PPC for Home Services is Dying (Episode 496)

The central argument is that PPC for home services is becoming increasingly ineffective due to Google's changes. Google is allegedly killing paid text ads through the prominence of uniform and generic Local Services Ads (LSAs) and map listings, which overshadow creative text ads. These LSAs reduce businesses to basic attributes like "24/7 service" without allowing for unique branding. Paid Google Ads have become a mess because clicks are expensive, pricing out smaller businesses, and the quality of leads is poor due to the uniformity of searches. Management of Google Ads is now less skill-based, with tools like Target CPA offering no competitive advantage, making the system a "vending machine" for leads.