Key takeaways
- Buy the words of a problem or a project: "roof leak repair", "hail damage roof inspection", "roof replacement".
- Give storm and insurance searches their own campaign, built ahead of time and switched on only when weather hits your area.
- Do not block the word "free". "Free roof inspection" is one of the searches worth paying for.
- Read the search terms report weekly in storm season and in the week after every storm.
The best Google Ads keywords for a roofing company name a roof problem or a roof job: "roof leak repair", "hail damage roof inspection", "roof replacement near me". Pay for the words a homeowner types after something has already happened, and block the job seekers, shingle shoppers and car-roof searches that share the word "roof".
The keywords worth paying for
The keywords worth paying for match the four things that make a homeowner call a roofer: a leak, storm damage, a home sale and a roof that is simply old. Each moment has its own words, its own urgency and its own page, so build them as separate campaigns or ad groups rather than one list.
| Moment | Searches that signal it | How to run it |
|---|---|---|
| Active leak | "roof leaking", "emergency roof repair", "roof tarp service" | Its own campaign, live only while someone can answer and send a crew |
| Storm damage | "hail damage roof", "storm damage roof repair", "wind damage shingles" | Built in advance, paused, switched on for affected areas you serve |
| Insurance help | "roofer that works with insurance", "roof insurance claim help" | Ad text that explains your process without promising coverage |
| Home sale | "roof inspection for home sale", "roof certification" | Point to an inspection page, not a replacement pitch |
| Replacement | "roof replacement", "new roof cost", "metal roof installation" | Highest value, longest decision; pair with retargeting |
| Add-on work | "gutter installation", "seamless gutters" | Only if your crews do it |
| Your name | Your company name, with and without "roofing" | Cheap protection when a referred homeowner looks you up |
"New roof cost" sits between research and buying. Run it with a page that gives honest ranges or an inspection offer, and judge it on booked inspections, not clicks.
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, because roofing words collide with other trades and products. Phrase match lets in words before and after your phrase, so "roof repair" can still match "RV roof repair" or "car roof repair". Exact match lets in close variants of the same meaning (how match types work).
Broad match can find good searches you did not think of, but only when the account already reports booked inspections back as conversions. Without that, it learns from every call, including the supplier and the job seeker. Turn it on in one ad group, with a budget cap, and read its search terms every few days.
Negative keyword list
- Block job seekers. Roofing jobs, roofer hiring, roofing salary, roofing apprentice, roofer helper, roofing training, roofing license exam.
- Block material and DIY shoppers. Shingles for sale, bundle price, roofing nails, roof cement, roll roofing, patch kit, how to, DIY, video.
- Block other kinds of roof. Car roof, sunroof, roof rack, rooftop tent, truck cap, and RV, shed, gazebo or mobile home roofs if your crews do not do them.
- Block other businesses' searches. Roofing software, roofing marketing, roofing contractor insurance, roofing estimate template, roofing supply, wholesale.
- Handle "free" with care. Add free roof replacement program, roof grants, government roof program and similar phrases. Leave "free roof inspection" and "free estimate" alone.
- Block the work you turn down. Flat roof membranes, solar installation, chimney rebuilds or skylights, if they are not on your services list.
- Catch place names your map misses. Location settings do most of the work, but searches that name a distant town can slip through. Add those names as negatives when they appear in the search terms report.
Add negatives at the account level when they apply to everything, and at the campaign level when they only apply to one, such as blocking "replacement" in a repair-only campaign (negative keywords).
Review cadence
Review search terms weekly through spring and summer storm seasons, and again in the days after any storm that hits your area. Storm weeks bring a burst of new phrasing, and new junk with it: insurance questions, "storm chaser" warnings, contractor scam searches. Some of those are worth a page on your site rather than an ad.
In the slow months, a monthly review is usually enough. Once a quarter, check the keyword list against your services. If you stopped doing gutters or started installing metal roofs, the keywords should follow.
Keep the organic side separate. The roofing search terms guide covers which pages to build for search, and the cost per lead guide covers how to judge what these keywords bring in.
How VETS Growth Marketing helps
We build your roofing keyword list from your services, your call recordings and your search terms history, set up the negative list before the first dollar is spent, and keep a storm campaign ready to switch on. Everything sits in a Google Ads account in your name, and we report what the keywords produced in booked inspections and signed roofs. The build is a project with a finish date. Bring your current search terms report to a growth consultation and we will show you what you paid for that never could have hired you.
Sources
- About keyword matching options, Google Ads Help
- About negative keywords, Google Ads Help