How a contractor can create a cost-effective Google Ad campaign
Is Google advertising for a contractor fruitful? This has been a common query and worry for many who are looking to advertise their construction business. Will Google Adwords work for my business? ICan Google Ads help with sales? Will it work for a contractor? If you are doubtful, here are seven key factors in creating a successful Google Ad campaign in 2020.
The first question that should be addressed is, How are you promoting your construction business, and who is your target audience?
If your target audience is local and you want to promote your construction business through yellow pages, pamphlets, banners or hoarders, then well and good. This means that you are following a traditional approach, and it has undoubtedly worked.
But this is not usually how people look for contractors and sub-contractors nowadays. Searches are not done through word of mouth or through print ads. Instead, they look online by using search queries such as “best contractor near me,” or “construction contractor services”. That’s how the world has changed digitally. And to cope with the changes, one should advertise using Google Adwords for contractors and construction companies.
The number one reason to do PPC advertising for construction companies is because Google Advertising requires that construction business be digital in modern times.
How Google Advertising is cost-effective with higher ROI
Google Adword campaign management is an ongoing process, and it needs tests and retests. Thus, initially, a PPC specialist needs to invest more money into campaigns. With this, we come to our next question: What is your advertising budget?
If you can spare a bit your budget for Google Advertising, it will help you in many ways. Initially, you might end up eating through your budget, but when you have a certified Google Ad expert, you need not worry. By spending a meager $100, you can test-drive how Google Ads will work for you. As per data, on average, most companies double their return on investment. So, that’s good news.
But what every construction marketing services provider here will be concerned about Cost per Click. CPC or cost per click is the money that Google will charge from you for every click on your ads. If you are seeking how to create the best Google Adwords campaign in 2020, below are a few numbers you will be interested in.
Since your industry is real estate/construction, here are a few numbers that will matter to you.
Here is the data collected in 2019 for real estate:
Click-Through Rate (average) – 3.71%
Cost Per Click (CPC) (average) – $2.37
Conversion Rate (CVR) (average)- 3.37%
Cost Per Action (CPA) (average)- $116.61
Formulas to take care of are:
Cost Per Click = Total Cost/Total Clicks
Est. Daily Clicks = Daily budget/Cost per Click
If your average budget is around $1000 for a month, going by the data for real estate, your CPC is $2.37 and your average conversion rate is 3.37%. This means that the number of clicks is approximately 42, and you have to shell out around $142.19 per conversion.
The number two reason why a contractor should be doing Google advertising is cost effectiveness. This is not easy. As pointed out earlier, you more than likely will not be successful in the beginning. Read our next section now.
How to create the best Google ad campaign in 2020
A successful Google Ad campaign means your money was not exhausted. So, to run a cost-effective Ad campaign, one must do some research, analysis, and strategize. Don’t think by simply putting money on Google Ads; you will get leads. You need these seven key factors in creating a Google Ad campaign that will yield results without burning a hole in your company’s advertising finances:
1. What are your ads for – The purpose
To flag off any method of advertising, one needs to do proper research on what the ad is for. For a Google ad too, the purpose of it should be sorted. So, understand these points:
- What is the strength?
- Is there any weakness?
- What is the goal?
- How long will your ad run?
While auto-mode can be turned on for campaigns, you have to monitor the ad campaign’s run. You have to check whether it is proving to be profitable or not. This is important here because every impression and click is going to cost you. Therefore, goals like brand awareness and reach can take a back seat. If the goal is web traffic, then understand that driving sales and leads is the next step, and will not happen in one go.
2. Do you understand – Competition and target audience
You will not be able to run a Google Ad campaign without analyzing competition and knowing the target audience. So start off with a bit of research. Know your target audience’s behavior through by identifying the following:
- The sites they are visiting
- Tone and style of these website’s language
- What is attracting the audiences?
- Are they enjoying any benefits?
- What kind of ads are competitors running?
An expert in construction digital marketing services will understand all the nuances of the Google Ad platform. Get a Google ad expert for the assured success of your Google Ad campaigns.
3. Google Adwords holds the key to an effective Google ad campaign
If your products/services are not being searched on Google, then you cannot expect to have a good run with your Google search ad campaigns. Thus, the first step towards a cost-effective Google ad campaign is to get the right set of Google Adwords. For starters, there are many tools available, but the best would be to use Google Adwords Keyword Suggestion tool.
How do I decide which keywords are competent to set the ads?
- Do not use keywords with no/low search volume. It means that no one is looking for those keywords.
- Check for “buying intent” keywords! Figure out the intention of searchers while looking for these keywords. Are they looking for these keywords for buying, to serve a specific kind of purpose, or it is just their little research? Try to include “buying intent” keywords.
4. Each campaign, specific goal
Take this point more like a tip; it is always better in terms of ROI to have a single goal attached to a campaign. For different ad goals, run different ad campaigns. Don’t mix it up, thinking that you will be able to meet multiple goals. Being a contractor, you should have website traffic, leads, and brand awareness as individual goals. PPC Marketing for Construction Companies needs to be very specific and data-driven to yield results.
5. Test ads by having varied versions of the ad copy
Testing ads is a terrific Google Advertising tactic. Try having several ad copies ready before finalizing an ad campaign. Yes, that’s how one would be able to test ads through split tests. You will be shocked to know that minor changes like the color of a CTA button or the tone of the text in the ad variants can make a huge difference. This exercise, in the beginning, may cost you a little, but the data gathered from the tests will be highly useful in strategizing for your campaigns. To begin with, create a couple of different ad variants. Search, and display ads are a safe bet initially.
6. Crack a deal by creating compelling ads
Can any ad campaign work without being interesting and compelling enough for customers to buy or take action? Contractors, your construction advertising ads needs one thing:
- Quality clicks from the prospects
It does not need:
- Clicks that are not going to get converted (coming from the unqualified prospects) as you will be paying for these clicks too.
Thus, a compelling ad will pull in more traffic and hence sales. Also, keep in mind the fact that ads with a high click–through rate (CTR) help in improving your Adwords quality score, lowering the cost per click for keywords. This formula means that you will have a cost–effective ad campaign.
7. Create a significant landing page
How many times have we come across ads that lead us to the home page, helping with almost nothing? If, as a construction business owner, you are leading ad traffic to your home page, this is not a good idea. It will result in very low conversions. You should have a landing page with a minimalistic look and clear information. The visitor to your website has a purpose, and he/she should feel welcomed with a landing page that should address this purpose.
Savoring the joys of a successful ad campaign is the wish of any construction PPC specialist because not everything is not always hunky–dory in the ad world. As a contractor, keep in mind these 7 key factors in creating a successful Google Ad campaign in 2020. Testing the rough waters with an attentive, alert and analytical mind is very important to not come up with a bad set of ads that will make your construction business lose money.
Don’t lose money and hope! Trust CMGurus, a one of its kind digital marketing agency for construction companies. We strategize and create ads that maximize your ROI without any hassle. We have experts with years of experience in PPC management, construction marketing and other digital marketing solutions to address all your business branding and marketing pain points.