Essential
Ad spend up to R10,000 a month
R4,800 a month
- Weekly checks and search clean-up
- Ad tests
- Written monthly report
Google Ads for guest houses across South Africa
Google Ads for guest houses: direct bookings without the commission
Every booking through a booking site costs you a commission. Ads on Google can bring guests straight to your own site, timed to when they're planning a trip.
- Management from
- R4,800 a month
- Live in
- 10 working days
- Contract
- Month to month
- Ad spend
- Paid direct to Google
Campaigns
Campaigns we'd build
- Your town and area searches
- Attraction and event searches near you
- Your own name, so booking sites don't win the guests already looking for you
Searches
Searches we'd pay for
| Search | Why |
|---|---|
| guest house [town] | Choosing where to stay |
| accommodation near [attraction] | Coming for something nearby |
| B&B [town] | Ready to book |
| self catering [town] | A specific kind of stay |
| [your guest house name] | Already looking for you |
Blocked
Searches we'd block
The wasted searches we add as negative keywords from day one:
jobs, guest house for sale, how to start a guest house, cheap hostels (unless you're one), free camping.
Ads and page
Your ads and your page
Ads show your rates and link to a direct booking page with a clear reason to book with you.
Timing
When to spend more
A few months before your busy season, when guests are planning.
Tracking
Every enquiry traced to the ad that sent it
We set up tracking for phone calls, WhatsApp messages and forms, then test it by phoning your number from the ad before anything goes live. On the Scale plan, your team marks each enquiry as booked or lost, and that goes back into the account so Google learns what a good customer looks like for you.
Ad spend
How your ad spend works
Your ad spend and our fee are separate. The ad spend goes straight from your card to Google, in an account in your name. Our fee pays for the work of running it. You can see every rand Google charges you, and you decide the budget.
For most service businesses we suggest at least R5,000 a month in ad spend. Below that, we'll usually suggest starting with your Google Business Profile instead, and we'll tell you so.
Report
What you get every month
A written report by the 5th of every month, in plain language:
- How many calls, WhatsApps and forms came in, and from which searches
- What you spent, and what each enquiry cost
- The searches we blocked because they were wasting money
- What we changed this month, and what we'll test next
And a call whenever you want one.
Pricing
Pick a plan by how much you spend on clicks
Growth
Ad spend R10,000 to R30,000
R8,900 a month
- Everything in Essential
- More campaigns
- Call recording review, fortnightly check-in
Scale
Ad spend R30,000 to R60,000
R13,760 a month
- Everything in Growth
- Performance Max or Local Services Ads where they fit
- Job-value tracking and a monthly strategy call
Launch setup R3,500, free for founding partners. Bigger accounts are quoted. Account Rescue R2,500, credited if you stay on a monthly plan.
Account Rescue
Already running Google Ads?
If you're spending money and can't tell what it's bringing you, start with an Account Rescue. We go through your account, fix what's wasting money and write down what we found. It's R2,500 once off, credited if you stay on a monthly plan. If you'd rather keep running it yourself, you keep the fix list.
Where to start
Where to start
Essential for one property.
Questions
Google Ads for guest houses: questions
Why bid on my own name?
Booking sites often bid on it. Your own ad keeps those guests booking with you directly.
Should I leave booking sites?
Usually not. The goal is more direct bookings alongside them.
When should ads run?
When guests plan: often months before the stay, around your town's busy times.
How quickly will I get calls?
Usually in the first week after launch. The first month is for learning which searches bring good jobs, so expect the cost per enquiry to come down from month two.
Who owns the account?
You do. It's created in your name, on your card, and we're added as managers. If we part ways, you remove us and carry on.
Can you guarantee first position?
No, and be careful of anyone who does. Position depends on your budget, your competitors and Google. What we promise is that your money goes on the right searches in the right areas.
Is there a contract?
Month to month, with 30 days' notice.
Send us your website. We'll show you where the enquiries are slipping away.
Free audit video within 2 working days. Most people WhatsApp us; the form is here if you'd rather write it down.