Stop Paying for Clicks and Start Getting Calls
Look, I’m going to be straight with you. Most small business owners in Brisbane are flushing money down the toilet with Google Ads.
They set up a basic ad, pick a few keywords, and hope for the best. But when you look at the search results, their ad is a tiny little blip that nobody notices.
If you want to actually make money from this, you need to take up space. You need to give people a reason to click your ad instead of the guy below you. And more importantly, you need to make it dead easy for them to call you or find your shop.
That’s where "assets" come in. Google used to call these extensions, but honestly, the name doesn't matter. What matters is that they make your ad bigger, more helpful, and much more likely to turn a searcher into a paying customer.
Here’s how we do it at Local Marketing Group.
The Big Three: Assets You Need Right Now
If you do nothing else after reading this, set these three things up. They are the bread and butter of local business marketing.
1. Location Assets (Get them to your door)
You’re a local business. People need to know where you are or at least see that you’re actually in Brisbane and not some faceless call centre in Sydney.
When you link your Google Business Profile to your ads, your address shows up. It even shows people how many kilometres away they are from you.
Why it makes you money: It builds trust instantly. If I’m looking for a mechanic in Paddington and I see you’re 2 minutes away, you’ve already won half the battle.
2. Call Assets (Get the phone ringing)
This is the holy grail. For most tradies and service businesses, a website click is fine, but a phone call is a sale.
By adding a call asset, a big "Call" button appears next to your ad on mobile phones. One tap and they’re talking to you. No navigating a messy website, no filling out forms. Just a direct line to a lead.
If you feel like your Google ad money isn't turning into real sales, this is usually the culprit. You're making people work too hard to reach you.
3. Sitelink Assets (Give them options)
Sitelinks are those extra little blue links that appear under your main ad. They let you highlight specific services.
Don't just link to your homepage. If you’re a plumber, add sitelinks for "Emergency Repairs," "Hot Water Systems," and "Blocked Drains."
It makes your ad twice as big. Literally. You’re pushing your competitors further down the page just by being helpful. It’s a no-brainer.
The "Secret" Assets Most People Ignore
Once you’ve got the basics, you can start getting smart. These are the ones that really help you stop competitors stealing customers because they make you look like the biggest, most professional player in the market.
Callout Assets
These are short snippets of text—about 25 characters—where you brag a bit. - "Family Owned & Operated" - "24/7 Emergency Service" - "Free Quotes" - "15 Years Experience"
They aren't clickable, but they add "meat" to your ad. It’s free real estate. Use it.
Structured Snippets
These allow you to list your services or brands. If you’re a hair salon, you list "Highlights, Balayage, Men's Cuts, Styling." It tells the customer exactly what you do before they even spend a cent of your budget on a click.
Is Your Budget Being Wasted?
I see this all the time. A business owner spends $2,000 a month on ads but hasn't updated their assets in a year.
Google rewards ads that people actually interact with. If your ad is full of helpful info, Google shows it more often and often charges you less per click.
If you aren't sure if your Google Ads budget is actually working, go into your account and look at the "Assets" tab. If it’s empty, you’re leaving money on the table.
My Honest Take
Marketing isn't magic. It’s about being the easiest option for a customer who has a problem right now.
If someone’s toilet is overflowing at 10 PM in Brisbane, they don't want to read your life story. They want to see a "Call Now" button and a "24/7 Service" badge.
Set these up. It’ll take you 20 minutes, or you can get someone to do it for you. Either way, stop running "naked" ads. They don't work, they're expensive, and frankly, they make your business look small.
What you should do next:
1. Open your Google Ads account. 2. Click 'Ads & Assets' then 'Assets'. 3. Add your phone number and your location. 4. Write 4 sitelinks pointing to your main services.If that sounds like a headache you don't have time for, give us a shout. We handle this stuff every day for local businesses who just want the phone to ring.