A pest control marketing plan should follow the pests. Wasps arrive in summer, rodents move indoors in autumn, bed bugs travel all year with people and furniture, and commercial clients plan budgets around their financial year. A plan built around that calendar spends money when demand is real and builds steadier income for the quiet months.
Step 1: set your goals
Write down three numbers for the next twelve months:
- Domestic jobs per month you can handle in peak and off-peak.
- New commercial contracts you want to win, and their target annual value.
- Landlord or letting agent accounts you want to open.
Everything else in the plan should serve those numbers.
Step 2: know your market
Demand is substantial. Direct Line's FOI data found UK council pest teams attended 291,132 properties in 2024, one visit roughly every two minutes, with bed bug cases up 35% since 2022. In areas where the council charges or has cut its service, more of that demand reaches private firms. Check what your local councils offer; it shapes your messaging.
Step 3: the twelve-month calendar
| Month | Domestic focus | Business focus | Marketing actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Rodents, bed bugs | Commercial outreach (new budgets) | Commercial page refresh; email past commercial enquiries |
| February | Rodents | Letting agents | Landlord rate card; agent visits |
| March | Rodents, early insects | Food businesses | Reviews push; Google profile update |
| April | Ants, insects | Care homes, schools | Build wasp campaign and landing page |
| May | Early wasps, ants | Commercial follow-ups | Text past wasp customers |
| June | Wasps rising | Contract renewals | Increase wasp budgets; extend call cover |
| July | Wasps (peak) | Hold | Peak budgets; same-day messaging |
| August | Wasps (peak), fleas | Hold | Peak budgets; capture reviews |
| September | Wasps tailing, fleas | Commercial outreach | Build rodent campaign; proofing offers |
| October | Rodents rising | Food businesses before Christmas | Increase rodent budgets; text past rodent customers |
| November | Rodents (peak) | Hotels, hospitality | Proofing upsells |
| December | Rodents | Plan next year | Review the year's numbers |
Step 4: split the budget
| Season | Wasps | Rodents | Bed bugs and insects | Commercial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0% | 50% | 25% | 25% |
| Spring | 15% | 30% | 30% | 25% |
| Summer | 55% | 10% | 20% | 15% |
| Autumn | 15% | 45% | 20% | 20% |
Starting points for Google Ads. Adjust to your own job values and capacity.
Step 5: the channels
- Google Search Ads: one campaign per pest plus commercial; strong negatives for DIY products.
- Local Services Ads: where available, pay per lead, ranked on reviews and responsiveness.
- Google Business Profile: services, photos, hours, reviews.
- Website: one page per pest and one commercial page, each with prices or "from" prices and response times.
- Direct outreach: letting agents, food businesses, care homes.
- Customer reminders: seasonal texts to past customers.
Step 6: the numbers to check every month
| Measure | Why |
|---|---|
| Enquiries by pest and source | Shows which campaigns and seasons are working |
| Missed calls | Lost jobs you already paid for |
| Cost per booked job by campaign | Where to move budget |
| Average job value by pest | Which work deserves higher bids |
| New contracts and agent accounts | Progress towards steady income |
| New reviews | Drives maps and Local Services Ads ranking |
A monthly 30-minute review
- Pull last month's enquiries and jobs into one sheet.
- Calculate cost per booked job for each campaign.
- Check the search terms report and add negatives.
- Compare with the calendar: is next month's campaign ready?
- Note one improvement to make before the next review.
For the Google Ads detail, read pest control leads from Google Ads; for growing commercial and landlord work, see how to get more pest control customers.
Frequently asked questions
What should a pest control marketing plan include?
Clear goals for domestic, landlord and commercial work; a month-by-month calendar following the pest seasons; a budget split by pest; the channels you will use; and the numbers you will check monthly.
When are the busiest months for pest control?
Wasps peak in July and August, while rodent work rises from October through the winter. Bed bugs and commercial work continue all year.
How should pest control companies split their ad budget?
Shift it with the seasons: more on wasps in summer, more on rodents in autumn and winter, with bed bugs and commercial campaigns running all year.
How do I measure pest control marketing?
Track enquiries and booked jobs by pest and source, cost per booked job by campaign, missed calls, average job value and new contracts.
Related guides
- Pest Control Leads from Google Ads
- Pest Control Advertising Ideas
- How to Get More Pest Control Customers
Sources
- Fantastic Services, pest control cost guides (updated September 2026)
- Hello Rayo / Direct Line FOI data: council pest call-outs in 2024 (April 2025)
Want this plan built into your ads?
Ask for a free review. We will set up seasonal campaigns by pest and a commercial campaign, with tracking that shows cost per booked job.