Key takeaways
- Pay for searches that name a problem or an install, such as "breaker keeps tripping" or "panel upgrade", not the bare trade name.
- "Electric" is an ambiguous word. It pulls in utility customers, car owners and fence buyers, so broad match strays further for electricians than for most trades.
- Build negatives in groups: job seekers, DIY, utility, parts buyers, and work you do not do.
- Read the search terms report weekly at first, and again before storm season and every time you add or drop a service.
The best Google Ads keywords for an electrical contractor name a problem or an install, not just the trade: "breaker keeps tripping", "panel upgrade", "EV charger installation", "standby generator installer". Bare words like "electric" and "electrician" pull in job seekers, students and people looking for their utility. Pay for intent, match tightly, and keep the negative list growing.
The keywords worth paying for
The keywords worth paying for are the ones a homeowner types when something has already happened: the power problem, the remodel, the new EV or the home inspection report. Each group below deserves its own ad group and its own landing page.
| Theme | Searches in the customer's words | What the searcher usually wants |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent repairs | "breaker keeps tripping", "half my house has no power", "outlet sparking", "electrician near me" | A tech today, a clear call-out fee |
| Panels and service | "panel upgrade", "200 amp service upgrade", "replace old electrical panel", "fuse box replacement" | A quote, often prompted by an inspector or insurer |
| EV charging | "EV charger installation", "level 2 charger installer", "install car charger in garage" | An install date before or just after the car arrives |
| Generators | "whole house generator installation", "standby generator installer", "generator transfer switch install" | A site visit and a quote before the next outage |
| Remodel and rewiring | "rewire old house", "knob and tube replacement", "kitchen remodel electrician", "recessed lighting installation" | A contractor who can work to the remodel schedule |
| Inspection findings | "electrician for home inspection repairs", "fix electrical issues before closing" | Fast, documented work before a closing date |
| Commercial | "commercial electrician", "tenant improvement electrician" | Licensing, capacity and similar projects |
Run commercial in its own campaign. A property manager and a homeowner search differently, need different proof, and should not compete for the same budget.
Building a keyword list that pays
- Pick high-intent terms Searches that name a service you sell
- Choose match types Phrase and exact for control
- Add negative keywords Block searches you never want to pay for
- Read the search terms What people actually typed
Then refine the list
Match types
Start with phrase and exact match, and add broad match only once the account counts booked calls as conversions (Google's match type guide). Exact match fits your highest-value terms, such as panel upgrades and standby generators. Phrase match fits problem searches, because homeowners describe the same fault a dozen ways.
Electricians need to be stricter here than most trades. "Electric" means a utility, a car, a fence, a bike and a guitar as well as your work. Broad match on "electric repair" can wander into electric motor repair, e-bike repair and power company billing. If you test broad match, run it in a separate campaign with its own budget, and read its search terms twice a week until you trust it.
Negative keyword list
- Block job seekers. jobs, hiring, career, salary, apprentice, apprenticeship, journeyman, union, school, training, course, license exam, practice test.
- Block DIY and study searches. how to, diagram, wiring diagram, 3 way switch, code book, code requirements, wire size chart, YouTube. Add "free" only as part of phrases such as "free wiring diagram". "Free estimate" searches are buyers.
- Block utility searches. electric company, power company, electric bill, pay bill, outage map, report outage, power restored. These are the most common junk clicks during storm season.
- Block parts buyers. electrical supply, wholesale, for sale, price of wire, breaker for sale, portable generator for sale, generator rental.
- Block work you do not do. Typical candidates are solar installation, low voltage, security cameras, TV mounting, appliance repair, electric fence, electric motor repair, car charger repair and generator repair if you only install.
- Add the variants yourself. Negative keywords do not match close variants, so plurals and common misspellings need their own entries (Google's negative keyword rules).
- Put the list where it belongs. Apply the shared groups across every campaign. Keep "commercial" as a negative in residential campaigns and "residential" or "house" in commercial ones, so the two do not bid against each other.
Review cadence
Read the search terms report every week for the first two months, then every month, and add an extra review at three moments in the year.
- Before storm season. Check that generator rental, portable generator and outage terms are blocked, and that standby generator terms have budget ready.
- When you add or drop a service. Starting EV charger installs means removing "car charger" from the negatives. Stopping service work on generators means adding "generator repair".
- When call recordings show new words. Homeowners invent their own phrases for faults ("lights dim when the AC kicks on"). If you hear a phrase on several booked calls, test it as a keyword.
Keywords also need the right page behind them. The Google Ads landing page guide covers that, and the cost per lead guide shows how to judge each keyword group by booked calls.
How VETS Growth Marketing helps
We build your keyword and negative lists from your services, your call recordings and the search terms your account has already paid for, and we keep cleaning them as the seasons change. The lists live in an ad account you own, the first build has a date, and every keyword group is judged by the booked calls it produced. Bring your last search terms report to a growth consultation and we will show you which clicks to stop paying for.
Sources
- About keyword matching options, Google Ads Help
- About negative keywords, Google Ads Help