Marketing budget calculator:
how much should you spend?
A simple starting point based on annual revenue and how aggressively you're trying to grow - plus a suggested split across channels. It is one of our free marketing calculators for local businesses. Want to size the return first? Try the customer lifetime value calculator to see what you can afford to spend to win a customer.
These percentages and splits are illustrative starting points, not sourced industry benchmarks or a guarantee - the right number depends on your margins, competition, and goals.
How much should you budget for SEO?
Your SEO budget is the "Local SEO + Google Business Profile" line in the split above. For a local service business, that money pays for the things that decide whether you show up in the Google Maps pack: a complete, active Business Profile, a steady flow of new reviews, consistent listings across directories, and service and location pages on your website.
Budget toward the high end of your range when your market is crowded, you serve several towns or locations, or your website is new and has no search history yet. SEO compounds slowly, so treat it as a line you hold steady for months rather than one you switch on and off - see how long digital marketing takes to show results and our playbook on local SEO for home service businesses.
How much should you budget for Google Local Services Ads?
Local Services Ads (the "Google Guaranteed" or "Google Screened" listings at the top of many home-service searches) charge per lead rather than per click, and you control spend with a weekly budget. They come out of the "Paid ads" line in the split above, alongside regular Google Ads and Meta ads.
Cost per lead varies a lot by trade and city, so there is no universal number. A practical local service ads budget starts small, tracks how many of those leads turn into booked jobs, and scales up only once the cost per booked job makes sense. Every lead you pay for is wasted if the call goes to voicemail, so check what unanswered calls cost you with the missed call revenue calculator before you raise the budget.
SEO or ads first on a small digital marketing budget?
Ads buy visibility right away and stop the day you stop paying. SEO takes longer but keeps working after the work is done. If you need leads this month, lean on paid ads while SEO builds underneath; as organic calls pick up, shift budget toward SEO and reviews. For a deeper breakdown, read where to spend your marketing budget first and Google Ads vs. Meta ads for local businesses.