So you’ve tried Google ads for your home service business and…
- There wasn’t enough leads
- The cost per lead was too high
- The leads weren’t good
Well – don’t dismay… and for sure don’t count out paid ads as a legitimate strategy for your business yet.
There are certain things we strongly suggest for every search advertising account, that you should look at – whether or not you choose Hook Agency to help.
Table of Contents
1. Create a solid strategy + account structure – Make sure conversions are tracked
Let’s call this your team – not all-star football players, but instead solid campaigns and ad groups.
Structure doesn’t seam important as a new person to Google ads, and thus it can be confusing.
- You want to white board or draw out how you’re going to set up your campaigns before you jump in so that you have intelligible and ordered groups
- This help you serve the right ads for the right topics.
- Google’s A.I. can help you get more leads, but only if you do your ads based on conversions and make sure your conversions are tracked.
Calls can be tracked, contact forms can be tracked. We like CallRail for calls, but however you do it – make sure they’re tracked!
2. Build in testing from the start
A great ‘coaching staff’ is adding more headlines and copy to allow Google to test which ads are working best.
Yes – the copy you feed it has to be good!
- Clear not clever
- Utilize ‘hooks’ to grab people’s attention but don’t get too cute.
- Here’s where you address their pain points, and you’re ‘differentiating features’ / what makes you special.
If you build A/B testing (super easy in Google ads) from the start you can go much further, much faster.
This includes ‘message match’ alignment – the landing page you’re sending people to HAS to be good, and the chemistry between the ad copy and the copy on the landing page has to be there, so the consistency is persuasive to your ideal customers.
3. Review the tests and take money away from the bad things, put money towards the good things
Like a football coach has to be unromantic about which players to play, and rely on data – so do you.
- Which are your best ads?
- What principles are at play?
- How can we double down on the headlines, keywords and copy that are working?
4. Make sure you’re feeding Google good conversion data, or keep tweaking until you do
😂 2nd to last football analogy: Start with great plays, then see where the team shines.
This whole strategy comes down to letting Google help you and Google’s A.I. can’t help well you if your conversions aren’t tracking.
Exception: don’t do ‘auto apply’ suggestions – they often waste money
5. Double down on what’s working, and keep monitoring
4th Quarter. You’re starting to win. Don’t let up.
Some people forget that Google ads (and other search platforms) require consistent monitoring.
You want to double down on what’s working in all ways – once a week is a great rhythm to check on your campaigns, and once a month do some deeper dives and some tweaks.
A Few More Important Keys to Home Services PPC
1. Mastering Geographic and Demographic Targeting
Just as a football team studies the plays of their opponents, you should understand who your ideal customers are, and where they are located.
Google Ads allows for highly detailed geographic and demographic targeting. You can set your campaigns to target only specific zip codes, cities, states, or even countries. Similarly, you can target based on age, gender, parental status, and household income. This ability to target can help ensure that your ads are reaching the right audience, potentially lowering your cost per lead and increasing the quality of those leads.
2. The Power of Retargeting (Always do it!)
One tactic that can increase the effectiveness of your PPC campaigns is retargeting. This approach can make sure your ads are continually visible to people who have already shown an interest in your services.
Retargeting works by tracking visitors to your site and then serving them your ads when they visit other websites. This continual presence can help keep your business top of mind for potential customers and may lead to increased conversions.
3. Optimizing Landing Pages for Conversions
Once you’ve attracted a potential customer to click on your ad, the work isn’t done. You need to ensure that the landing page they’re directed to is optimized for conversions.
This involves making sure the landing page is relevant to the ad that brought the user there, has a clear and compelling call to action, and makes it easy for the user to take the next step – whether that’s making a purchase, filling out a contact form, or making a phone call.
4. Utilizing Ad Extensions for More Information
Google Ads offers a variety of ad extensions that can provide more information about your business and may help increase click-through rates. These extensions can include additional links to your site, your business location, phone number, and even customer reviews. By leveraging ad extensions, you make your ads more useful to potential customers and potentially increase the chance of conversions.
5. Managing Your Bids Strategically
It’s essential to understand how bidding works on Google Ads. You can set maximum bids for each click on your ad, but you should consider using Google’s automated bidding strategies. These strategies can help optimize your bids based on the likelihood of a conversion, which can lead to more effective use of your advertising budget.
6. Incorporating Negative Keywords
While it’s crucial to target the right keywords in your campaigns, it’s equally important to exclude irrelevant keywords that could be wasting your ad spend. These are known as negative keywords. For example, if you offer high-end home services, you might want to exclude words like “cheap” or “budget”. This helps refine your targeting, ensuring your ads appear for the most relevant searches and improving the quality of your leads.
