In its first 23 days, a new Google Ads account we built for Junk Panthers, a locally owned Connecticut junk removal, cleanout and demolition company, produced 188 leads (113 phone calls and 75 online quote requests) from $5,460 in ad spend, or $29.04 per lead. In the same ad auctions, Junk Panthers reached 23.01% impression share, more than double College Hunks Hauling Junk, Thumbtack and LoadUp, which were each under 10%. Only 1-800-GOT-JUNK showed more often. Below is exactly how the account was built, what the data shows about which services people wanted, and what we’re changing next.
The results at a glance
| Metric | First 23 days |
|---|---|
| Ad spend | $5,460 |
| Phone calls from ads | 113 |
| Online quote requests | 75 |
| Total leads | 188 |
| Cost per lead | $29.04 |
| Google Ads conversion rate | 9.51% |
| Google Ads cost per conversion | $37.17 |
| Average daily spend | About $237 |
| Average leads per day | About 8 |
A note on how we count. The 113 calls are phone calls tracked in Google Ads. The 75 quote requests are every form submitted on the Junk Panthers website in the last 30 days, which includes a few from the week before launch. Google Ads itself attributed about 147 conversions at $37.17 each. Whether you use the total-lead view ($29.04) or the Google-only view ($37.17), cost per lead stayed well under what most junk removal companies pay for shared leads.
How the account stacked up against national franchises
Connecticut junk removal searches are crowded with national brands and lead marketplaces. Google’s Auction Insights report shows how often each advertiser appeared in the same auctions. Impression share is the impressions you received out of those you were eligible for.
| Advertiser | Impression share | Top of page rate | Absolute top rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-800-GOT-JUNK | 31.31% | 81.02% | 46.03% |
| Junk Panthers | 23.01% | 74.14% | 32.15% |
| LoadUp | Under 10% | 74.57% | 3.41% |
| Thumbtack | Under 10% | 73.35% | 10.80% |
| College Hunks Hauling Junk | Under 10% | 80.72% | 22.88% |
What this means in plain terms:
- A local company out-showed College Hunks more than two to one. Junk Panthers appeared in 23.01% of eligible auctions; College Hunks was under 10%. Google doesn’t report exact figures below 10%.
- When both ads showed, College Hunks was often higher on the page (57.51% of the time). But it appeared in far fewer searches, so Junk Panthers’ ad reached many more Connecticut homeowners.
- Only 1-800-GOT-JUNK showed more often, at 31.31%. When both appeared, their ad was higher 62.08% of the time. Closing that gap is the next goal.
To be precise, this is impression share within the auctions this account entered, not total market share across all junk removal advertising in Connecticut. It’s still a strong signal: in under a month, a locally owned Connecticut company was showing up more often than most of the national names homeowners recognize.
How we built the account
1. A new website built for conversions
Before launching ads, we rebuilt the Junk Panthers website: fast, mobile-first, with clear calls to action, quote forms, and a dedicated page for every service. Ads can only convert as well as the pages they send people to.
2. Seven service ad groups, each with its own page
Instead of one “junk removal” campaign, we built an ad group for each service, each pointing to its own service page:
- Junk removal
- Furniture removal
- Appliance removal
- Cleanouts
- Shed removal
- Hot tub removal
- Demolition
Someone searching “hot tub removal” sees a hot tub removal ad and lands on a hot tub removal page. That match is a big reason the conversion rate reached 9.51%.
3. Aggressive negative keywords from day one
Junk removal searches attract junk car buyers, scrap yards, dump and transfer station searches, donation pickups and job seekers. We blocked those before launch and kept adding to the list from the search terms report. The full list is in our junk removal PPC guide.
4. Service-area targeting across Connecticut
The campaign targeted the Connecticut counties Junk Panthers serves (Hartford, Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, Litchfield and New London), set to people located there, so budget wasn’t spent on clicks from outside the service area.
5. Call tracking and a form that captures the service
Every call from the ads is tracked in Google Ads, and the quote form asks which service the customer needs. That one dropdown is what produced the service data below.
What people actually asked for
Because the quote form records the service requested, we can see what Connecticut homeowners wanted. Of the 49 quote requests logged between October 13 and October 28:
| Service requested | Requests | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture removal | 19 | 39% |
| Junk removal (general) | 14 | 29% |
| Appliance removal | 7 | 14% |
| House and hoarding cleanouts | 4 | 8% |
| Shed and hot tub removal | 2 | 4% |
| Other | 3 | 6% |
Two takeaways most junk removal companies miss:
- Furniture removal out-requested general junk removal. A single-item job like a couch or mattress is a big share of demand, which is why it deserves its own ad group, page and offer instead of being buried under “junk removal.”
- Specialty jobs still showed up. Cleanouts, shed and hot tub removals were a smaller share, but they’re often higher-ticket jobs. Separate ad groups let us see them and fund them deliberately.
How this compares with our other junk removal launch
Our earlier published junk removal launch produced 52 leads in its first 8 days at $28.85 per lead on $1,500 in spend. This account held almost the same cost per lead, $29.04, at more than three times the spend. That consistency matters: it suggests the structure (service ad groups, matching pages, tight negatives) holds up as budgets grow, instead of falling apart past a few hundred dollars a week.
What we’re doing next
- Closing the gap with 1-800-GOT-JUNK by raising impression share on the best-converting services.
- Shifting budget toward furniture removal and the specialty jobs with the highest ticket values.
- Tracking booked jobs and revenue by service, so we can optimize for cost per booked job, not just cost per lead.
- Adding Local Services Ads alongside search for pay-per-lead placement at the very top of Google.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Google Ads leads cost for junk removal?
In this Connecticut account, leads cost $29.04 each across calls and quote forms in the first 23 days. Costs vary by market, competition and setup. See our junk removal cost per lead page.
Can a local junk removal company compete with national franchises on Google Ads?
Yes. Junk Panthers, a locally owned Connecticut company, reached more than double College Hunks’ impression share in the same auctions within 23 days. Service-specific ad groups, strong landing pages and tight negatives matter more than brand size.
What is impression share in Google Ads?
Impression share is the percentage of impressions your ads received out of the total they were eligible for. Auction Insights compares it with other advertisers in the same auctions.
How fast can junk removal Google Ads produce leads?
This account averaged about eight leads a day from its first weeks. A well-structured account can produce calls within days of launch.
Want results like this?
Altura runs Google Ads for junk removal companies in markets from Washington to Connecticut. Watch how we set them up in our junk removal Google Ads video, then request a free Google Ads audit or call 253-579-3230.
Cole Mello is the founder of Altura Marketing Group. He studied marketing at Washington State University and manages Google Ads, Local Services Ads and Meta campaigns for local service businesses. About Altura