Maximizing Excavation Business Success with Google PPC

If you’re an excavation or septic contractor today, you’ve probably already noticed something: the jobs aren’t just going to “show up” anymore. Homeowners are searching online. Competitors are getting smarter. The companies that win in 2025 and beyond are the ones that learn how to control their lead flow, not hope for it.

And that’s exactly what we talk about on the Excavation Profits Podcast — real strategies, real results, no fluff. Over the past few years, we’ve spoken with dozens of business owners who’ve scaled to 7 figures and beyond. A consistent pattern shows up over and over:

Google PPC is the single most reliable, controllable, and scalable lead source in the excavation and septic industry.

But PPC only works if it’s done right.

In this article, we break down the same proven strategies we teach in our agency — the same ones that have helped excavation and septic contractors generate millions of dollars in tracked revenue. You’ll learn exactly how to set up, optimize, and profit from Google Pay-Per-Click ads so you can dominate your local market.

Why Google PPC Is Essential for Excavation & Septic Contractors

Imagine someone’s basement is flooding… their driveway is washing out… or their septic system just failed.

What’s the very first thing they do?

They pull out their phone and search Google.

And here’s the opportunity:
Whoever shows up at the top of that page — not on page 2, not halfway down the list — usually gets the call.

This isn’t about branding. It isn’t about “being everywhere.” It’s about being exactly where your buyer is at the exact moment they’re ready to hire.

Google PPC puts you there.

Unlike Facebook ads (which generate interest), Google PPC targets intent, meaning the homeowner is already actively searching for:

• “Septic install near me”

• “Excavation contractor [city]”

• “Drainage system repair cost”

• “Land clearing company”

• “Driveway excavation estimate”

These are not tire-kickers. They’re buyers.
And if your business isn’t running PPC, another contractor is capturing your leads — and your revenue.

How to Set Up Google PPC the RIGHT Way

Most excavation contractors who “try” PPC say the same thing:

“We spent money and didn’t get anything out of it.”

When we audit those campaigns inside our agency, the issues are almost always the same: wrong targeting, wrong structure, wrong pages, wrong tracking.

Let’s walk through the right way to do it — the way that consistently generates 20–60 high-quality leads every month for our clients.

1. Start With a Brand Campaign (Your Cheapest, Highest-ROI Campaign)

This is one of the most overlooked PPC strategies in the excavating world.

A brand campaign is simply running ads on your own company name:

• “Triple D Excavating”

• “Max Haas Septic Service”

• “West Excavation Montana”

Why do this?

Because competitors can (and will) bid on your company name.

We see this all the time: a homeowner searches your business… and a competitor shows up above you.

A brand campaign solves that problem for a few dollars a day.

It also:

• Protects your brand

• Makes sure you’re always at the top

• Generates leads at $3–$8 per click instead of $15–$30

• Converts higher than any other campaign type

Start here. It’s cheap. It’s easy. And it’s a revenue blocker if you skip it.

2. Build a Smart Keyword Strategy (Don’t Rely on Facebook-Style Targeting)

Keywords are the foundation of a successful PPC campaign — but most contractors guess instead of using a strategy.

Here’s what works best today:

Use Broad Match — But Smartly

Google’s AI has evolved. Broad match isn’t the “wild west” anymore. When paired with strong negative keywords and a solid conversion history, broad match delivers:

• More volume

• Better cost per lead

• More accurate search intent

For example:

• Broad Match Keyword: septic installation
  → Google will match it to real buyer terms like “septic system install cost,” “septic replacement,” etc.

Use Modified Broad Match (the “+” method) for Control

If you want more precision:

• +septic +installation

• +driveway +excavation

• +drainage +contractor

These restrict Google to variations that include both terms, reducing wasted spend.

Avoid Exact Match Only

Exact match keywords are too restrictive today. They deliver low volume and force you to pay premium CPCs. They’re good for a few core terms, but not as the main strategy.

Add 25–100 Negative Keywords

This protects your budget.

Some must-have negatives include:

• free

• DIY

• rental

• portable toilet

• pumping (if you don’t pump)

• sewage treatment plant jobs

• careers

• salary

• contractor license

Your campaigns should grow more profitable over time, not more expensive.

3. Use Dedicated, Conversion-Optimized Landing Pages

This is one of the biggest reasons PPC campaigns fail.

Here’s the truth:

Sending PPC traffic to a homepage kills conversions.

Your homepage has:

• menus

• links

• distractions

• irrelevant info

• multiple services

• company story

• random buttons

• blog posts

A landing page is the opposite — it’s built to convert.
It focuses on one service for one buyer in one location.

For every major service, you need a dedicated landing page:

• Septic installation

• Drainage solutions

• Driveway excavation

• Land clearing

• Demolition

• Pond construction

• Sewer line repair

Each page should include:

• A clear headline

• Simple explanation of the service

• Pricing guidance or expectations

• A list of problems you solve

• Photos or job examples

• Social proof

• “Tap to call” button

• A short form

• Guarantees or trust builders

• Service area map

• Strong call to action

The difference is massive.
Landing pages typically convert between 18%–40%, while homepages convert at <5%.

4. Track Everything (Most Contractors Don’t — and It Costs Them Millions)

If you don’t track:

• calls

• form submissions

• booked appointments

• keywords

• campaign ROI

…then you’re not doing PPC — you’re just “donating” money to Google.

Here’s what real tracking looks like:

Call Tracking

Every campaign gets:

• a unique phone number

• call recording

• call length filtering

• appointment tagging

• job value matching

This lets you see which campaigns produce the jobs that actually close.

Form Tracking

Each landing page needs:

• a conversion script

• a lead ID

• tracking parameters

• CRM tagging

This lets you measure conversions accurately instead of guessing.

CRM Integration

We recommend syncing with:

• GoHighLevel

• ServiceTitan

• QuickBooks

• Jobber

• HouseCall Pro

The goal is simple:

Know EXACTLY how much revenue each campaign produces.

When you know your numbers, scaling becomes easy.

5. Use Ad Extensions to Dominate the Search Page

Ad extensions make your ad bigger, louder, and more clickable.

For excavation and septic companies, the top-performing extensions are:

• Call extensions (tap to call)

• Location extensions (trust builder)

• Site link extensions (septic install, land clearing, drainage, etc.)

• Structured snippets (services you offer)

• Callout extensions (licensed, insured, 5-star reviews, etc.)

Think of extensions as “free real estate” on the search page.

6. Rotate Your Ads (Don’t Set and Forget)

Most contractors write an ad, set it live, and never touch it again.

Instead, test at least 3 active ads per ad group:

• One benefit-driven

• One problem-driven

• One call-to-action-driven

Google will automatically prioritize the highest-performing version and push more traffic to it.

Better ad = higher click-through rate = better quality score = lower CPC = more leads for the same money.

Biggest PPC Mistakes Excavation Contractors Make (and How to Avoid Them)

After auditing hundreds of accounts, these are the top problems we see:

1. Running Generic Ads

“Excavation contractor serving all your needs” doesn’t convert.

What converts?

Ads like:

• “Septic Install Done Right — Free Quote Today”

• “Drainage Problems Fixed Fast — 24–48 Hr Turnaround”

• “Driveway Excavation — Get Pricing & Timeline”

The more specific, the better.

2. Mixing Multiple Services in One Campaign

This confuses Google and wastes your money.

Each service needs:

• its own campaign

• its own ad groups

• its own landing page

This is a requirement in 2025 — not an option.

3. No Tracking

If you can’t tell which keywords produce booked jobs, you can’t optimize.

4. Using the Wrong Bidding Strategy Too Early

Never start with:

• Maximize conversions

• Target CPA

• Target ROAS

Google’s AI needs data first.
Start with Maximize Clicks, then Maximize Conversions, then scale to automated bidding.

5. Slow Follow-Up

Even the best PPC campaigns won’t save slow follow-up.

The contractor who calls first wins.

We recommend:

• phone call in < 60 seconds

• SMS in < 30 seconds

• email instantly

• automated reminders

• AI callback system (we build these for clients)

Final Thoughts: Google PPC Is the Excavation Industry’s Most Predictable Growth Engine

If you’re tired of slow seasons… tired of relying on referrals… tired of hoping someone calls…

Google PPC is the most dependable way to take control of your lead flow.

Every contractor we’ve helped scale — whether they grew by $500K, $1.25M, or more — did it by mastering:

• smart keyword targeting

• dedicated landing pages

• precise tracking

• fast follow-up

• ongoing optimization

If you apply the strategies, you’ll be ahead of 90% of contractors in your market — and you’ll see the difference quickly.