How do you get more clients online as a service business in Quebec?
To get more clients online, a service business in Quebec has five levers to pull, in this order: a complete Google Business Profile with recent reviews, a website that tracks calls and form submissions, Google Ads to reach people already searching for your service, Meta Ads to create demand, then visibility in AI tools like ChatGPT. The order matters: each step makes the next one more profitable. On the accounts I manage in Quebec, a lead costs from about $5 to more than $250 depending on the industry, which is why you measure before you invest.
Why does the order matter so much?
The order of the five levers matters because each one feeds the next. An ad that sends people to a website that tracks nothing is money spent blind. And an AI is more likely to recommend a business with good reviews and the same information everywhere.
A common mistake: starting with advertising because it's the fastest lever. The phone rings, but nobody knows which campaign made it ring, so you cut in the wrong place as soon as the budget gets tight.
Is your Google Business Profile really that important?
Yes. Your Google Business Profile is the most profitable lever because it's free and it feeds both Google Maps and AI answers. SOCi's 2026 Local Visibility Index, which analyzed the locations of 2,751 chains and franchises, shows that the ones ChatGPT recommends have an average rating of 4.3 stars.
What to include:
- Your services named one by one and the cities you serve.
- Real photos: your work, your team, your premises or your vehicles.
- Recent reviews: ask every satisfied client for one, right when they thank you.
- A reply to every review, positive or negative.
- The same hours, phone number and address as on your website.
Google confirms it in its tips to improve your local ranking: more reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking.
Is your website ready to welcome clients?
A website that's ready for advertising does three things: it clearly says what you do and where, it lets people reach you in one tap on a phone and it tracks every call and every form. Without that tracking, there's no way to know which ad pays off.
No redesign needed to get there. A call button visible on mobile, a short form and conversion tracking often cover the essentials. To make your website readable by AI as well, see my guide to GEO optimization.
Google Ads or Meta Ads: which one should you start with?
For most service businesses, you start with Google Ads Search: someone searching for “electrician in Laval” already needs the service. Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) comes next to create demand among people who aren't searching yet, once tracking proves what converts.
Costs vary a lot by industry. On the accounts I manage, a real estate lead costs about $15 on Google and $7 on Meta, but it's the opposite for private health clinics: about $14 on Google and $39 on Meta. Be careful with very cheap Meta leads: they're often further from a decision. All the numbers by industry are in my guide to cost per lead by industry in Quebec.
Is being recommended by ChatGPT realistic for a small business?
Yes, but ChatGPT is very selective. According to SOCi's 2026 Local Visibility Index, which analyzed more than 350,000 locations of 2,751 chains and franchises, ChatGPT recommends just 1.2% of them, compared with an average appearance rate of 35.9% in Google's local 3-Pack (the three businesses shown with the map).
The study covers chains, not independent SMBs, but it shows how few businesses AI picks. What helps a service business get recommended: solid reviews, the same information everywhere and a website that clearly answers its clients' questions.
My own case: without any advertising for my business, my website brought me one to two inquiries a week in summer 2026, from people who said they had found me by asking ChatGPT a question. The full plan is in my guide on becoming ChatGPT's answer.
Where should you start based on your budget?
Your starting point in online advertising depends on the budget your business can invest each month. A simple calculation helps you decide: monthly budget divided by your industry's cost per lead equals the number of leads to expect. With $2,000 and a cost per lead of $50, expect about 40 leads per month.
| Monthly ad budget | Where to start | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| $0 (your time) | A complete Google Business Profile, a review requested from every client and a website that tracks calls | The foundation for everything else, even with a big budget later |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | Google Ads Search on your most profitable service, in your main area | At least $1,000 per month to get enough leads and data with local Google Ads |
| $2,000 to $3,000 | Google Ads, then Meta Ads or a second service | Add a lever only once the first one is tracked and profitable, with at least $1,000 per month per platform |
| $3,000 and up | Several platforms, several services and retargeting | The level of the most competitive sectors, such as car dealerships and real estate |
To find out what SMBs in your sector actually invest, see my guide to ad budgets by industry in Quebec.
When should you get help?
Three signs it's time to delegate your advertising: you don't know what a client costs you, your campaigns run without anyone adjusting them every week or you simply no longer have time to handle it.
At that point, the question becomes: who should you trust with your advertising? I answer it in my guide to finding someone to manage your online advertising, with the 8 questions to ask before hiring anyone.
Frequently asked questions
How long before I get more clients online?
With Google Ads, the first leads usually arrive within 2 to 4 weeks and campaigns reach their full potential in 2 to 3 months. The free levers, like your Google Business Profile, your reviews and your presence in AI answers, are measured in months rather than weeks.
Is social media enough to get clients?
Rarely for a service business. Posting on Facebook or Instagram maintains your reputation with people who already know you, but reaches few new clients without advertising. Someone who needs an electrician or a clinic searches on Google or asks an AI.
Do I need to rebuild my website before advertising?
Not necessarily. A few fixes are often enough: a call button visible on mobile, a shorter form and conversion tracking. A redesign becomes useful when the site doesn't clearly say what you do or where you do it.
What's the minimum budget to start advertising online?
For local Google Ads in Quebec, plan for at least $1,000 per month of ad budget. Below that, focus everything on a single high-demand service in your main area rather than spreading the budget across several campaigns.
Want to know where to start?
I'll go over your Google Business Profile, your website and your campaigns with you, then tell you what to do first based on your budget.
Book a consultationSources: SOCi, 2026 Local Visibility Index (January 28, 2026, more than 350,000 locations of 2,751 chains and franchises). Costs per lead and budgets: accounts managed by Justine Rodier in Quebec over 12 months.