Google Ads can work well for mining services, but only in the right places. It suits equipment hire, breakdown support and short notice labour, where a buyer has a problem and needs it solved quickly.
It does far less for major contracts awarded through formal tender. Those are won through relationships, prequalification and a credible online presence.
This page explains how we approach Google Ads for mining services businesses working out of Perth and regional WA.
What to target
Target the equipment and services you supply, with the region attached. Strong keywords look like this:
- “Dry hire excavator Karratha” or “wet hire dozer Pilbara”.
- “Water cart hire Kalgoorlie” or “light vehicle hire Port Hedland”.
- “Shutdown maintenance crew WA” or “conveyor belt splicing Pilbara”.
- “Mobile plant fitter Newman” or “mine site electrical contractor Goldfields”.
Separate campaigns for each region make it easier to control spend and to write ads that speak to that area. Separate ad groups for each equipment class let you match the ad and landing page to the exact search.
Searches for a specific machine model can also work if you hire that model. Bid on them only where your fleet genuinely includes it.
What to exclude
The word “mining” attracts a remarkable range of unrelated searches. A strong negative keyword list is needed from day one.
- Employment terms: jobs, FIFO jobs, careers, salary, entry level, apprenticeship, Seek, roster.
- Training terms: course, ticket, training, TAFE, induction course.
- Unrelated mining: bitcoin, crypto, data mining, Minecraft, game.
- Investment terms: shares, stocks, ASX, invest.
- Hobby terms: toy, model, gold panning, metal detector.
- Purchase terms such as “for sale” or “second hand”, if you only hire.
Check the search terms report every week at first. Mining campaigns tend to pick up new irrelevant searches as they run.
Location and schedule settings
Mining buyers are often not where the work is. A contracts officer in West Perth may be sourcing plant for a site near Newman.
For regional campaigns, target people searching about that region as well as people in it, and consider adding Perth as a location for those campaigns. Check how Google’s current location options work before you set this up, as the settings are adjusted from time to time.
Sites run around the clock, but enquiries usually come in during office hours or first thing in the morning. Run ads when your team can respond. If you offer genuine after-hours breakdown support, give it a separate campaign and a phone number that is always answered.
Ad wording and the landing page
Write ads that answer a site buyer’s first questions. They want to know whether you can get the machine to site, how soon, and whether it meets mine standards.
Mention the equipment class, the region and your availability. Use callouts for features such as fire suppression, a regional depot or maintenance to OEM schedule, where these are true.
Each ad group should lead to a page about that equipment or service. Show the specifications, site-ready features and region, and make it easy to request a quote.
A hire enquiry form should ask for dates, site location and whether it is wet or dry hire. That saves a phone call and gives your hire desk what it needs.
Our web design team builds landing pages for this kind of enquiry.
Call and form tracking
Track calls from ads and from the website separately. Set a minimum call length so short or accidental calls are not counted as leads.
Track hire request and quote forms as your main conversions. Track capability statement downloads too, but keep them as a secondary action so Google does not chase them over real enquiries.
Ask your hire desk or estimator to note which enquiries become bookings. Feeding that back into Google Ads over time helps it learn what a good lead looks like.
Budget thinking
Search volumes for specialist mining equipment are low. A small number of the right clicks can still be very valuable, as a single hire can run for months.
Work out what a typical hire or service job is worth and how many enquiries usually lead to one. Use that to decide what an enquiry is worth paying for.
Start with your highest value equipment or service in the region where you are strongest, then expand.
Common mistakes
- Bidding on “mining” or “mining services” and paying for job seekers.
- Running one campaign across all of WA with the same ad.
- Advertising equipment that is already out on hire.
- Using only the region as a location when buyers search from Perth.
- Counting every call as a lead, including calls about jobs.
Policy and claims
Most mining services ads fall outside Google’s restricted categories. If you supply explosives, blasting services or certain hazardous chemicals, read Google’s current dangerous products policy first, as these may be limited.
Claims about safety records, certifications or availability must match your landing page and what you can prove. Avoid naming mining companies or using their trademarks in ads without permission.
Where Ads fits
Google Ads is one part of the picture. Our mining services marketing guide covers the website, prequalification, LinkedIn and regional visibility.
You can also read more about our Google Ads management service.
If you’d like help setting up or improving Google Ads for your mining services business, get in touch. You will deal directly with a senior person, and there is no lock-in contract. Contact us to talk it through.
