If you’re looking to run Google Ads for local businesses but you’re not sure what tools you need to get started, you’re in the right place.
There are hundreds of different tools, software platforms, and services that claim to be “essential” for running successful Google Ads campaigns. It’s overwhelming, and most of them aren’t actually necessary.
Today, I’m going to break down exactly what tools you actually need to run successful campaigns on Google Ads.
I’m not going to give you some massive list of every tool in existence. Instead, I’m going to focus on the essentials that will get you up and running.
Everything I’m recommending in this guide is something I’m either currently using right now or have used extensively in the past. I have hands-on experience with all of these tools, so I can actually vouch for them.
If you would prefer to watch through this content, you can check out my Google Ads Tool Guide up above pulled directly from my YouTube Channel.
How This Guide Is Organized
I’ve broken this guide into three categories based on level of necessity:
- Absolute Necessities – You can’t run Google Ads without these
- Highly Recommended – Not technically required, but you really should have them
- Nice To Have – Helpful but not essential, especially when starting out
Focus on the first two categories. Get those in place, and you’ll have everything you need to run successful campaigns.
Let’s dive in.
Absolute Necessities: Landing Pages
There’s really only one thing you absolutely must have to run Google Ads: A way to build landing pages.
If you don’t have landing pages (or at minimum a website that you can build landing pages on), you have nowhere to send your traffic.
Technically you could run a Smart Campaign without a landing page, but I don’t recommend that approach. You need proper landing pages to convert your traffic into leads.
I go over the importance of this in a lot of my case studies, like my pool service Google Ads case study going over a campaign we ran recently.
There are several ways to build landing pages, and the right choice depends on your budget and technical skill level.
Option 1 – Landing Page Builders
Landing page builders are software platforms specifically designed for creating landing pages quickly and easily.
Pros:
- Easy to use with drag-and-drop interfaces
- No technical knowledge required
- Sometimes have built-in split testing features for A/B testing
- Fast loading speeds (usually)
- User-friendly for anyone
Cons:
- More expensive (typically $50-$300/month)
My Top Recommendations:
Go High Level – This is what I’m moving all my campaigns to. The starter plan is $97/month and includes landing pages plus automation tools, CRM, and more. The value for what you get is excellent.
Instapage – This is what I currently use. Pricing starts at $24/month but the real functionality comes at $199/month, which includes A/B testing and other optimization features I use regularly.
Landingi – Great budget option at $29/month for 10 active landing pages and unlimited conversions. Hard to beat at that price point.
LeadPages – Similar to Landingi, starts at $49/month for 5 pages and one domain. Solid middle-ground option.
Most of these platforms offer 14-day free trials, so you can test them before committing.
Option 2 – WordPress
WordPress is a more technical approach, but it’s significantly cheaper if you have some technical ability.
Pros:
- Much more affordable (around $30/year per client vs $300/month for page builders)
- Extremely flexible
- Full control over everything
Cons:
- Harder to set up initially
- Requires technical knowledge
- Usually lacks built-in A/B testing features
- More maintenance required
What You’ll Need:
Domain Registration – I use NameCheap. It’s easy to use and has solid deals on domain names.
Hosting – I’ve been using SiteGround for years. Their hosting is fast, reliable, and reasonably priced. Their one-website plan is effectively $18/month (billed annually).
WordPress Theme – I use the Divi theme for everything. It’s $89/year or you can buy a lifetime license for $249 (which is what I did). Divi has great drag-and-drop features and I’ve built dozens of landing pages and websites with it.
The math: With WordPress, you’re looking at roughly $225/year (or more depending upon your hosting package and number of domains) for hosting and domains, plus $89/year for a theme. That’s about $315/year total versus $1,200-$3,600/year for a landing page builder.
If you’re technical and want to save money, WordPress is a great option.
Option 3 – Website Builders (Duda, Wix, Squarespace, etc)
There’s a middle-ground option: website builders like Duda, WebFlow, Wix, or Squarespace.
These are primarily designed for building full websites, but you can easily use them for landing pages.
Duda starts at $25/month per site. It’s more affordable than dedicated landing page builders but more user-friendly than WordPress.
Important note about free options: While platforms like Wix and Squarespace offer free plans, they’re usually very limited in features. More importantly, they often have slower loading speeds.
Loading speed is critical for conversions. If your page takes too long to load, you’re losing leads.
It’s better to invest money in a proper solution than to lose conversions due to slow loading times.
Highly Recommended: Call Tracking
Call tracking isn’t technically required, but I highly recommend it.
You can set up basic call conversion tracking in Google Ads for free, but dedicated call tracking software gives you so much more data and functionality.
Why I Use Call Tracking Software
I run all my phone calls through call tracking software (specifically Call Rail) because it gives me so much more insight compared to just looking at a conversion in Google Ads.
These are some of the added benefits of using a call tracking software:
Call recordings – I can listen to every call and assess lead quality
Dashboard access – I can share access with clients so they can see all calls and recordings
Instant notifications – Clients get notified immediately when calls come in
Keyword-level data – I can see which keywords generated which calls
Lead quality insights – I can identify and pause keywords that bring in low-quality calls
This extra layer of data is incredibly valuable for optimization.
If I see a bunch of irrelevant calls coming from a specific keyword, I can pause that keyword immediately. Without call tracking, I’d just see “conversions” without knowing if they were good or bad leads.
Call Tracking Options
Call Rail – This is what I’ve been using for about 7 years. It’s reliable, feature-rich, and the pricing is reasonable. You pay based on usage, so as you get more leads (and presumably make more money), your cost increases proportionally.
Go High Level – If you’re using High Level for landing pages, you can also set up call tracking through them. You’ll pay for usage (per phone number and per minute), but it’s very affordable at around 1-3 cents per minute.
Having everything in one platform can be convenient if you prefer that approach.
Nice To Have: Additional Tools
These tools aren’t necessary, especially when you’re just starting out. But they can be helpful as you scale.
Click Fraud Protection Software
Depending on your industry, click fraud protection might be worth considering.
I’ve been using Click Cease for years. It monitors IP addresses of people clicking your ads and blocks any IP that clicks too many times, protecting you from fraudulent clicks.
Honest assessment: Google has built-in click fraud protection, and it’s gotten pretty good over the years. Click fraud software adds an extra layer of protection, but it’s not essential.
I still use it because I’m grandfathered into an unlimited plan, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it as a priority for someone just starting out.
If you want that extra protection and peace of mind, it’s available. But it’s definitely optional.
Campaign Optimization Tools
There are tons of campaign optimization tools and automation platforms available.
The one I’ve been using recently is KeywordMe.
It saves me a massive amount of time when optimizing campaigns, particularly when adding negative keywords. You can highlight keywords directly in the search terms report and instantly add them to a keyword list.
If you manage multiple campaigns or just want to save time, tools like this can be valuable.
But they’re not necessary when you’re starting out. Focus on getting your campaigns running first, then add optimization tools later if you want them.
Photo Editing Software
Not essential, but useful.
I use Adobe Photoshop (around $20/month) for editing and optimizing images.
The most important thing is compressing your images before uploading them to your landing pages. Large image files slow down your page loading times, which kills your conversion rate.
You don’t need Photoshop for this though. Just Google “online image compressor” or “online image resizer” and you’ll find tons of free tools where you can drag and drop your images to compress them.
This is important for landing page performance, but you don’t need expensive software to do it.
Google Drive / Google Sheets
This one’s completely free if you have a Google account.
I use Google Sheets for every campaign build to organize my keyword lists, negative keyword lists, and ad group structure before building the campaign in Google Ads.
It makes it easy to visualize how the campaign will be structured and to group keywords into their respective ad groups.
Simple, free, and incredibly useful.
In Summary: What You Actually Need
Let me break this down as simply as possible:
Absolutely Required:
- A way to build landing pages (landing page builder, WordPress, or website builder)
Highly Recommended:
- Call tracking software (Call Rail or Go High Level)
Nice To Have:
- Click fraud protection
- Campaign optimization tools
- Image editing/compression tools
- Google Drive/Sheets (free)
That’s it.
You could go down the rabbit hole with lead scoring software, advanced automation platforms, and dozens of other tools. But you don’t need them.
At the very least, having your landing pages and call tracking will give you 80% of what you need to run successful Google Ads campaigns, especially for local businesses.
My Recommendation For Beginners
If you’re just starting out, here’s what I’d recommend:
Start with a landing page builder. Yes, it costs more than WordPress, but it’s easier to use and you’ll get up and running faster. Try Go High Level at $97/month—you get landing pages, call tracking, and a ton of other features in one platform.
Set up call tracking. Either through High Level or Call Rail. The insights you get from call recordings are invaluable.
Keep everything else simple. Don’t overwhelm yourself with dozens of tools. Get your campaigns running, start generating leads, then add additional tools if you need them.
The goal is to get started, not to have the perfect tech stack from day one.
Don’t Overthink It
The biggest mistake I see people make is getting paralyzed trying to find the “perfect” tools before they even start.
Here’s the truth: The tools matter way less than you think.
Especially when it comes to landing page builders.
At the end of the day, they can all work. It’s more about how you use them than which one is technically better than another.
Some of them might have more features, might load faster, or might have A/B testing features built into them.
Just figure out what makes the most sense based on your budget and what you actually need.
What actually matters is:
- Having landing pages that convert
- Tracking your conversions properly
- Optimizing your campaigns based on data
You can do all of that with the basic tools I’ve outlined in this guide.
Start simple. Get your campaigns running. Add more sophisticated tools later if you need them.
The perfect tool stack won’t make up for a poorly structured campaign, bad keywords, or landing pages that don’t convert.
Focus on the fundamentals first.
Need Help With Your Google Ads Campaign?
If you’re a business owner looking for someone to build and manage your Google Ads campaigns, I can help.
There’s a link below where you can apply for a free consultation. I’ll review your application personally, and if I think I can help, I’ll reach out to schedule a call.
For a complete list of all the tools I recommend, visit downeymarketing.com/tools.
Thanks for reading, and I hope this guide helps you get started with the right tools for your Google Ads campaigns.
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