TL;DR #
Not feeling it with RSAs? At first, I hated RSAs because it felt like I lost control. But now I love them because I know how they work.
The Problem #
Google always wants you to put in more options and to use all of its features. For a long time, this seemed to be as much about a self-serving Google practice as it did about actually improving campaign performance. I would make sarcastic comments, and I still do that this is how Google makes its boat payments. So I did not trust the advice to just add more. And unlike the old days of tightly matching keywords and ad copy, with RSAs, I wasn’t sure when to split off ad groups. This is my own SOP now:
The Solution #
How to Structure Google Ads for Service Businesses: A Simple, Bulletproof Framework #
Using Dan’s Pressure Washing Company as the Example #
When you run Google Ads for a service business, one of the hardest parts is deciding how to group your keywords and how to structure your Responsive Search Ads (RSAs). Split too much and you create unnecessary complexity. Split too little and your ads become irrelevant or misleading.
Here’s a simple, durable framework that works for any service business — demonstrated using Dan’s Pressure Washing Company.
Everything starts with understanding three types of search intent.
Bucket A: Brand‑Only Searches (“Dan’s Pressure Washing”) #
These are searches where someone typed only the brand name:
- “Dan’s Pressure Washing”
- “Dan pressure wash”
- “Dan’s power washing”
“You didn’t tell me what you want, so I’ll cover all normal services.”
So the safest assumption is:
They want a normal pressure‑washing service. #
That means your RSA can safely include headlines like:
- Driveway Cleaning
- House Washing
- Roof Cleaning
- Gutter Brightening
- Commercial Pressure Washing
These are all plausible interpretations of a brand‑only search.
What you shouldn’t include are headlines like:
- Equipment Repair
- Insurance Claim Help
- Emergency Response
- Training Courses
Those imply a specific need the user didn’t express.
Bucket B: Normal Service Searches (The Main Group) #
These are searches where the user did specify a normal service:
- “driveway pressure washing”
- “house washing service”
- “roof cleaning”
- “gutter brightening”
- “commercial pressure washing”
“You DID tell me what you want, so I’ll match it exactly.”
And here’s the key insight:
All normal services are compatible with each other. #
A “Driveway Cleaning” headline isn’t harmful to someone searching “House Washing.”
Not perfect — but not misleading.
That’s why all normal services can safely live in one main ad group.
Your RSA simply includes one headline per service type, plus a credibility line and a brand line.
Bucket C: Special or Unusual Intent (Must Be Split) #
These are searches where the user clearly wants something other than a normal service:
- “pressure washing equipment repair”
- “pressure washing training”
- “pressure washing insurance claim”
- “pressure washing emergency service”
- “pressure washing franchise opportunities”
These require headlines that would be unacceptable for normal service searches.
For example:
- Someone searching “roof cleaning” should not see “Equipment Repair.”
- Someone searching “driveway cleaning” should not see “Training Courses.”
So Bucket C must be isolated — but here’s the important refinement:
Bucket C Splits Into Two Types: C1 and C2 #
Not all special intent is equal.
Some of it is valuable.
Some of it is junk.
So Bucket C breaks into two sub‑groups:
C1 — Special Intent You WANT to Advertise For #
These are special intents that:
- are profitable
- align with your business
- require unique messaging
- deserve their own ad groups
For Dan’s Pressure Washing Company, examples might be:
- Emergency pressure washing
- Insurance claim pressure washing
- Commercial contract pressure washing
These get their own ad groups, RSAs, and landing pages.
C2 — Special Intent You Do NOT Want to Advertise For #
These are special intents that:
- you don’t offer
- you don’t want to pay for
- would pollute your search terms
- would mislead users
- would waste budget
Examples:
- Pressure washing equipment repair
- Pressure washing training
- Pressure washing franchise opportunities
- Pressure washing jobs / employment
These should not get ad groups.
They should be blocked with negative keywords.
This keeps your account clean and your spend focused.
[Placeholder for investigate.]
The One Rule That Makes This All Work #
Everything in this framework is built on a single rule:
A keyword stays in an ad group as long as every headline in that RSA is acceptable for that keyword. #
“Acceptable” doesn’t mean perfect.
It doesn’t mean ideal.
It simply means:
Not harmful. Not misleading. Not contradictory. #
If a headline would mislead the user, that keyword must be split into its own group.
That’s it.
How to Build the Ad Groups #
Ad Group 1 — Brand‑Only #
Keywords:
- dan’s pressure washing
- dan pressure washing
- dan’s power wash
RSA includes all normal service headlines, but no special‑intent headlines.
Ad Group 2 — Normal Services (Main Group) #
Keywords:
- driveway pressure washing
- house washing
- roof cleaning
- gutter brightening
- patio cleaning
- commercial pressure washing
RSA includes one headline per service type.
Ad Group 3 — Special Intent You WANT (C1) #
Examples:
Emergency / Insurance / Commercial Contracts
- pressure washing emergency
- pressure washing insurance claim
- commercial pressure washing contracts
Each gets its own RSA tailored to that intent.
Negative Keyword List — Special Intent You Do NOT Want (C2) #
Examples:
- pressure washing equipment repair
- pressure washing training
- pressure washing franchise
- pressure washing jobs
These do not get ad groups.
They get blocked.
What About “What If They Meant Something Else?” #
If someone searches only the brand (“Dan’s Pressure Washing”), could they secretly want equipment repair or training?
Sure — but if they did, they would type it.
And if they didn’t type it, showing a repair or training headline is misleading.
So:
**Brand‑only = assume normal service. #
Special intent = only when explicitly stated.**
This keeps your ads relevant without over‑splitting.
The 10‑Second Decision Checklist #
For each keyword:
-
Did they state no intent?
→ Brand‑only group. -
Did they state a normal service?
→ Main service group. -
Did they state a special or unusual intent?
→ C1 or C2. -
Is this special intent profitable and worth advertising for?
→ If yes → C1 ad group.
→ If no → C2 negative keyword. -
Would any headline in the RSA mislead this user?
→ If yes, split. -
Does this keyword require a different landing page?
→ If yes, split.
That’s the whole system.
Queue: Add default admin decisions Created:
Have questions? Get in touch and let’s talk about it.