How Much Should You Spend on Google Ads for Your Self Storage Facility?
- jz0683
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Running Google Ads for your self storage business comes with a bit of sticker shock when first getting started. Despite recommendations and estimation tools from Google, it’s hard to know what to expect, how to set smart budgets, and know when to adjust spending to match real-time search demand with your facility’s unique needs.
We get asked these questions a lot from self storage operators looking to get started:
How much should we budget for each location?
How do I calculate return on investment?
What’s the cost per click?
How often should I make changes?
We looked into our own data to help storage operators know what to expect when planning to launch a Google Search campaign — whether your facility is in a booming metro, a mid-sized suburb, or a small town.
Start with the Right Monthly Budget for Your Market
Ad performance and spend depends heavily on where your facility is located. Because Google Ads are based on competition and auction style bidding, locations with more search demand will require more spend to stay competitive. This isn’t just because there is more demand, but because others bidding for the top spot drive up the cost per click.
We looked at actual data from our customers to help put together some helpful benchmarks. This data assumes you’re targeting people searching within a 3-5 mile radius of your facility:
Note: These are starting points. Your spend should scale with occupancy needs and competition.
What to Expect in Return
It may seem like a big expense to spend hundreds or thousands a month for just one location, but if you know how to track return, it should be easy to see search ads as an investment, not a cost. ROI will vary by location and competition, but it depends heavily on how well your website and follow-up processes are to convert this traffic into actual move-ins. A Google search is often just the first step in a buyer's journey. Typically we see 1-3% of clicks turn into move ins, so adding 1 or 2 additional move ins per month really makes a difference between breaking even vs. 3-5x return!
That said, here’s a benchmark:
These numbers are based on:
Conversion Rate: ~2% (click-to-move-in)
Lifetime Value (LCV): Based on 14-month avg. length of stay and monthly rent between $90–$125
How to Calculate Your Unique LCV (Lifetime Customer Value)
If you think $200-$300 cost per move in is high, zoom out and think of the big picture! How long does your typical customer stay in a unit and what is the average monthly rent? Not to mention other intangible things like how likely are they to refer others, or upsell into a larger unit, or rent more units!
To calculate how much a move-in is worth over time, use this formula:
LCV = Average Monthly Rent × Average Length of Stay
For example: $125/month × 14 months = $1,750
This number helps you determine if your advertising is profitable. If your cost per move-in is $333 and your LCV is $1,750 — you’re earning 5X your spend per new customer. You’ll take that all day right?!
The Key to Long-Term Success: Continuous Budget Optimization
Google Ads isn’t fire-and-forget.
Search demand and your facility’s availability change weekly — even daily. A static budget can:
Run out too early on high-demand days or weeks
Overspend when occupancy is already high - don’t spend to send visitors to your site when inventory is low!
Miss local seasonality trends
Not react to new competition entering the market or investing in marketing
That’s why platforms like Adverank.ai continuously optimize your campaigns — adjusting daily budgets up or down based on real-time occupancy and search volume. You’re not just spending; you’re steering spend toward the highest return.
What Self Storage Operators Should Expect
✅ Clicks cost $6–$11 on average for high intent keywords - if you’re getting $2-$3 clicks, they are likely from low intent or irrelevant terms others are not bidding on, so be skeptical.
✅ 3% conversion rate from clicks to move-ins is a strong benchmark
✅ Cost per move-in ranges from $200–$333
✅ Lifetime value of a tenant often exceeds $1,200–$1,750
✅ A well-optimized campaign should deliver 4–6X return on ad spend
✅ Ongoing budget tuning is essential to stay efficient and effective
Ready to Start Smarter?
Adverank takes the guesswork out of Google Ads by analyzing your market, your facility’s vacancy, and live ad data to make smart, daily budget recommendations.
