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7 Tips to Improve Google Local Service Ads

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Website Pandas
7 Tips to Improve Google Local Service Ads

Running Google Local Service Ads can be very beneficial to your business, as they allow you to easily reach customers in your area who are looking for services like yours. However, they can be tricky to run well and bring in quality customers who actually want to do business with you. These seven tips will help you run better Google Local Service Ads and benefit from their usefulness.


1) Don’t just rely on physical addresses


Google’s Local Services ads allow you to show your business information in relevant local search results, and customers can even call you directly from those ads. To use these features, provide accurate address information for your business: it’s not just addresses that matter, but also road names and thoroughfares (like Main Street). Keep in mind that most customers won’t click on an ad until they are pretty sure it is what they are looking for, so address accuracy is key. In addition, make sure your business information on Google is complete—your phone number should display if someone calls you through your ad. This includes answering with a full company name if someone requests a callback after seeing one of your ads.


2) Optimize your landing page


A landing page is a single web page that users visit when they click an online advertisement. The design and functionality of your landing page will determine whether people fill out a form or purchase your product. It's important to optimize every aspect of your landing page, including visual design, copywriting, and overall user experience. Here are 7 things you can do to improve your local service ads and boost conversion rates.


3) Include promotions


No matter what kind of business you have, offering promotional deals that encourage users to purchase your products is a great way to keep them coming back. Create discounted offers for regular customers (e.g., every 10th customer receives 50% off) or one-time only specials and run them alongside your product ads. If you own a florist shop, you could offer free bouquets for special occasions like birthdays and weddings; if you own a law firm, offer free consultations on Fridays; if you’re an HVAC repair service, give $50 off your next appointment. You get it—it doesn’t have to be big, just something meaningful and exclusive that will entice people into purchasing from you.


4) Advertise in the right geographic area


It's not enough just to show up; you need to make sure your ad shows up where your audience is. An effective way of targeting potential customers is by identifying both geographic and demographic parameters for your campaign. In addition, advertising costs will also vary depending on which region of a city or county an advertiser targets, so being smart about what parts of a market you select will keep costs down. When narrowing it down, make sure that you have at least 100 annual searches for your service in any location you choose; if there are fewer than 100 people searching for your services in an area each year, then there’s no point in showing up there.


5) Create good titles, descriptions, and photos for your ads


When it comes to creating professional ads, it’s not enough just to list your services. You have a very short window of time in which people can decide whether or not they need your service. If you have good photos and titles (including your address), then people will know what you do before even clicking on your ad, which increases their chances of actually contacting you. Plus, good titles will be clicked on more often by potential customers searching for similar services who won’t necessarily click on every ad in their search results.


6) Be flexible with locations


Google’s local ads can be tricky. In theory, you bid on a specific search term like dentist and your ad is shown when someone searches for that term. But in practice, because they are only available in certain cities, it’s hard to predict exactly where your ads will show. Some of these city-specific services (like AdWords Express) may work best if you bid on general keywords instead of specific locations; that way you can get coverage for your business wherever it makes sense for your customers or clients. To avoid targeting any one location specifically, stick with terms like dentist rather than dentist in Chicago. Then you can use all seven tips below to have a great campaign!


7) Consider special offers and freebies


The best way to gain new customers is by getting them in a buying mood and offering special deals will do just that. You can create your own offers, or you can use a service like Groupon or Foursquare to do it for you. The key is timing these offers with your customer’s shopping needs. For example, around Christmas-time electronics retailers tend to offer big sales on flat screen TVs. Or grocery stores may offer $10 off any purchase over $100 during their weekly sale. Think about how much these shoppers want what you have and when they’re ready to buy, then add a small incentive so they grab yours instead of someone else’s product.


Conclusion


Optimizing your Google service ads is a process that begins with making sure you’re using proper keywords and targeting. In order to target certain customers in areas where they're looking for specific services, it's vital that you optimize every aspect of your campaigns. If you find yourself spending too much money on clicks, but not getting enough conversions, make sure you’re not falling into any of these seven common traps. If you follow our tips and tweak your campaigns accordingly, local service ads can be a highly effective way of acquiring new customers.

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