Best Google Ads Keywords for Roofing Companies (+ Negative Keywords to Block)

You’ve set your Google Ads budget. You’ve built your campaigns. Now comes the make-or-break decision:

Which keywords should you actually bid on?

Choose the right keywords, and your ads show up when homeowners are ready to hire. You get quality leads, book jobs, and make money.

Choose the wrong keywords, and you’ll burn through your budget on clicks from people who will never hire you. DIYers looking for tutorials. People researching roofing as a career. Competitors checking out your ads. Tire-kickers with zero intent to buy.

Here’s the hard truth: most roofing companies waste 30-40% of their Google Ads budget on the wrong keywords.

They bid on “roofing” (way too broad). They show up for “DIY roof repair” (wrong audience). They spend $35 per click on “roofing jobs” (people looking for employment, not hiring a roofer). And they wonder why Google Ads “doesn’t work.”

Keywords are the foundation of everything. Get them right, and the rest gets easier. Get them wrong, and you’re throwing money away.

In this guide, I’m giving you the complete keyword playbook for roofing companies:

The 100+ best keywords organized by intent and service type
Match types and when to use each
Local modifiers that multiply your keyword list
The critical negative keywords that stop wasted spend
How to research keywords specific to YOUR market

Let’s build your keyword list.

Understanding Search Intent: Not All Keywords Are Equal

Before we dive into specific keywords, you need to understand that not all searches are created equal.

The Three Types of Search Intent

1. High-Intent/Transactional Keywords

These are people ready to hire RIGHT NOW.

Examples:

“emergency roof repair [city]”
“roof replacement estimate”
“roofer near me”
“24/7 roof repair”

Characteristics:

Highest cost per click ($25-$45)
Highest conversion rate (8-15%)
Shortest sales cycle (hours to days)
Best ROI

When someone searches these, they’re not researching. They’re hiring.

2. Mid-Intent/Consideration Keywords

These are people actively looking but still comparing options.

Examples:

“best roofing contractors [city]”
“roof replacement cost”
“roofing company reviews”
“[roofing company name]”

Characteristics:

Medium cost per click ($15-$30)
Medium conversion rate (5-10%)
Medium sales cycle (days to weeks)
Good ROI with proper follow-up

They’re shopping around. You need to convince them you’re the best choice.

3. Low-Intent/Informational Keywords

These are people just starting to research or learn.

Examples:

“how long does a roof last”
“signs you need a new roof”
“how much does roof replacement cost”
“types of roofing materials”

Characteristics:

Low cost per click ($8-$18)
Low conversion rate (2-5%)
Long sales cycle (weeks to months)
Lower ROI but good for building awareness

They’re not ready to hire today, but they might be your customer in 3 months.

Where Should You Focus?

If you have a limited budget ($3,000/month or less): Focus 80-90% on high-intent keywords. You need leads NOW, not brand awareness.

If you have a moderate budget ($5,000-$8,000/month): 70% high-intent, 20% mid-intent, 10% informational.

If you have a large budget ($10,000+/month): 60% high-intent, 30% mid-intent, 10% informational. You can afford to capture people earlier in the journey.

The Complete Roofing Keyword List

Here’s your comprehensive keyword list, organized by category. I’m showing the root keyword—you’ll add your location to each (we’ll cover that in the Local Modifiers section).

Category 1: Emergency/Urgent Keywords

These are your highest-converting keywords. Someone searching these needs help IMMEDIATELY.

Primary Emergency Keywords:

emergency roof repair
24/7 roofer
emergency roofer
roof leak emergency
emergency roof leak repair
same day roof repair
roof repair emergency
urgent roof repair
immediate roof repair

Storm/Weather-Related:

storm damage roof repair
hail damage roof repair
wind damage roofer
hurricane roof damage
roof repair after storm
emergency roof tarping
emergency tarp service
storm damage emergency

Problem-Specific Emergency:

roof leaking what to do
water leaking through ceiling
roof leak during rain
fix roof leak now
emergency ceiling leak
tree fell on roof

Why these work:

CPC: $25-$45
Conversion rate: 10-15%
People call within hours
Close rate: 60-80% if you respond fast

Category 2: Roof Replacement Keywords

These are your highest-revenue keywords. Lower conversion rate but much higher job value.

General Replacement:

roof replacement
roof replacement cost
new roof installation
replace roof
roof replacement estimate
residential roof replacement
complete roof replacement
full roof replacement

Material-Specific Replacement:

asphalt shingle roof replacement
metal roof installation
metal roofing contractors
tile roof replacement
slate roof replacement
flat roof replacement
TPO roofing installation
rubber roofing installation

Property-Type Specific:

residential roof replacement
commercial roofing contractors
home roof replacement
house roof replacement
garage roof replacement
shed roof replacement

Why these work:

CPC: $18-$35
Conversion rate: 6-10%
Average job: $10,000-$20,000
Long-term value: High referral potential

Category 3: Roof Repair Keywords

Mid-range job value, good volume.

General Repair:

roof repair
roof repair services
residential roof repair
roof leak repair
fix roof leak
roof repair cost
roof patching

Component-Specific Repair:

shingle replacement
missing shingles repair
roof flashing repair
chimney flashing repair
roof vent repair
skylight repair
roof valley repair

Problem-Based:

leaking roof repair
damaged roof repair
cracked shingles repair
curling shingles fix

Why these work:

CPC: $15-$30
Conversion rate: 7-12%
Gateway to future replacement jobs
Builds customer relationships

Category 4: Service-Specific Keywords

Target people looking for specific roofing services.

Inspection & Maintenance:

roof inspection
roof inspection services
free roof inspection
roof maintenance
roof cleaning services
moss removal roof

Gutter Services:

gutter installation
gutter replacement
gutter repair
gutter cleaning

Specialty Services:

roof ventilation
attic ventilation installation
ice dam removal
roof de-icing
roof snow removal

Insurance-Related:

insurance roof claim
insurance roof inspection
storm damage assessment

Category 5: “Near Me” & Local Keywords

These are gold for local businesses.

Near Me Variations:

roofer near me
roofing contractors near me
roof repair near me
roof replacement near me
emergency roofer near me
local roofers
local roofing companies

Why “near me” keywords are special:

High mobile search volume (70%+)
Strong local intent
Google shows your location
Lower competition than city-name keywords sometimes

Category 6: Comparison/Research Keywords

Lower intent but good for building awareness.

Comparison:

best roofing contractors
top rated roofers
roofing company reviews
roofer ratings
best roofer

Cost/Pricing:

roof replacement cost
how much does roof cost
average roof replacement cost
roof repair cost estimate
roofing prices

Educational:

how long does roof last
signs you need new roof
when to replace roof
types of roofing materials

Category 7: Branded Keywords

Always bid on your own company name!

Your Brand:

[your company name]
[your company name] roofing
[your company name] reviews
[your company name] phone number

Competitor Brands (Advanced Strategy):

[competitor company name]
[competitor company name] reviews
[competitor company name] alternative

Why bid on your own name:

Protects against competitors bidding on you
Very cheap clicks ($3-$8)
Highest conversion rate (20-40%)
Controls the message

Local Modifiers: Multiplying Your Keyword List

Each of the keywords above should be combined with location modifiers.

Types of Location Modifiers

1. City Name

“roof replacement Austin”
“roofer Dallas”
“roof repair Houston”

2. Neighborhood/Suburb

“roof replacement Downtown Austin”
“roofer Westlake Hills”
“roof repair North Dallas”

3. “Near Me” (let Google handle location)

“roof replacement near me”
“roofer near me”

4. ZIP Code (Advanced)

“roof replacement 78701”
“roofer 75201”

Building Your Localized Keyword List

Example: You serve Austin, Texas

Take base keyword: “roof replacement”

Add all location variations:

roof replacement Austin
roof replacement Austin TX
roof replacement Austin Texas
roof replacement near me (when searched from Austin)
roof replacement South Austin
roof replacement North Austin
roof replacement Westlake
roof replacement Cedar Park
roof replacement Round Rock
[etc. for all service areas]

One base keyword becomes 10-20 localized keywords.

How Many Keywords Should You Have?

Starting out: 30-50 keywords

Focus on high-intent only
2-3 service areas

Growing: 100-200 keywords

High and mid-intent
All service areas
Some long-tail variations

Mature campaign: 300-500+ keywords

All intent levels
Multiple service areas
Extensive long-tail list

Match Types: Controlling When Your Ads Show

Google gives you control over how loosely or strictly your keywords match searches.

The Three Match Types

1. Broad Match

Keyword: roof replacement

Shows for:

roof replacement
replace my roof
new roof
roofing contractors
metal roofing
fix my roof
roof repair

Pros:

Maximum reach
Discovers new keyword opportunities

Cons:

Wastes money on irrelevant searches
Hard to control

Recommendation for roofing: AVOID unless you’re very experienced

2. Phrase Match

Keyword: “roof replacement”

Shows for:

affordable roof replacement
roof replacement cost
residential roof replacement Austin
cheap roof replacement
roof replacement near me

Does NOT show for:

replace my roof (words in different order)
new roof (doesn’t contain exact phrase)

Pros:

Good balance of reach and control
Captures variations while staying relevant

Cons:

Can still match some irrelevant searches

Recommendation for roofing: Start here for most keywords

3. Exact Match

Keyword: [roof replacement]

Shows for:

roof replacement
roof replacements (close variant)
replacement roof (close variant)

Does NOT show for:

affordable roof replacement
roof replacement cost
anything with extra words

Pros:

Maximum control
No wasted spend
Highest relevance

Cons:

Very limited reach
Miss some good searches

Recommendation for roofing: Use for highest-converting keywords

How to Use Match Types Together

Strategy: The Match Type Pyramid

Top (Exact Match)

[emergency roof repair]

Very tight control, highest bids Middle (Phrase Match) “roof replacement Austin” Good balance, medium bids Bottom (Broad Match) roof repair (Use sparingly or not at all)

Example Campaign Structure:

Ad Group: Emergency Roof Repair

[emergency roof repair] – Exact – Bid: $40
“emergency roof repair” – Phrase – Bid: $35
[24/7 roofer] – Exact – Bid: $38
“24/7 roofer” – Phrase – Bid: $32

This way you capture variations but control costs on exact matches.

Negative Keywords: The Money-Savers

This might be the most important section. Negative keywords tell Google when NOT to show your ad.

Without negative keywords, you waste 30-40% of your budget.

Essential Roofing Negative Keywords

DIY/Free/Cheap Seekers:

free
DIY
do it yourself
how to
tutorial
instructions
homemade
cheap
cheapest
budget

Job Seekers:

jobs
careers
employment
hiring
job openings
salary
resume
work for
apply

Educational/Training:

training
school
course
certification
license
how to become
education
degree
classes

Materials/Wholesale:

materials
wholesale
supplier
supply
depot
warehouse
bulk
shingles for sale
buy shingles

Wrong Service Type:

car roof (automotive)
mouth (roof of mouth)
rack (roof rack)
deck (roof deck building material only)

Tire-Kickers:

sample
example
template
checklist
free estimate calculator (looking for DIY tools)

Competitor Info Seekers:

reviews about [your competitors]
complaints about [your competitors]
[competitor] lawsuit
[competitor] scam

Location Negatives (if applicable):

[cities you don’t serve]
[states you don’t serve]

Advanced Negative Keywords by Campaign

For Roof Replacement Campaigns, add:

repair (if you have separate repair campaigns)
patch
leak
emergency

For Emergency Campaigns, add:

cost
how much
estimate calculator
DIY

For Residential Campaigns, add:

commercial
industrial
warehouse

How to Build Your Negative Keyword List

Week 1: Add the obvious ones

Start with the essential list above (50-75 negatives)

Week 2-4: Review search terms

Google shows you what searches triggered your ads
Add anything irrelevant as negative

Ongoing:

Check search terms weekly
Add 3-5 new negatives each week
After 6 months, you’ll have 200+ negatives

Negative Keyword Match Types

Broad Match Negative

Keyword: free
Blocks: “free roof estimate,” “roof repair free,” “free roofer”

Phrase Match Negative

Keyword: “DIY roof”
Blocks: “DIY roof repair,” “best DIY roof repair”
Allows: “roof repair” (doesn’t contain “DIY roof” as phrase)

Exact Match Negative

Keyword: [jobs]
Blocks only: “jobs”
Allows: “roofing jobs available” (has other words)

For most negatives, use broad match. It’s more efficient.

Long-Tail Keywords: Hidden Gems

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific searches with lower volume but often higher intent.

Examples of Long-Tail Roofing Keywords

Instead of: “roof repair”

Long-tail versions:

“roof repair after hail storm south Austin”
“asphalt shingle roof repair cost estimate”
“emergency roof leak repair Sunday night”
“licensed residential roofer with insurance”

Why long-tail keywords are valuable:

✅ Less competition (lower CPC)
✅ Higher intent (more specific = closer to buying)
✅ Better conversion rates
✅ Easier to rank for

The tradeoff: Lower search volume

How to Find Long-Tail Keywords

1. Google Autocomplete

Type “roof repair” in Google
See what it suggests
“roof repair near me”
“roof repair cost”
“roof repair emergency”

2. “People Also Ask” boxes

Search your main keyword
Look at related questions
Turn questions into keywords

3. Google Ads Keyword Planner

Enter your main keyword
Look at “Related keywords”
Filter for longer phrases (4+ words)

4. Your Customer Conversations

How do customers describe their problem?
“I have water stains on my ceiling”
That becomes a keyword: “water stains ceiling roof leak”

Keyword Research for YOUR Market

Generic keyword lists are helpful, but you need to research YOUR specific market.

How to Research Keywords for Your Area

Step 1: Use Google Keyword Planner

Go to ads.google.com
Tools → Keyword Planner → “Discover new keywords”
Enter 3-5 broad roofing keywords
Set location to your service area
Look at search volume and competition

What you’re looking for:

Keywords with 50-500 searches/month (sweet spot)
“Low” to “Medium” competition
CPC under $40

Step 2: Analyze Competitor Keywords

Manual method:

Search your main keywords
Look at competitor ads
Note their keywords (visible in headlines)
Add similar keywords to your list

Tool method (requires paid tools):

SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SpyFu
Enter competitor domain
See what keywords they bid on
Steal their best ones

Step 3: Check Search Volume by Season

Some keywords spike seasonally:

Spring/Summer:

roof replacement
re-roofing
new roof

Fall:

roof inspection
winter prep
roof maintenance

Winter/Storm:

emergency repair
storm damage
ice dam removal

Use Google Trends to see seasonal patterns in your area.

Organizing Your Keywords in Google Ads

Don’t just dump 200 keywords into one ad group. Organize strategically.

The Right Structure

Campaign Level: Service Type

Campaign 1: Emergency Repairs
Campaign 2: Roof Replacement
Campaign 3: Roof Repair
Campaign 4: Branded

Ad Group Level: Keyword Theme

Campaign: Emergency Repairs

Ad Group 1: Emergency Roof Repair (general)
- Keywords: emergency roof repair, 24/7 roofer, urgent roof repair
Ad Group 2: Storm Damage
- Keywords: storm damage, hail damage, wind damage
Ad Group 3: Roof Leak Emergency
- Keywords: roof leak, emergency leak, water damage

Why organize this way?

✅ Write more relevant ads
✅ Better Quality Scores
✅ Lower costs
✅ Better tracking

Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAG) – Advanced

For your highest-performing keywords, create dedicated ad groups with just ONE keyword.

Example:

Ad Group: Emergency Roof Repair [City] – SKAG

Keyword: [emergency roof repair Austin] (exact match only)
Ad written specifically for this exact search
Landing page exactly matching this keyword
Highest relevance = highest Quality Score = lowest CPC

When to use:

Keywords spending $500+/month
Keywords with proven conversion
High-competition keywords

Keyword Strategy by Budget

Your keyword strategy should match your budget.

Small Budget ($2,000-$3,000/month)

Focus: 30-50 high-intent keywords only

Include:

Emergency repair keywords (15 keywords)
“Near me” keywords (10 keywords)
Branded keywords (5 keywords)

Avoid:

Broad informational keywords
Expensive competitive keywords
Long-tail with low volume

Medium Budget ($5,000-$8,000/month)

Focus: 100-150 keywords across intent levels

Include:

Emergency keywords (30 keywords)
Roof replacement (40 keywords)
Roof repair (20 keywords)
Local variations (30 keywords)
Branded (10 keywords)

Test:

Some informational keywords
Long-tail variations
Competitor keywords

Large Budget ($10,000+/month)

Focus: 200-500 keywords, comprehensive coverage

Include:

Everything above
All material-specific keywords
All service-specific keywords
Extensive long-tail list
Competitor targeting
Remarketing keywords

Monitoring & Refining Your Keywords

Keywords aren’t set-and-forget.

Weekly Keyword Maintenance

Check your Search Terms Report:

Google Ads → Keywords → Search Terms
See what actual searches triggered your ads
Three actions:

Action 1: Add as Keyword

Search term performs well
Add it as its own keyword
Bid on it directly

Action 2: Add as Negative

Search term is irrelevant
Add to negative keyword list
Stop wasting money

Action 3: Do Nothing

Search term is okay but not great
Monitor for a few more weeks

Monthly Keyword Performance Review

Pause keywords that:

Have 100+ clicks and zero conversions
Have CPL 2× higher than your target
Are clearly wrong audience

Increase bids on keywords that:

Generate leads below your target CPL
Have high conversion rates
Are missing impressions due to low bids

Add new variations of keywords that:

Perform well
Have search volume
Aren’t covered yet

Common Keyword Mistakes

Mistake #1: Too Broad

❌ “roofing” (way too general)
✅ “roof replacement [city]” (specific)

Mistake #2: No Negative Keywords

Starting without negatives = 30% wasted budget

Mistake #3: Ignoring Search Terms

Not reviewing what searches trigger your ads = flying blind

Mistake #4: One Ad Group for Everything

Lumping emergency and replacement keywords together = poor relevance = high costs

Mistake #5: Not Testing New Keywords

Sticking with the same 20 keywords forever = missing opportunities

Your Keyword Action Plan

Here’s what to do this week:

Day 1: Build Your Core List (2 hours)

Start with 30-50 high-intent keywords
Add your location to each
Organize into campaigns/ad groups

Day 2: Add Negative Keywords (1 hour)

Add the 50 essential negatives
Add any obvious irrelevant terms for your business

Day 3: Research Your Market (1 hour)

Use Keyword Planner for your area
Check search volume
Note CPC estimates

Day 4-5: Set Up in Google Ads (2 hours)

Create campaigns
Add keywords with match types
Set initial bids

Week 2+: Monitor & Refine

Check search terms daily for first week
Add negatives as needed
Adjust bids based on performance

The Bottom Line

Keywords are the foundation of your Google Ads success.

The right keywords:

✅ Put you in front of ready-to-buy customers
✅ Generate quality leads at profitable costs
✅ Scale your business predictably

The wrong keywords:

❌ Waste your budget on tire-kickers
❌ Generate low-quality leads that never close
❌ Make you think “Google Ads doesn’t work”

Start with high-intent keywords. Add aggressive negative keywords. Monitor your search terms weekly. Refine constantly.

Do this, and you’ll outperform 80% of roofing companies running Google Ads.