The short version: pest control has two very different customers. Homeowners with an urgent problem want someone today and ring the first professional-looking company that answers. Businesses and landlords want a reliable contract and compare carefully. To get more of both:
- Be at the top of Google and Google Maps for every pest you treat, in every area you cover
- Have a separate page for each pest
- Answer the phone, and only advertise when you can
- Block DIY searches from your ads
- Plan for seasonal peaks before they arrive
- Market commercial contracts separately from domestic call-outs
This guide draws on our experience generating thousands of pest control enquiries.
1. Win the urgent search
Domestic pest control is about as urgent as local searches get. Someone hears scratching in the loft or finds droppings in the kitchen, searches “pest control near me” or “mice removal” plus their town, and rings within minutes. There’s very little shopping around.
That means three things matter most: appearing at the top (Google Ads and the map results), looking professional at a glance, and answering the phone. A missed call in pest control usually goes straight to the next company.
2. Create a page for every pest
People search for mice, rats, wasps, bed bugs, cockroaches, fleas, moths, birds and squirrels separately, and a single “our services” page can’t rank for all of them. Give each its own page covering the signs, the risks, how you treat it, what happens on the visit, and how quickly you can attend. Add area pages for the towns you most want work in.
3. Get your Google Business Profile right
Set “Pest control service” as your main category, list each pest you treat as a service, set accurate service areas and opening hours, and add real photos regularly. Reviews matter even more than usual, because customers are anxious and want reassurance that you’re discreet, professional and effective. Ask every satisfied customer for one.
4. Set up Google Ads for calls, not clicks
Pest control is one of the best trades for Google Ads, because the customer wants help now. But it’s also full of searches that look like customers and aren’t: “how to get rid of mice”, “best rat poison”, “wasp nest spray”, “pest control jobs”, “pest control course”. Block them from the start.
Make the phone number the main action, schedule ads for the hours you can answer, limit them to the areas you cover, and send each ad to the matching pest page.
See how we run Google Ads for service businesses.
5. Plan around the seasons
Pest control demand moves through the year. Wasp enquiries peak in late summer. Rodent enquiries rise as the weather turns cold and mice and rats move indoors. Bed bugs follow travel. Get your pages ranking and your campaigns ready a few weeks before each peak, and shift budget as the season changes.
6. Market commercial contracts separately
Restaurants, food businesses, landlords, housing providers, schools and facilities managers buy pest control differently. They want regular visits, clear reporting, accreditations, fast response and records that keep them right for inspections.
Give them their own pages by sector, explain what a contract includes, and show accreditations such as BPCA membership. Combine that with direct outreach to local businesses. Contract work is what turns a busy summer into a steady business all year.
7. Use social media ahead of the peaks
Social media isn’t where people go with a rat in the kitchen, but successful lead-generation campaigns on Facebook and Instagram work well for pest control in other ways: seasonal reminders before wasp season, rodent-proofing offers before winter, and contract offers aimed at local businesses and landlords. A simple in-app enquiry form keeps it easy.
8. Show up in AI search
People increasingly ask ChatGPT or Google’s AI answers who to call about mice, rats or a wasp nest near them, and our clients regularly see enquiries arrive this way. These tools favour businesses with clear pest-specific pages, genuine reviews, and the same name, address and phone number across directories and the wider web.
9. Reassure people about discretion
Many customers are embarrassed about having pests and worried what the neighbours will think. If you use unmarked vans or offer discreet visits, say so clearly on your website and in your ads. It’s a small detail that wins a surprising number of jobs.
10. Track every call
Use tracked numbers for ads and track your website forms, so you know which pests, areas and channels bring in work. Check monthly and move budget towards what’s working.
Common mistakes pest control companies make with marketing
- Paying for DIY and poison searches in Google Ads
- Ads running when nobody can answer the phone
- One page trying to cover every pest
- Waiting until the season has started to prepare
- Marketing only to homeowners and ignoring contract work
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Ads worth it for pest control?
Usually, yes. Pest searches are urgent, which suits Google Ads, provided DIY and job-hunting searches are blocked and ads only run when you can answer.
When is the busiest time of year for pest control?
It depends on the pest. Wasps peak in late summer, rodents in autumn and winter, and bed bugs follow travel patterns.
How do I get more commercial pest control contracts?
Sector-specific pages that show accreditations, reporting and response times, combined with direct outreach to local businesses, landlords and housing providers.
Want help getting more pest control customers?
We’ve generated thousands of enquiries for pest control services. See how we approach pest control marketing, or ask for a free audit.
Written by Yas, Director at ISTRATAGEM, a Glasgow-based marketing agency working with service businesses across the UK.