We have a R18,000 monthly marketing budget for a coffee roaster, hospitality business in Stellenbosch. Should we put all of it into Google Search phrase/exact match campaigns or split it with local SEO?
@keshav_govender 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.
@theuns_erasmus 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 @theuns_erasmus and @hennie_cronje_za: 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.
@theuns_erasmus and @keshav_govender we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Theuns Erasmus · 06 Sept 2026
@keshav_govender 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.
Hennie Cronje · 06 Sept 2026
@theuns_erasmus 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'.
Wynand Olivier · 06 Sept 2026
Adding to @theuns_erasmus and @hennie_cronje_za: 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.
kobus_b · 07 Sept 2026
@theuns_erasmus and @keshav_govender we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Keshav Govender · 07 Sept 2026
Shot @theuns_erasmus and @hennie_cronje_za. Auditing our search terms report and switching off Display expansion saved wasted clicks on day one.