Can I Get Leads From Google Ads? | Google Ads for Small Businesses

For any small business in South Africa, generating leads consistently is vital. With limited resources, budget-sensitive entrepreneurs often ask us: “Can I really get leads from Google Ads?”

The straightforward answer is yes. Not only can you get leads from Google Ads—when done right, Google Ads can become your biggest and most consistent source of quality leads.

In this article, we’ll unpack exactly how Google Ads can help small businesses like yours generate high-quality leads, the strengths and limitations you need to be aware of, and how to do it effectively.

Before jumping straight in, it’s worth understanding exactly how and why Google Ads is an excellent channel for small business leads.

Google Ads places your business right in front of potential clients actively searching Google for the exact services you offer. This is why the leads resulting from Google Ads are often high-quality: they’re already in the market, actively seeking out solutions.

For example, if someone in Johannesburg searches “emergency plumber near me,” and your business’s advert shows up right at that specific moment, you’re effectively inserting yourself directly into their immediate purchasing decision.

Unlike traditional methods—billboards, flyers, or even social media organic posts—Google Ads can rapidly deliver measurable outcomes. Many BRBD Marketing clients see tangible leads coming within 48 hours of their campaign going live.

Even better, you can precisely track what’s happening:

• See which keywords drive conversions and calls
• Identify top-performing ads and optimize regularly
• Clearly measure your return on investment (ROI)

This transparency helps you continuously enhance your lead flow.

For small South African businesses servicing specific locations, local targeting in Google Ads provides a huge advantage. You determine exactly where your ads show—a particular suburb, city, or province. This means your budget isn’t wasted displaying ads to people who can’t actually become your customers.

Google Ads thrives for service-based businesses with clearly-defined services that people regularly search for in their local area.

At BRBD Marketing, we see particularly strong results from:

• Plumbers, Electricians, Aircon specialists
• Home security companies
• Pest control services
• Lawyers and legal services
• Health clinics, dentists, chiropractors
• Auto repair & vehicle services

In other words: If local customers frequently search Google to solve their problems related to your business, Google Ads is likely an ideal match.

However, there are instances where this platform isn’t as effective. Google Ads typically doesn’t work as well for:

• Products or services where there’s low awareness or minimal search activity.
• Ultra-competitive markets with sky-high keyword costs (like insurance).

While Google Ads is powerful, small business owners often face common pitfalls that can hurt results and waste budget:

Smart or Performance Max campaigns, while tempting in their simplicity, may quickly burn through budget if conversions aren’t properly tracked or leads aren’t prequalified through effective forms.

Generating leads isn’t enough—quality matters. At BRBD Marketing, we’ve found huge success incorporating detailed lead capture forms directly into our client’s campaigns. These forms automatically filter out low-quality leads, saving precious time and money.

Not choosing keywords based on actual customer intent can drain ad spend and decrease lead quality. Carefully selected, tightly focused keywords drive higher-intent leads that genuinely convert into customers.

To quickly generate quality leads from Google Ads, follow this simple yet effective framework:

The keywords you pick must clearly demonstrate intent to buy. Avoid generic keywords (“plumbing advice”) and go for specific intent-based terms (“emergency plumber Pretoria”).

Your ads need strong call-to-action phrases like “book now,” “emergency service,” and “call today.” Immediately tell prospects what you’re offering, why you’re the best choice, and how they can contact you easily.

Direct visitors to dedicated landing pages specially designed for conversions, or at the very least, structured lead forms that ask preliminary qualification questions.

The best landing pages:

• Clearly outline the service offered
• Highlight key benefits & social proof (customer testimonials)
• Provide easy, direct methods to contact you immediately

Google Ads is most effective when fine-tuned. Keep measuring conversion rates, quality of leads (how many leads become sales), and your ROI. Regularly adjust your budget and keyword selection based on performance to maximize results.

Many small businesses ask BRBD Marketing this frequently. Simply put:

• Choose Google Ads if your business solves immediate problems people actively search for online: plumbing, security, electricians, legal service, etc.
• Choose Facebook Ads initially if you have limited resources, no dedicated website, or need lower-cost leads quickly for services that require more education.
• Choose both Google & Facebook Ads for the most robust and scalable lead generation system. If budget allows, combining both gives you direct-intent leads from Google and brand-building, awareness-driven leads from Facebook.

As you’ve probably gathered, Google Ads for small businesses are highly effective at generating quality leads when campaigns are strategically structured and well-executed.

At BRBD Marketing, our experience consistently demonstrates that Google Ads is one of the fastest ways for service-based businesses to find customers, scale up, and maximize ROI—provided you’re intentional about who you target and how you structure lead collection.

Yes—you can absolutely get leads from Google Ads, consistently and affordably. Just make sure you follow the best practices outlined above, or trust the experts who have already learned these lessons the hard way.

BRBD Marketing helps small businesses across South Africa attract consistent, high-quality leads through expertly-managed Google Ads and social media lead generation campaigns.

We’ve already spent substantial resources discovering what works—and what doesn’t. In other words: We wasted money, so you don’t have to.

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