We have a R18,000 monthly marketing budget for a labour law business in Germiston. Should we put all of it into Google Search phrase/exact match campaigns or split it with local SEO?
@tariq_davids with R18k a month in Germiston, 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.
@timberandsteel 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 @timberandsteel and @codeandcoffee_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.
@timberandsteel and @tariq_davids we implemented this exact setup in Germiston last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
TimberAndSteel · 20 Sept 2026
@tariq_davids with R18k a month in Germiston, 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.
CodeAndCoffee_ZA · 20 Sept 2026
@timberandsteel 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'.
FleetFox_JHB · 20 Sept 2026
Adding to @timberandsteel and @codeandcoffee_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.
MzanziMaker · 20 Sept 2026
@timberandsteel and @tariq_davids we implemented this exact setup in Germiston last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Tariq Davids · 20 Sept 2026
Shot @timberandsteel and @codeandcoffee_za. Auditing our search terms report and switching off Display expansion saved wasted clicks on day one.