Key takeaways
- Pest searches start with the problem the customer found, so build pages around pests and symptoms, not only around the service name.
- Home-sale searches for termite inspections are their own group, with their own page and their own buyers.
- Your CSRs' call notes and your Google Ads search terms are better keyword research than any tool.
- Check "free" before you block it: many pest control companies advertise free termite inspections.
The best keywords for a pest control company are the words customers use for what they just found: "mice in the attic", "flying ants in the house", "termite inspection before closing". Many people search the symptom before they search for a company. Map each of those phrases to a page, a profile service and an ad group, and the search lands somewhere ready to book.
How pest control customers search
Pest control customers search the problem first, the service second and the company last. What they type depends on which of three triggers sent them to the phone.
- A sighting. They describe what they saw or heard: "small black ants in kitchen", "droppings in kitchen drawer", "scratching in walls at night", "bugs that look like apple seeds". The last one is a bed bug search from someone who does not yet know it.
- A home purchase. Buyers, agents and lenders search for an inspection: "termite inspection for home sale", "WDI inspection", "how fast can I get a termite report".
- The season. Swarms in spring ("termites or flying ants"), mosquitoes in summer ("mosquito spraying for backyard party"), rodents in fall ("how to keep mice out of house in winter").
Price and plan phrasing runs through all three: "how much is pest control a month", "is quarterly pest control worth it", "termite treatment cost".
| Search type | Example searches | Where it should land |
|---|---|---|
| Service near me | "exterminator near me", "termite company near me" | Google profile, then the matching service page |
| Problem or symptom | "mice in walls", "flying ants or termites" | The pest page, with signs, treatment and a booking button |
| Home sale | "termite inspection for home sale" | An inspection page written for buyers and agents |
| Price | "termite treatment cost", "pest control cost per month" | The pest page or plan page, with honest ranges |
| Plan | "quarterly pest control", "pest control plan" | The plan page |
| Do it yourself | "how to get rid of ants naturally" | A helpful guide, or nowhere if it never books |
High-intent vs research searches
| Question | High-intent search | Research search |
|---|---|---|
| What they want | To book or get a quote | To learn, compare or price |
| How it reads | A service and "near me" | "How much", "how to", "which is best" |
| Where to send them | A service page with a call button | A guide that answers the question |
| In paid ads | Worth bidding on | Usually a negative keyword |
High-intent vs research searches
High-intent searches come from someone who wants a tech at the house this week. Research searches come from someone still working out what they have.
"Rodent exterminator near me" is high intent. "What do mouse droppings look like" is research. In most trades you would chase the first and ignore the second. Pest control is different, because the research search often becomes a call within hours, the moment the customer confirms it is mice and not something harmless. A rodent page that shows what droppings look like, then explains how you trap and seal entry points, catches the customer at both stages.
Termites are the clearest case. A homeowner who finds wings on a windowsill searches "termites or flying ants" first. The company whose page answers that question with photos is the one they call for the inspection, and a termite inspection is where many recurring plans and termite warranties begin.
Building a keyword map
- Start with your own calls. Read a few weeks of CSR notes and the "reason for call" field in PestPac, GorillaDesk or FieldRoutes. Write down the exact words customers used.
- Add the search terms you already pay for. Your Google Ads search terms report shows real queries that triggered your ads, and Search Console shows the ones your site already appears for (Search Console).
- Group by pest, then by intent. Termites: swarm questions, inspections, treatment, cost. Rodents: signs, removal, exclusion. Keep each group small enough for one page to answer.
- Give each group one page. If two pages target "termite inspection", they compete with each other. Pick one, and point the other at it.
- Mirror the map on your Google profile. Each group that matters should exist as a named service on the listing.
- Mirror it in your ads. One ad group per group, pointed at the same page, so the ad, the page and the profile all say the same thing.
- Revisit each season. Swarm searches peak in spring and rodent searches in fall, so check the map before each one.
The service-area pages guide covers how area pages fit into the map.
Negative keywords for ads
Negative keywords stop your ads from showing on searches that will never become a plan (Google's negative keyword help). Pest control attracts a predictable set of them.
- Jobs and licensing: "pest control technician jobs", "hiring", "salary", "license exam", "pest control course".
- Products: "spray", "bait", "traps", "ultrasonic repeller", and the names of store brands.
- Services you do not offer: wildlife such as raccoons or bats, bee relocation, or commercial accounts if you only treat homes.
- Pests outside your plan: bed bugs, if you refer that work out.
Be careful with "free" and "cheap". If you advertise free termite inspections, "free termite inspection" is one of your best searches, not one to block. Review the search terms report every couple of weeks in season, and decide match types per group (match type help). The Google Ads keyword guide for pest control companies goes further on the paid side.
How VETS Growth Marketing helps
We build the keyword map from your call notes and search data, then carry it through your pages, Google profile and ad groups so every search you care about lands in the right place. It is a project with a finish date, and every account stays in your name. We report calls and recurring plans by search group, not keyword rankings. Book a growth consultation and we will show you which pest searches you are missing today.
Sources
- About negative keywords, Google Ads Help
- About keyword matching options, Google Ads Help
- Google Search Console, Google