GOOGLE LOCAL SERVICE ADS FOR HOME SERVICE PROVIDERS
Have you noticed the recent change in the Google search results in your area to include “Google Guaranteed” listings at the top? Are you taking advantage of this new & cost-effective lead generation opportunity?
Google Local Service Ads should be a no-brainer for most local home service contractors.
What Are Google Local Service Ads?
Google chooses to display three advertisers at the top of the search results, with the option to search for more.
Google Local Service Ads allow you to showcase your business at the very top of Google Search Results – above all paid search, maps, and organic listings. These leads are received in the form of phone calls or messages sent via your Local Service Ads. It is a pay-per-lead service much like HomeAdvisor, for example, where there is a set cost for all leads depending on your service area (average is $23-25). Local Services Ads are pay per lead, not pay per click.
To ensure you continue to receive messages from your leads, respond to as many of them as you can, as quickly as you can (even if you decline to provide the requested service). If you regularly fail to respond to messages or have repeated delays in your responses, the messaging option may be removed or your ad ranking may be affected. In other words, this kind of ads is something that requires daily monitoring.
How are the top 3 advertisers chosen?
Proximity is the biggest factor followed by reviews. However, even if you are initially on top of your dashboard but are not managing leads correctly and on a timely basis, you will start to show much less and could be removed from the top three listings. If you turn away too many leads, Google will assume you can’t handle the load and will display your ad less.
Google Ads and Google Local Service Ads are completely separate from each other, including their budgets. You can run both at the same time, but just keep in mind that in that case you will need to keep track of their budgets separately.
Google Local Service Ads are currently NOT available everywhere, only in certain areas. Check eligibility and create an account here: https://adwords.google.com/localservices/
Local Service Ads are a dream come true for some industries. Most construction companies would fall in that category. Today, Google fully supports Local Service Ads for the following industries:
Locksmiths, Plumbers, Garage Door, Electricians, HVAC, Air Duct Cleaner, Appliance Repair Service, Carpet Cleaner, Handyman, Home Improvement Pro, House Cleaner, Junk Removal Provider, Lawn Care Provider, Mover, Painter, Roofer, Tree Service Provider, Upholstery Cleaner, Water Damage Service Provider, Window Cleaner, Window Service Provider, and others.
Keep in mind that Not all services are supported in all markets.
Advantages of Google Local Service Ads
Google’s Local Service Ads go one step further from the pay-per-lick Google ads option. They ensure they’re connecting searchers to the right advertiser.
If they’re not a good fit for you job or you don’t serve their region, then Google will save you the costs and time and will connect them to a more appropriate Local Service Ad.
Upon clicking on a local advertisers’ listing, Google prompts the users to confirm the job they’re looking for as well as their service area. If you fit the job and serve that area, you’ll be matched to the searcher and they’ll be able to review your qualifications, business hours, ratings, and Google reviews before calling you.
Advertisers pay per Lead – not per click! PPC Advertisers know the pain of paying for a click isn’t a good fit or doesn’t convert (Local Service Advertisers with expensive CPCs—sometimes costing more than 5 times the average cost per click in Google Ads—in particular).
Most people go to Google to look for Home Service Providers – they don’t go to Angie’s List (Now Angi), or Yellow Pages, or any other place. And now Google, through the Local Service Ads, gives the searcher the opportunity to review a very detailed profile of the your business right there, in Google, without having to go anywhere else to research you before they decide.
So this is actually a great opportunity for most of the construction businesses! Make sure you take advantage of it!