Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads are one of the most effective marketing tools for any business, delivering high-quality leads, and increasing sales for your local business. Pay-Per-Click can refer to ads on various platforms but the most common, and arguably the most effective, are Google ads.
2019 is an especially great time to be investing in running ads because Google has been testing some interesting changes to the local pack.
The local pack is precisely where you want your local business to feature. Until now, only organic results were shown, and the best way to feature was to make sure that your organic SEO was on point – including reviews. However, if your business doesn’t generate many reviews or you’re operating in a very competitive industry, then featuring can be challenging.
Several reputable sources have reported that Google has been testing a new design for the local pack, including a spot for a paid ad. If ads are being featured in the local pack in the future, this allows all local businesses to potentially feature in a prime position.
Even without the potential changes to the local pack, Google ads done right are insanely effective. Whether you’re a Philadelphia bakery or a Bucks County attorney, Google ads can bring in the business. LeadSpruce have been delivering highly effective Pay-Per-Click ad campaigns for local Philadelphia businesses for over 20 years, so we’ve learned a thing or two about delivering a great PPC ad campaign.
Here are our top tips for running PPC ads as a local business:
Define a clear goal for your PPC Ads
One of the main mistakes that local businesses make when they run any ad is not defining a clear goal. Without identifying exactly what you want to achieve, it’s very difficult to achieve it.
You may be thinking that your goal is obvious: more leads or sales, what other goal could there be, right?
However, to get the most out of your ads, you need to drill down a little further. Which product do you want to sell more of? Which service do you want to use to hook more leads? Who are you selling to? Which leads us on to our next point…
Know your target market
This one is essential for any marketing activity. Who is your ideal customer?
A Philadelphia cleaning company might want to attract the attention of busy working mothers, or they might want to attract other local small businesses who need their premises cleaning.
A Delaware hair salon might want to attract a younger clientele who want the most up to date and fashion-forward hair styles, or a more mature clientele who prefer a more conservative style.
Of course, appealing to each of these different demographics needs a different approach. Your PPC ad copy should be targeted to your ideal client or customer so that you’re attracting the right customers for your business. You don’t want people to click your ad unless they’re likely to become a customer.
Use the right keywords
Keywords are the way that you choose to target your Google ads. By running your ads against the keywords that your ideal client would use to search for your services, your ad will be displayed to those searchers.
Certain keywords have a lot of competition, so while it’s sometimes necessary to include those, the best strategies make good use of a wide variety of keywords that have good search volume and less competition.
Finding the right keywords means investing some time in keyword research, and this is another area where understanding your target market can really pay off. If you’ve got that jawn that your Philly customers are looking for, make sure you know the words they’d use to find it.
Know when to bring in the experts
As with any marketing activity, getting a return on your investment is crucial. With PPC ads, your key metric is Return On Ad Spend- or ROAS. If you’re spending money on ads, but not making that money back and more in increased sales, then it may be time to bring in expert help for your PPC ads.
Working with a trusted local agency can help you make the most of your ad spend, and allow you to tap into years of expertise without having to learn the intricate details of Google ads. Some key things to look for are that they have Google Partner Agency status and good reviews and testimonials.
PPC ads are a very powerful marketing tool for any business. Getting your Google ad campaign right can help your business to thrive with more customers, leads, and sales. With an estimated 63,000 Google searches per second, there’s never been a better time to embrace Pay-Per-Click.