Running Google Ads for solar installers is expensive and easy to get wrong. Solar clicks are some of the priciest in home services, and a big chunk of the people clicking are curious homeowners who will never buy. If you go in without a plan, you can burn $2,000 in a week and get nothing but a list of people who wanted a ballpark number and vanished. This guide is about spending that money like it's yours, because it is.
Why solar clicks cost so much
A single click on "solar panel installation" can run $8 to $25 depending on your state. The math only works because the jobs are big. A residential install is a $15,000 to $40,000 ticket, so even at $200 per booked consult, the numbers make sense if your close rate is decent.
The problem is that most clicks are not ready to buy. They're comparing, they're waiting on tax credit news, or they're just bored. Your job is to filter hard so you pay for the ones who are actually shopping installers.
Keywords that book consults vs. keywords that waste money
Not all solar searches are equal. Bid on intent, not curiosity.
- Book these: "solar installer near me," "solar panels [city]," "solar company quote," "how much to install solar [city]."
- Be careful with these: "is solar worth it," "solar panel cost calculator," "DIY solar" — these are researchers, not buyers.
- Block these as negatives: "solar jobs," "solar stocks," "free solar," "government solar program," "solar farm," "portable solar."
The "free solar" and "government program" searches are a bottomless pit. Add them as negatives on day one or you'll pay $15 a click to explain that free solar isn't a real thing.
Location and roof matter — target accordingly
Solar only pencils out in certain zip codes. Sun exposure, roof age, electric rates, and home ownership all matter. Don't run statewide. Pick the neighborhoods with owner-occupied single-family homes and high utility bills, and cut the rest. If you install in a 25-mile radius, set 25 miles, not 60.
What a lead actually costs
Expect $80 to $250 per lead depending on your market, and remember a "lead" here means a form fill or call, not a signed contract. If your consult-to-close rate is 1 in 4 and jobs average $22,000, you can afford real money per lead. Track it: cost per lead, then cost per booked consult, then cost per closed deal. Most installers only watch the first number and wonder why they're not profitable.
Your landing page does half the work
Sending solar clicks to your homepage is throwing money away. Build one page per campaign that answers the three questions every solar shopper has:
- What will it cost me and what will I save?
- How does the tax credit work right now?
- Who are you and have you done homes like mine?
Put a short form above the fold, real install photos, and a financing line. Solar is a trust sale, so reviews and a local address matter more than a slick hero video.
Start small and read the data
Don't launch with a $5,000 budget and every keyword. Start at $50 to $100 a day on a tight list of high-intent terms in your best zip codes. Run it two to three weeks, look at which search terms actually produced calls, cut the losers, and pour money into the winners. Solar has a long sales cycle, so give it time before you judge it — a lead this week might sign in six weeks.
Google Ads works for solar installers, but only if you treat it like a filter instead of a firehose. Tight keywords, hard negatives, the right zip codes, and a landing page that talks about savings and the tax credit will get you consults that close. Skip any of those and you're just funding Google's quarter.