GOOGLE ADS

    How a Commercial Contractor Won £450K in Contracts From Google Ads

    A commercial contractor had zero digital presence and relied entirely on tender portals and relationships. We built a Google Ads strategy from zero — service-specific campaigns, portfolio-driven landing pages, and geo-targeted within 50-mile operational radius. In 6 months: 28 qualified enquiries, 6 contracts signed worth £450K, and 3 ongoing developer relationships.

    £450K from zero

    Contract Value Won

    28

    Commercial Enquiries (6 months)

    22x

    ROI on Ad Spend

    85%

    Qualified Enquiry Rate

    The Challenge

    What We Were Dealing With

    Commercial construction is the last bastion of offline business development. The contractor relied on tender portals (90% of work) where margins were 8-12% due to price competition with dozens of other contractors. They had zero digital presence, no Google Ads experience, and a belief that commercial construction 'isn't digital.'

    The opportunity was hidden in plain sight: developers, architects, and facilities managers search Google for commercial contractors. Keywords like 'commercial contractor [region]' and 'office fit-out company [city]' had minimal competition because almost no contractors were bidding. An open market with no competition.

    Our Strategy

    How We Did It

    01

    Commercial Service-Specific Campaigns

    Separate campaigns for Office Fit-Outs, Industrial Construction, Retail Fit-Outs, and Renovation & Refurbishment. Each had dedicated landing pages and ad copy matching the specific service searched.

    02

    Portfolio-Driven Landing Pages with Project Value Bands

    Landing pages led with high-quality project photos showing type of work, location, and value band (£50K-£100K, £100K-£250K, £250K-£500K+). A developer evaluating contractors could immediately see 'Can you handle a £300K project?'

    03

    Geo-Targeting Within 50-Mile Operational Radius

    Mapped the contractor's operational range and built geofencing into all campaigns. Concentrated budget on prospects they could actually serve with local relevance in ad copy.

    04

    Sector-Specific Client Targeting

    Separated campaigns by client sector: Property Developers, Facilities Management, Architects & Design Firms, Corporate Facilities Teams. Same contractor, different messaging per audience.

    05

    Remarketing to Portfolio Viewers

    Retargeted prospects who visited portfolio pages but didn't enquire 7-14 days later. Remarketing campaigns achieved 4.2x ROAS because prospects were already warm.

    The Results

    What We Delivered

    6 months: 28 commercial enquiries (from zero digital pipeline). 6 contracts signed: £80K, £95K, £120K, £75K, £140K, £95K = £450K confirmed revenue. Cost of ads: £20K. ROI: 22.5x. 3 developer relationships now generate ongoing work pipeline. One developer committed to retainer (3-4 projects/year, £3,750/month). Tender portal dependency reduced from 90% to 60%. Direct contract margins: 18-22% vs 8-12% on tenders.

    £450K from zero

    Contract Value Won

    28

    Commercial Enquiries (6 months)

    22x

    ROI on Ad Spend

    85%

    Qualified Enquiry Rate

    Key Takeaways

    Lessons From This Engagement

    Commercial markets are wide open because competitors don't believe in digital

    Most contractors assume their sector 'isn't digital.' This creates an opportunity vacuum. Developers and architects are searching on Google. The contractor who shows up wins.

    Portfolio drives commercial lead generation

    B2B buyers evaluate contractors by past work. Large, high-quality portfolio images with project values are the single most important landing page element.

    Service-specific campaigns beat generic contractor messaging

    'Contractor' is too broad. Separating office, industrial, and retail campaigns meant messaging could be precisely relevant. 3x higher conversion rate on service-specific campaigns.

    Repeat customer relationships are the highest-ROI outcome

    One developer relationship worth £15K annual retainer value came from a Month 2 project. This single relationship pays for 9 months of ad spend indefinitely.

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