We have a R18,000 monthly marketing budget for a chartered accountant (sa) business in Stellenbosch. Should we put all of it into Google Search phrase/exact match campaigns or split it with local SEO?
@hannes_joubert with R18k a month in Stellenbosch, put 70% into tightly geo-fenced Google Search Ads targeting high-intent buyer keywords with a strong negative keyword list (blocking 'jobs', 'courses', 'DIY', 'free', 'learnership'), and put 30% into building out your Google Business Profile, local citations and service case-study pages so your organic leads compound over 6 months.
@craigm_kzn is spot on about the negative keyword list! Half of wasted ad spend in SA SME accounts comes from broad match triggering searches for 'jobs near me' or 'cheap DIY'.
Adding to @craigm_kzn and @pieterv_pretoria: track actual phone calls and WhatsApp clicks as primary conversions using server-side tagging, and turn off Google Display Network expansion on Search campaigns immediately.
@craigm_kzn and @hannes_joubert we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Craig M. · 05 Oct 2026
@hannes_joubert with R18k a month in Stellenbosch, put 70% into tightly geo-fenced Google Search Ads targeting high-intent buyer keywords with a strong negative keyword list (blocking 'jobs', 'courses', 'DIY', 'free', 'learnership'), and put 30% into building out your Google Business Profile, local citations and service case-study pages so your organic leads compound over 6 months.
Pieter V. · 05 Oct 2026
@craigm_kzn is spot on about the negative keyword list! Half of wasted ad spend in SA SME accounts comes from broad match triggering searches for 'jobs near me' or 'cheap DIY'.
Dewald · 05 Oct 2026
Adding to @craigm_kzn and @pieterv_pretoria: track actual phone calls and WhatsApp clicks as primary conversions using server-side tagging, and turn off Google Display Network expansion on Search campaigns immediately.
Stuart · 05 Oct 2026
@craigm_kzn and @hannes_joubert we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Hannes Joubert · 05 Oct 2026
Shot @craigm_kzn and @pieterv_pretoria. Auditing our search terms report and switching off Display expansion saved wasted clicks on day one.