Google is the 800 pound Gorilla of local search marketing and is a good bet for the first place to test your local pay-per-click advertising campaign. Pay-per-click on the Internet refers to a business where a company places an ad or banner graphic on the seller's website (both with links to the buyer's website) and pays the host when a user clicks on the ad. Buyers only pay when the ad is clicked.
Pay-per-click ads are effective when they target a specific audience (topic, geographic area, need) and include a compelling message and call to action.
Where to start?
Google’s new Local Services ads appear at the very top of the page when someone completes a search. Roofing contractors have a great opportunity to show up before organic search rankings and capture leads at the exact time when consumers are shopping for their products or services.
Google Local Services ads are pay-per-lead ads meaning that you only pay for the ad when someone actually contacts you directly through your ad. Nice. Pay for performance always sounds good to a local business owner. You can also control your budget so you can limit the amount you are spending until you determine the overall return on your investment. If you are not getting good leads you turn the ads off. if you are getting leads that turn into business then you keep the ads on. Simple as that.
Google Local Services ads receive 13.8% of all local search engine results page clicks. Organic rankings still receive the most clicks but if your website does not rank in the top 5 for your targeted keywords then these ads might be for you.
Read about optimizing your site for organic search ranking in this article - Marketing for Metal Roofing Contractors - Your Website
Getting Started
Getting started is easy. Go to Google Local Services and set up your account. You will need to verify your insurance and local license requirements first and then set up your profile.
Unlike pay-per-click search ads, businesses don’t target specific keywords, you will target your roofing contractor services. Assuming you are approved, you will then choose from a listing of possible services matching your industry and your local service area.
When a person uses Google to search online and their question matches the criteria for the services you chose, your ad will become eligible to appear.
Why optimizing all Google account matters
In our previous article Marketing For Contractors - Local optimization we showed you how to set up and optimize your Google My Business listing. If you are going to try Google Local Services ads you will be glad you did this work. It turns out review ratings are the biggest driver of clicks for local searches
Read about generating reviews and ratings for your local online presence in this article Marketing for Metal Roofing Contractors - Local Optimization.
Google Adwords
Google Adwords, now just Google Ads, is Google's advertising system in which advertisers bid on certain topics or keywords in order for their ads, that include clickable links, to appear in Google's search results. Advertisers have to pay-per-click for these clicks though as opposed to the Google Local Services ads which are pay for leads (when someone reaches out to you). This ad platform is how Google makes their money from online searches - and it is a lot of money indeed.
Google Ads are more involved in terms of setup and messaging than Google Local Services ads. A typical setup includes determining campaign goals like visiting your website, shop in your online store, or generate phone calls. Once you pick your goals you narrow the ad reach to your specific locations and specific keywords searched where you want your ads to show up. You then create you message/s or banner ads, set a budget, and turn the ads on.
The good news about Google Ads is that they go live quickly and show up at the top of many searches. But....there is a big but, you are bidding on the placement of your ads with other companies just like yours. Bidding means that the highest bid in terms of money to Google (cost per click times the number of clicks) will be placed higher on the search results page. If you want higher placement, meaning more chance to get your ad clicked, you will pay a premium for it.
There are many local businesses that learn how to use ads and Google does have decent tools to help but it can be time consuming and confusing. Finding a local Google Ad pro is relatively easy will shorten the time to getting leads. There are many of local firms and experienced experts that build and manage pay-per-click campaigns so ask around and see who has a partner they recommend. Or search for a freelancer that does this for a living. Two options for finding pay-per-click freelancers are Fiverr and Upwork.
One caution, we recommend that you measure Google Ads like you would any other marketing campaign. Set goals, measure lead quality, connect leads to actual revenue, and then determine the effectiveness of the campaign. Make sure anyone running a campaign for you can make that connection to revenue. If not, look hard at what they are doing.
Pay-per-click campaigns are available on all social media platforms as well. Jumping into social media ads makes sense if you have a social media presence and are seeing targeted leads coming from your posting efforts. Setting up pay-per-click ads in social media accounts is similar to Google Ads. Much like Google Ads you should take a measured approach and test slowly to see if you efforts generate any results.
Re-Marketing Ads
Re-marketing ads are triggered when you visit one website, do not convert (call, fill out a lead generation form, or purchase) and then that original company/website shows you an ad on another website. For example, this happens when you look for a pair of shoes in an online store, don't buy them, and then start seeing ads for the very same shoes you were looking for when you are reading the online news or checking out the sports scores.
If you abandon a shopping cart chances are pretty good you will see a re-marketing ad soon. You might even see one on your social media accounts, yes, these ads will find you there too.
Re-marketing ads can drive some impressive results for businesses because they make the connection to something the searcher is already interested in and reminds them of your brand and company.
Re-marketing is a key way to get people that looked at your site once back to come back for more.
There are a variety types and platforms for re-marketing ads including:
- YouTube Video
- Google Search
- Google Display
- Bing
- Social media
In the end, each contractor will need to consider their budget, their time, and their internal resources before they consider pay-per-click advertising. For contractors that have optimized their local presence online, built a great website, and started social media posting, pay-per-click advertising is the next marketing tactic to test.
More Marketing for Metal Roofing Contractors Articles
- Marketing for Metal Roofing Contractors
- Marketing for Metal Roofing Contractors - Local Optimization
- Marketing for Metal Roofing Contractors - Your Website
- Marketing for Metal Roofing Contractors - Social Media
About McElroy Metal
Since 1963, McElroy Metal has served the construction industry with quality products and excellent customer service. The employee-owned components manufacturer is headquartered in Bossier City, La., and has 14 manufacturing facilities across the United States. Quality, service and performance have been the cornerstone of McElroy Metal’s business philosophy and have contributed to the success of the company through the years. As a preferred service provider, these values will continue to be at the forefront of McElroy Metal’s model along with a strong focus on the customer.
Topics: Marketing for Contractors
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