How much do Google Ads cost for a local business? (And is it worth it?)
You set your own budget and pay each time someone clicks your ad. What a click costs depends on your trade and area: the more businesses bidding on "plumber [your suburb]", the more each click costs. Across the Australian businesses we've checked, the middle is about A$10 a click, from about A$2 for hairdressers to about A$38 for plumbers.
By the Word of Mouth editorial team · Updated November 2026
What we found: across 626 Australian businesses we've checked, a click on their main search costs advertisers a median of about A$10.40 (US$7.27). For the middle half it's between about A$4.20 and A$22.80. (Converted at 0.698 US$ per A$, the rate on 3 November 2026, per Trading Economics.)
What a click costs in your trade (median for each business's main search, Google's own estimate, converted at 0.698 US$ per A$ on 3 Nov 2026):
| Trade | Businesses | Median per click |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber | 19 | A$38 |
| Mortgage broker | 23 | A$32 |
| Electrician | 15 | A$30 |
| Removalist | 19 | A$26 |
| Solar panel installer | 11 | A$26 |
| Web designer | 25 | A$25 |
| Real estate agent | 8 | A$21 |
| Pest control | 17 | A$21 |
| Conveyancer | 8 | A$19 |
| Cleaner | 18 | A$17 |
| Business coaching | 11 | A$16 |
| Dentist | 35 | A$13 |
| Gardener | 9 | A$10 |
| Tax accountant | 12 | A$9 |
| Photographer | 9 | A$5 |
| Painter | 16 | A$4 |
| Massage therapist | 10 | A$2 |
| Beautician | 9 | A$2 |
| Furniture store | 9 | A$2 |
| Hairdresser | 10 | A$2 |
These are Google's estimates for the top of the page, and small groups of 8 to 35 businesses, so treat them as a guide to your trade, not a quote. What you actually pay depends on your bids, your ad and your area.
Where the money goes
You choose a daily budget, Google shows your ad on the searches you pick, and you're charged per click. Ads can show at the top of Google results and on Google Maps: as square "promoted" pins, at the top of Maps results, and as suggested results when someone searches in Maps (Google Ads Help). Showing on Maps means linking your Google Business Profile to your Ads account.
Is it worth it? Do this sum first
You need four numbers: what a click costs, how many clicks turn into a call, how many calls you win, and what a job is worth.
Worked example: an electrician, using the A$30 click price from the table above (the other numbers are made up to show the sum): if 1 in 10 people who click call you, each call costs A$300 in ads. If you win 1 in 3 calls, each job costs A$900. That's worth it for a A$3,000 switchboard upgrade. It isn't for a A$150 call-out.
Our audit runs this sum with your own trade's click price and the job value you give us.
How to start without wasting money
Pick a daily budget you're comfortable testing with. Run ads only on your two or three best searches, only in suburbs you serve, for a month. Then count the calls and jobs that came from the ads before spending more.
When rivals are paying to show above you
Search your main job and suburb on your phone. Businesses marked "Sponsored", or shown as square pins on the map, are paying to be there. It matters most when the same rivals pay for your main search every day and you're not in the free top 3 on the map either. Then the only businesses customers see first are the ones paying.
Your three options
- Win the free spots. Reviews, a complete Google profile and photos help you rank on the map without paying. See "How to get more Google reviews".
- Run a small, tight campaign on the few searches that bring real jobs, in the suburbs you actually serve. A loosely set up campaign can pay for clicks from people outside your area.
- Both. Ads bring calls this week while your reviews build.
Want to know your numbers? Get a free Google Ads audit: which searches your rivals pay for, what a click costs in your trade, and whether ads make sense for you. No obligation. Get my free Google Ads audit
Disclosure: Word of Mouth sells review tools, Google Ads management, SEO and websites. This article includes the numbers whether or not they point to something we sell.
How we got our numbers: Google's own estimates of click prices, gathered by our audit's suburb scans, counted 3 November 2026. These are businesses that ran our audit, mostly small owner-run businesses, not a sample of every Australian business.
Sources: Google Ads Help: Show local search ads on Google Maps.