Google Ads services that deliver results, Mastering Google Ads for Podiatry Clinics: Tips for Running Effective Campaigns and other Sydney-based businesses, optimizing your campaigns to make every click count.

This post was written by a Google Ads Consultant who works with Sydney-based businesses every day — if you need help getting better results or just want someone to take the stress off your plate, feel free to reach out.

Business Name Google Ads Consultant

Address 1 Sussex Street Barangaroo Sydney, NSW 2000

Phone 0423601544