One of the hardest parts of running a home service company is finding new customers. Whether you have a roofing, HVAC, contracting, maintenance, moving, or other home services company, it can be nerve-wracking trying to ensure you have enough business each month to grow your business.
Many home services companies get nervous about the idea of spending money on marketing, especially for things like digital ads. However, paid search ads could be the answer you’re looking for when it comes to finding new business and growing your client base. In this article, we’ll show you that paid search advertising is nothing to fear. We’ll explain what it is and what one looks like, along with the many benefits you can receive after you invest in paid search ads. We’ll wrap up by explaining how a platform like Surefire Local can help you perfect your paid advertising strategy and make your digital marketing easier and more efficient for your home services company.
What is Paid Search Advertising?
Paid search advertising is also known as “PPC” or “pay-per-click” advertising. Paid search ads are shown on search engine results pages above the organic results. When someone goes to Google and enters a search that you’ve targeted in your ad campaign, your ad will display on the top of the page. For example, if someone searches for “plumbers near me” in your area, your ad will display.
Paid search ads give you a chance to showcase your business before the regular links for any search engine query. That increases your chances of being clicked on and places your business in the front of customers’ minds.
While Google is the largest and most popular search engine, there are other platforms that you should use display ads on as well. Bing, Yahoo, and even Apple have search display capabilities that can help you target new audiences and get in front of the right people.
Paid Search Ad Elements
Paid search ads are text-only advertisements. That means there is no visual element included, so you don’t need to worry about creating images or videos for your ads. There are some other elements that you need to include, so make sure to understand all the parts that make up a search ad.
Headline
The headline is one of the most important parts of the ad. It is what will grab the attention of users and explain what it is that you are offering. You should include relevant keywords in your headline to emphasize the value you can offer, as well as come up with creative copy that captures the interest of readers. It has to be powerful and concise since you only have 30 characters to work with.
Display URL
The next element of the search ad is the display URL. This is the part of the ad that links back to your website. It will show your main website domain as well as the following path fields that link to the specific page the ad will take customers to. Usually, you want to link to a landing page or page specifically created for the ad so you can gather customer information and add it to your database. The more aligned your search ads and landing pages are, the better your ads will perform.
Description Text
Underneath the display URL is the descriptive text. This is a short description that allows you to go into more detail about your offer and why someone should click on the ad. You have 80 characters of text in which to describe your offer and encourage readers to click on your ad. Your copy needs to be compelling and highlight the benefits of clicking.
Ad Extensions
While the above elements are included in basic paid search ads, there are ad extensions you can use to boost your ad efforts. Extensions help your message take up more space on the page, which helps your business stand out and look more impressive. For example, you can add details like phone numbers, locations, and other links to more deals or relevant pages on your website.
Benefits of Paid Search Ads
Your home services business can get many rewards from an investment in paid search ads. Here are a few of the major reasons why you should consider adding paid search ads to your marketing strategy.
More Visibility in Local Search Results
When people use “near me” or “in my area” indicators on their website, it’s a chance for you to appear in local searches. Local searches are particularly important to a home services business since you have a specific area in which you operate. When you optimize your search ads for local searches, you can appear for searches in your target area and gain visibility in the places that matter.
More Traffic to Your Website
Another great benefit of paid search ads is the increase in traffic you will get. Other types of marketing activities can have long payoffs, but paid search ads have immediate results. People tend to click on search ads, which brings them to your site and gives you a chance to convert them to leads. It’s a great tactic for new home service businesses that are trying to grow their brand and increase traffic.
Higher Quality Leads
The quality of your leads from paid search ads is higher than ordinary organic traffic. That’s because when someone is searching for specific keywords, they want a solution. If someone in your area is looking for a home services company, they are likely to have an immediate issue that they want to resolve. That makes them more likely to do business with you than a casual visitor.
Detailed Analytics
Working with search engines like Google and Bing gives you access to their tools. You can get powerful analytics and detailed data from implementing paid search ads, like what website pages visitors look at, how much time they spend on your site, and geographical information you can use to optimize your local search efforts.
Paid Search Best Practices for Home Services Companies
Now that you know the benefits of paid search ads, let’s take a look at the paid search best practices for home services companies, so you can start implementing a strategy.
1. Target Your Ideal Audience
Paid search ads work best when you target a specific audience. If your ad is too broad, it won’t have the appeal that a specific, tailored ad will have. Knowing who your ideal customer is and what kind of messaging appeals to them can help you improve your paid search efforts.
2. Do Your (Keyword) Research
Keywords are an incredibly important part of paid search ads. After all, the keywords you pick are the only words and phrases your ads will appear under in search results. Take the time to carefully select your keywords and do research to see which keywords are most relevant to your home services business.
3. Know Your Differentiator
Paid ads can start to look the same when multiple competitors are displaying for similar keywords. Knowing how your business is different from local competition and focusing on your differentiator helps your ads stand out from the crowd. It also helps you increase your brand’s reputation in local searches and become more recognizable by audiences.
4. Optimize for Local Search
Local search is one of the most important considerations for home services businesses. Because you have a limited area in which you operate, usually a single city or township, you want to make sure people outside your area aren’t clicking on your ads and costing you money. Specifying the location of your ads helps you target only the people who matter.
5. Update and Improve Over Time
Search ads can be updated and improved as a campaign is ongoing. If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to address it and make a change. This can help you stay on budget and reach your target goals, like getting more website traffic or gaining new business. Take the data you’ve gathered from previous efforts and use that to help you going forward.
Attend a Surefire Local Marketing Platform Demo
Paid search ads are a powerful tool that can help you increase your home service business’s reputation, get more traffic, and drive more conversions. Having a platform like Surefire Local at your side makes it even easier for you to reap the benefits of a paid search ad strategy.
Surefire Local is a business intelligence marketing software that helps you manage the most important online marketing activities. With just one platform, you can access all the essential components of digital marketing and optimize your efforts. And Surefire Local is just a fraction of the cost of other platforms or agencies. To learn more, attend a Surefire Local demo today and see what we can do for you.