With all the different ways out there to spend marketing dollars, you’ve probably wondered if it’s worth it to invest in pay-per-click ads, or PPC for construction companies. While there are plenty of ways to improve your online presence as a contractor, we’d argue that your marketing budget absolutely needs to include PPC campaigns. These hyper-targeted ads connect you with potential clients who are searching for exactly what your business provides and can give you some of the best ROI when it comes to marketing. We’ll help you understand exactly what PPC does and why your construction business needs it.
What is PPC?
Before we go any further, let’s lay out exactly what pay-per-click ads are. It’s really all in the name: a search engine displays the link to your website when a user searches a keyword term you’ve designated, and you pay for each click that ad generates. Google Ads is by far the most popular PPC managing platform, but you can also run PPC ads on other sites such as Bing and YouTube. You’ve undoubtedly seen (and likely clicked on) these ads at the top of Google searches. They can also come in the form of shopping ads where Google displays a product grid to purchase a searched product or Gmail ads that look like emails in your inbox but are actually paid content. You get to choose how much you want to pay per click and what keywords you want to use for your campaign.
PPC vs. SEO
You’re probably aware that search engine optimization, or SEO, is particularly important when building your construction company’s online brand. However, you shouldn’t be choosing between PPC and SEO. Both are essential for different reasons. PPC gives quick results and is easy to customize based off the return you’re seeing, while SEO helps you rank organically (unpaid) and the results build over time. We’ve also put together a guide on how contractor SEO can help your business.
Why You Need PPC for Construction Companies
Now that you understand what exactly PPC is, let’s dive into the benefits of PPC for construction companies. Read on to find out more about these perks and how Netsource Technologies can help you maximize each one of them.
Quick Results
Few marketing tactics can generate results as quickly as PPC campaigns can. As soon as that PPC campaign goes live, you’ll start appearing in search results. If your ideal customer is searching, they’re seeing your ad. Keep in mind that there is an “auction” to determine whose PPC campaign appears first in those results. The results of this auction are based on a slightly complicated formula that factors in the maximum amount you’re willing to pay per click and the “quality score” the search engine assigns to your website. Of course Google will award the top spot to the highest bidder, but they also want your website to be relevant to the keywords you’ve specified and have a great user experience on the selected landing page. This calculation is done instantaneously though, so you don’t have to wait to see how your ad is performing. You’ll start collecting metrics (and leads) right away.
Completely Customizable
We get it: advertising budgets can change with the season and sometimes you’re willing to spend more than others. The great part about PPC is that you make the call on exactly how much you’re willing to pay for each click so you’ll know how many clicks that will get you within your overall budget. You can also specify length of time you want your ad to run or pause it if need be. These kinds of ads are totally fluid, so they work with you and your business.
Easy to Track and Measure
Perhaps the best part of pay-per-click campaigns is the fact that no other advertising method provides you with as many metrics to gauge its success. If you buy space on a billboard or in a local magazine, there’s no way to really know how many people are truly taking in your ad. PPC campaigns can tell you exactly what your “cost per conversion” or CPC is, meaning you’ll know how much every single meaningful click costs you. You’ll also be able to gauge metrics like how much time users are spending on your site, which links they’re clicking once they’re there, and more. This can provide you with extremely helpful information on how to tweak your ad or even the marketing information on your website.
Narrowly Target Your Customer
Another thing billboards and print ads won’t let you do is target only the customers who are actively looking for the services you provide. PPC marketing for contractors is great because it brings customers who are looking to build or remodel to your doorstep. You can set your campaign to target search users in your city and those who use keywords that are unique to your business such as “marble countertops” or “backyard sheds.” You can also specify which keywords you do NOT want your business to show up under. If you specialize in custom luxury homes, you may want to exclude the term “modular home construction” from your campaign since clicks for that search term won’t be relevant to you. Narrowing down your audience like this means your advertising money won’t be wasted on users who aren’t interested in your business.
How to Succeed with PPC for Construction Companies
With all of that information on why PPC marketing for contractors is important, the next step is to create a plan for a successful PPC campaign. We’ve come up with a few tips to help you out in the process.
Know Your Target Audience
Is your ideal customer looking to build a farmhouse style home in your area? Or do you specialize in luxury kitchen and bath cabinetry? Maybe your company builds commercial real estate in different places around the country. Narrow down the profile of your target audience so you know how to reach them. Try to be specific: instead of saying your target audience is just “people looking to buy a house” – identify what kind of houses people would need to be interested in to choose you as their builder, and what geographical area you serve. Try to also rule out which kinds of search users won’t be interested in your services as well. The more narrow you are, the success you’ll have with PPC for construction companies.
Know Which Keywords Are Relevant
Next, put yourself in that target audience member’s shoes. What search terms would they use to find a business who does what you do? Using the examples above, consider the following targeted keywords:
- “Orlando farmhouse construction”
- “custom cabinetry in Charlotte”
- “office building contractor”
Based on your area of expertise, you’ll be able to narrow down some keywords that are relevant to your business, along with some keywords you want to exclude that aren’t relevant to you. This may take some trial and error, but that’s where the customizability of PPC marketing for contractors comes in. Try finding what keyword searches your competitors tend to appear under.
Create Content that Makes the User Stay
Getting the user to click is one thing. Making them stay is entirely different. After all, you don’t want to be spending that marketing money on lost leads! They key here is to create landing pages that make your ideal customer stick around. Show them clearly and concisely what you bring to the table and why they should choose you as their contractor or construction company. PPC marketing for contractors works when you draw the customer in for more after getting that initial click. This is where it really benefits you to work with website experts at Netsource Technologies on your construction company website. We can help create valuable content for you that will keep those PPC clicks around.
Work with Experts in PPC for Construction Companies
If creating a custom PPC campaign for your construction business that will maximize your return feels overwhelming, we can help. At Netsource Technologies, we have over 25 years of experience in the digital marketing world and we can create an effective PPC campaign for your company that will bring clients in the process of building and remodeling your way. We have the industry expertise to take this essential aspect of online marketing and completely customize it so it fits your business, budget and goals. Relax and let us handle the hard stuff so you get the results you need.