Why this structure: At $1,100/month, budget is too tight for fragmented campaigns. One consolidated Search campaign (8 STAG ad groups) plus one Brand campaign maximizes learning speed and conversion data. Each ad group targets a single intent signal — encapsulation, moisture/vapor, mold, inspection, near-me, and three city variants — so Google serves the most relevant ad for every search. No broad match keywords. Ever. Every dollar is protected.
Ad group: Crawl Space Encapsulation | General | EM & PM — Est. CPC: $8–$25 — Intent: Service hire, ready to buy
Ad group: Vapor Barrier | Moisture Control | EM & PM — Est. CPC: $8–$35 — Intent: Moisture problem, needs diagnosis + fix
Ad group: Crawl Space Mold | Remediation | EM & PM — Est. CPC: $6–$18 — Intent: Mold discovered, wants immediate help
Ad group: Crawl Space | Athens | EM & PM — Est. CPC: $11–$25 — Intent: City-specific hire, highest purchase intent
Ad group: Crawl Space Doctors | Brand | EM & PM — Est. CPC: $1–$3 — Intent: Brand name search, protect against competitor bidding
| Keyword | Match |
|---|---|
| crawl space encapsulation | EXACT |
| crawl space encapsulation company | EXACT |
| crawl space encapsulation cost | EXACT |
| encapsulate crawl space | EXACT |
| crawl space encapsulation service | EXACT |
| crawl space encapsulation | PHRASE |
| crawl space encapsulation company | PHRASE |
| crawl space encapsulation cost | PHRASE |
| encapsulate my crawl space | PHRASE |
| crawl space encapsulation contractor | PHRASE |
| crawl space encapsulation service | PHRASE |
| best crawl space encapsulation | PHRASE |
| crawl space encapsulation price | PHRASE |
| Keyword | Match |
|---|---|
| crawl space vapor barrier | EXACT |
| vapor barrier crawl space | EXACT |
| crawl space moisture problem | EXACT |
| wet crawl space | EXACT |
| crawl space moisture control | EXACT |
| crawl space vapor barrier | PHRASE |
| vapor barrier installation crawl space | PHRASE |
| crawl space moisture problem | PHRASE |
| wet crawl space solution | PHRASE |
| crawl space water intrusion | PHRASE |
| crawl space humidity problem | PHRASE |
| moisture under house | PHRASE |
| wet crawl space repair | PHRASE |
| Keyword | Match |
|---|---|
| crawl space mold remediation | EXACT |
| crawl space mold removal | EXACT |
| mold in crawl space | EXACT |
| crawl space mold | EXACT |
| crawl space mold remediation | PHRASE |
| crawl space mold removal company | PHRASE |
| mold in crawl space treatment | PHRASE |
| crawl space mold inspection | PHRASE |
| crawl space black mold | PHRASE |
| mold remediation crawl space | PHRASE |
| crawl space mold cost | PHRASE |
| Keyword | Match |
|---|---|
| crawl space inspection | EXACT |
| crawl space company | EXACT |
| crawl space contractor | EXACT |
| crawl space repair company | EXACT |
| crawl space inspection | PHRASE |
| free crawl space inspection | PHRASE |
| crawl space company near me | PHRASE |
| crawl space contractor near me | PHRASE |
| crawl space specialist | PHRASE |
| crawl space service company | PHRASE |
| local crawl space company | PHRASE |
| Keyword | Match |
|---|---|
| crawl space encapsulation near me | EXACT |
| crawl space company near me | EXACT |
| crawl space repair near me | EXACT |
| crawl space encapsulation near me | PHRASE |
| crawl space company near me | PHRASE |
| crawl space specialist near me | PHRASE |
| crawl space contractor near me | PHRASE |
| vapor barrier installation near me | PHRASE |
| crawl space mold removal near me | PHRASE |
Each city ad group targets one geography with a dedicated RSA using that city's name in headlines and descriptions. Cross-city negatives are applied at the ad group level.
The stack effect — your best ad angle: 50% of a home's indoor air rises from the crawl space. Most homeowners don't know this. When you mention the musty smell, cold floors, or high humidity, you're naming symptoms they recognize. When you add "50% of your home's air comes from below," you create urgency they didn't have before. Every RSA leads with the problem because Dustin's competition leads with the service.
Spring is the primary peak (March–June). Southeast GA is near year-round due to high humidity. Budget scaling in spring (+20–30%) should be planned for year 2 once the account has data.
At $90 CPL + 20% close rate + $10K avg job = $2,000 revenue per $90 in ad spend = 22:1 ROAS before overhead. Lead cost has to reach $3,500 before the math stops working.
Crawl space leads are heavily phone-first. An unanswered call is a permanently lost lead. Dustin answering his own phone is a competitive advantage that national franchises cannot replicate. It's also the core of the ad copy strategy.
Launch: Maximize Conversions to gather data. At 30+ conv/month, switch to Target CPA $85–$100. At $2,500 budget and 30+ conv: add Performance Max. Never before — it wastes budget without data.
All campaigns use "Presence only" — not "Presence or interest." This is critical at $35/day. "Presence or interest" wastes budget on people who searched for Georgia but live in Florida.
Crawl space involves 3–5 quote comparisons over days to weeks. GoHighLevel + dynamic call tracking from day one is non-negotiable. Track cost-per-booked-inspection, not just cost-per-click.
| Location | Modifier | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Athens, GA | +20% | Largest market, highest search volume, university density |
| Gainesville, GA | +15% | Lake Lanier area, higher-income suburbs, strong home values |
| Augusta, GA | +10% | Second city, high humidity market, older housing stock |
| Madison / Monroe / Watkinsville | +5–10% | Near Dustin's base, efficient drive time, higher close rate likely |
| Mobile (all devices) | +20% | Homeowners search on mobile when they notice a problem — highest intent |
| Competitor | Type | Threat | Their Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|
Groundworks $2.5B national roll-up — KKR-backed, 78+ offices, 47+ acquisitions |
National franchise | HIGH | Corporate call centers, commission salespeople. Can't match Dustin's personal service angle. |
Aquaguard Southeast US — also a Groundworks brand |
Corporate franchise | HIGH | Same corporate weaknesses as Groundworks. Premium pricing with franchise overhead passed to homeowner. |
Crawlspace Ninja 20+ franchise locations, YouTube content brand, B2B supply store |
Franchise | MED | Franchise overhead, consistency issues. Strong content but national. Dustin owns local authenticity they can't fake. |
Crawlspace Medic Franchise with "no commission" sales positioning |
Franchise | MED | Still a franchise despite the "no commission" angle. Dustin is the real version of what they're trying to simulate. |
Local independents 2–5 local operators per metro, typically weak digital presence |
Independent | LOW | No structured Google Ads. GBP often unclaimed or poorly managed. Dustin + BND will outspend and outrank fast. |