Search Certification is definitely the right starting point for a local cleaning business. That single cert covers the fundamentals of campaign structure, keyword targeting, and ad copy - all of which are essential when you're serving a specific geographic area and competing on local intent.
After that, I'd strongly recommend the Measurement Certification (or the Conversion Tracking one, depending on which version Google has live at the moment). Here's why:
Local service businesses live and die on phone calls and form submissions. Clicks are vanity metrics when you're trying to fill a van with jobs. knowing which keywords and ad groups actually drive booked cleanings is what separates a profitable campaign from a money pit.
Conversion tracking is where most small setups fall apart. I've seen plenty of cleaning businesses rely on "impressions" or "clicks from [city]" and assume that's working. without proper event tracking - especially with Google Tag Manager to manage call tracking, form submissions, and maybe even booking funnel steps - you're flying blind.
The Search Certification alone won't teach you how to measure. The Measurement Certification dives into attribution models, Google Ads-Google Analytics integration, and how to set up conversion actions properly. For a local service biz, that's gold.
Honestly, most small business owners overcomplicate Google Ads from the outset. They jump into shopping, display, or performance max without realising that a simple local search campaign with location extensions, call extensions, and solid conversion tracking can already perform decently. Start simple, measure what matters, then layer on more complex stuff once you've got proof that the basics work.
One more thing: if you're doing this yourself, set up conversion tracking in GTM from day one. Use a click-to-call tracking service (like CallRail or similar) to tie phone calls back to specific campaigns. that's the data that'll actually tell you whether the advertising is paying for itself
