How We Generated 1,932 Leads for a Michigan Tree Service Company at $43.72 Each

A Michigan tree service company generated 1,932 primary leads at an average cost of $43.72 per lead by running a dedicated Google Search campaign alongside Local Services Ads and local campaigns. Every number on this page is based on main conversion actions only, the calls and quote requests that actually turn into jobs. This case study walks through how the account was structured and what you can apply to your own tree company.

1The Results at a Glance

Here are the blended numbers across the full program, Search and local channels combined. These totals include only main conversion actions. Secondary actions like map direction clicks and website visits are tracked in the account but are not counted as leads here.

The company invested $84,438 in Google Ads to produce those results. For a tree company where a removal job commonly runs $1,500 or more, a $43.72 lead leaves plenty of room for profit even if only a fraction of leads turn into booked jobs.

2The Client: A Michigan Tree Service Company

The client is a tree service company in Michigan offering residential tree work to homeowners across its local service area. Most of their customers find them one of two ways: searching Google for a specific service like tree removal, or looking for a trusted local company in the map results and Local Services Ads at the top of the page.

• Industry: Residential tree service, including tree removal, trimming and related tree care work.
• Market: Michigan, where storm damage and seasonal demand create spikes in searches throughout the year.
• Primary lead types: Inbound phone calls and quote requests, the two actions that turn into estimates and booked jobs.

3The Goal: High Lead Volume at a Cost That Fits Tree Work

Tree work is a volume business. Crews need a steady pipeline of estimates every week, and the company needed enough leads to keep them booked without letting cost per lead climb out of control.

That meant the account had to do two things at once. It needed to show up for homeowners who were ready to hire right now, and it needed broad local visibility so the company was the name people saw first when they needed tree work.

4Two Channels, Two Jobs

The account was split into two parts, and each one had a clear job. The dedicated Search campaign captured homeowners searching for specific tree services. Local Services Ads and local campaigns delivered volume and kept the company visible across its service area.

Splitting the account this way gave each channel its own budget and its own conversion data. That makes it easy to see which channel is producing leads and where the next dollar should go.

5The Dedicated Search Campaign

The Search campaign focused on high-intent local keywords, the searches homeowners type when they already know they need a tree removed or trimmed. Clicks on these keywords cost more, averaging $10.43, but the people clicking are much closer to hiring.

That shows up in the conversion rate. The Search campaign converted 21.83% of its clicks into primary leads, which works out to more than 1 in 5 clicks.

• 923 clicks from 18,891 impressions: A 4.89% click-through rate, which tells you the ads matched what homeowners were searching for.
• 202 primary leads: Calls and quote requests from homeowners actively looking to hire.
• $47.76 cost per lead: Slightly higher than the local channels, but with the strongest conversion rate in the account.
• $9,624 in spend: About 11% of the total budget, focused on the searches most likely to book a job.

6Local Services Ads and Local Campaigns

Local Services Ads and local campaigns did the heavy lifting on volume. These channels put the company in front of homeowners across its service area, at the top of the results and in the map listings where people go when they want a trusted local company.

Across these channels, the company earned 1,730 primary leads at $43.25 each. The average click cost $5.45, about half the cost of a Search click.

• Over 3 million impressions: The company was the name homeowners saw again and again across its Michigan service area.
• 13,730 clicks: A steady flow of local homeowners checking out the company, calling or requesting a quote.
• 12.60% conversion rate: Lower than Search, which is normal for broader local placements, but at a lower cost per click.
• $43.25 cost per lead: The lowest cost per lead in the program on the largest share of the budget.

7Counting Only Main Conversion Actions

One of the biggest mistakes I see in home service accounts is counting every action as a lead. Map direction clicks, website visits and button taps all show up in Google Ads as conversions if you let them. None of them are a homeowner asking for an estimate.

In this account, only main conversion actions were counted as leads and used to judge performance. Everything else was tracked as a secondary action for reference.

1. Phone calls as a main conversion. Inbound calls from the ads were tracked and counted, since a phone call is how most homeowners book tree work.
2. Quote requests as a main conversion. Completed quote forms were counted as leads, giving homeowners who prefer to type a way to reach the company.
3. Map actions and other engagement as secondary. These were kept in the account for visibility but left out of the lead totals and the cost per lead.
4. Bidding based on main conversions. Google's Smart Bidding optimized toward real leads, not clicks on directions or page views.

If you include every secondary action, your cost per lead looks much lower than it really is. The $43.72 on this page is the honest number.

8Pacing the Budget at $620 per Day

The full program ran on a pacing budget of $620 per day. Keeping spend steady meant the company had a predictable flow of leads instead of a burst early in the month followed by a dry spell.

About 89% of that budget went to Local Services Ads and local campaigns, where the cost per lead was lowest. The other 11% went to the dedicated Search campaign to capture the highest-intent searches.

• Predictable lead flow: A steady daily budget keeps estimates coming in every week, which makes it easier to schedule crews.
• Budget follows cost per lead: The channel producing leads at the lowest cost got the largest share of the spend.
• Search stays funded: The Search campaign kept enough budget to show for high-intent searches every day.

9The Full Channel Breakdown

Here is the complete breakdown by channel. Every lead and cost per lead figure below is based on main conversion actions only.

The two channels land within about $4.50 of each other on cost per lead, even though their click costs and conversion rates are very different. Search wins on conversion rate. The local channels win on volume and cost per click.

10What Made the Difference

Nothing in this account is complicated. It is a clear structure, honest tracking and a budget that follows the results. Here is what you can apply to your own tree company.

• Give each channel its own job: Use Search for high-intent service keywords and Local Services Ads plus local campaigns for volume and visibility. Keep them separate so you can see what each one produces.
• Count only real leads: Set phone calls and quote requests as your main conversions. Leave map clicks and website visits as secondary so your cost per lead is accurate.
• Let Smart Bidding learn from real leads: When your primary conversions are real calls and quote requests, Google finds more homeowners who call and request quotes.
• Pace your budget daily: A steady daily budget keeps estimates flowing every week instead of all at once.
• Judge it by cost per lead against job value: A $43.72 lead is a strong number when one booked removal can be worth $1,500 or more.