Be Found on Google – 5 Tips from the Experts


May 31, 2017
Home Services

Part 2 of our summary of the Google Partners Connect event for Home Services Providers. Read Frederick Vallaeys’ 5 tips for being found on Google:

Tip #1: Own your Google Business Profile Listing

Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is another touch point for your customers to see your business when they search your business on Google. It is another layer to your online presence that accredits and legitimizes your brand.

Google Business Profile also has its perks:

  • It’s free!
  • It is user-friendly
  • Your listing appears on Google Maps, Google Search, and Google Assistant – improving your online visibility

Google My Business Listing

Additionally, it is important to monitor your GMB reviews. 82% of online searchers say “reviews are important when choosing a home services business”. Be sure to respond immediately to any negative reviews, as it may influence the online searcher’s decision. If you really want to be engaging, respond to positive ones too. Customers appreciate it when their feedback is acknowledged.

Tip #2: Reach the right prospects

Reach the right prospect through:

    1. Micro-moments
    1. Keywords: Understand what your consumers are searching in their buying process and use the proper keywords on your website and in your digital marketing to increase your presence. Choose the right keywords
    1. Understanding the seasonality of your business
      For example, if you specialize in air-conditioning, plan your marketing efforts to increase your reach in the summertime, rather than spending your budget evenly across all months.
    1. Features that matter to consumers
      Trends in home services come and go, make sure your digital marketing reflects current trends in your industry. For example, Google Trends data suggests searches for “magnetic paint” have skyrocketed in the past several months. If you are a painting company, make sure you feature these options in your digital marketing and on your website.
    1. Regional differences
      Understand where your marketing is most relevant, and focus your efforts there. Do not spend your budget promoting basement waterproofing services in areas where people don’t have basements!
  1. Targeting the Right Person
    Use Google tools like remarketing, demographic targeting and customer match (email lists) to target search and display marketing to your customers directly.

Tip #3: Make ads more profitable

Dig deeper when targeting your online ads. Google provides detailed data such as:

    1. When consumers are most likely to look for your service.
      Know when consumers are most likely to look for your service
      Ramp up your campaigns during those peaks times to target your consumer when they need your services the most.
    1. Device usage
      Device Usage
      Create ads specific to the devices being used as certain times to make it as easy as possible for your consumer to contact your business.
    1. Bid higher when coupon mailers go out Compliment your coupon mailers with Google Ads. 41% of consumers, “decide to call when they see a coupon or daily deal”.
  1. Track all conversions from AdWords Track all conversions from Adwords Conversion tracking will let you now what is and isn’t working with your ads. It also illustrates your consumers journey from the beginning to the end of their buying process.

Tip #4: Build a great mobile experience

Home service shoppers

Make sure your mobile website is optimized so that your customer has:

  • Better user experience and fast load times (under 3 seconds!)
  • Click-to-call functionality
  • Alternative ways to finish a transaction
  • Quick and easy forms to fill out
  • Special offers when business is slow

Over complicating your mobile website, can hinder your customers from contacting your business.

Tip #5: Drive impact with innovative ad formats

Google Ads has allowed you to create many different kinds of ads. Have your ads stand out with:

    1. Ad Extensions
      Ad extensions gives the user more reason and incentive to click on your ad. They are recommended to be used since it can lead to a 30% increase in CTR.

      Ad extensions

      There are 11 different Ad Extensions:

      1. Location Extensions
      2. Affiliate Location Extensions
      3. Callout Extensions
      4. Call Extensions
      5. Message Extensions
      6. Sitelink Extensions
      7. Callout Extensions
      8. Snippet Extensions
      9. Price Extensions
      10. Review Extensions
      11. App Extensions
    1. Message Extensions
      Message extensions allows customers to click your ad. Once they click on your ad they will be contacted directly by text message.

Message Extensions

    1. Video
  1. Use content-rich video in your ads. There are over “100M hours of how-to video content being watched on YouTube between January and May 2015”.

So what does this all mean for my business?

Having a clear and concise GMB listing, an understanding of your customers’ habits, and creating innovative ads will target the right audience at the right time, and ultimately help you reach the conversions that you’d like to see.

Ontario SEO is a Google Partner and we are knowledgeable about the latest ad formats & ad extensions in Google AdWords. Call us for a free audit of your existing account, or let’s talk about how AdWords can improve your online visibility.

For more insightful trends from our Google representatives, be sure to sign up to our next Google Partner event.