Google Ads.

HavertysRoofCleaning

HavertysRoofCleaning

New member
I keep getting a letter from google every couple months that offers $150 in advertising when I spend $50. I have been thinking about giving it a try. The only thing that has been holding me back is that I already have decent web presence in my area and I'm not sure how much running a google add would help. On the other hand I know almost nothing about google and pay per click adds other than the basic idea of how it works. I need some input from those who have had experiences with google ads and what has worked for those who have used it and what has not.
 
I see a few guys here in baton rouge using it.
One's been using it for a couple years.
IDK how well it does bc he's one of the few local guys that I haven't ran into, chasing bids.
Other guy is a buddy of mine who just started using it this year, so I can gain more insight from him once season takes off.
I'm considering trying it out for the painting side of my business though.
We're still #1 local and #2 and #3 organic for the main keywords as far as pressure washing goes... not even 1st page for painting.


edit.... the guy that's been using it for a couple years, only thing i know about him, is that he works a 9-5 and does this on the side.
He could just be a go-getter and likes to stay busy 24/7, but I'm gonna assume his 9-5 is his main source of income.
 
It can work, but it's a lot of work to get your ads set up properly. Mistakes can be expensive as it isn't incredibly intuitive to use at first.

I use it for my Volvo ABS module repair and Exchange business and have for about 3 years. I've also tweaked it dozens of times in those years of using it. I pull about 9 conversions a month out of 300 clicks. Those 9 conversions are my least profitable sales in a given month but still very profitable. I'm already #1 in organic search with that business, it just makes my presence that much more and also shows my ads all over other websites. I pull a lot of those sales from my ads showing up on Amazon, various forums, etc.

But....with that business I have very few competitors, it's nation/worldwide and they are looking for one very specific product. I'm the only person in Michigan doing it and also the entire midwest. It is also something they need or must have.

I did try it last year with my PW business and won't do it again. It just didn't work for me with that business, not one conversion. Everybody clicking on the ad wasn't looking for actual service, they were DIY'ers looking for really cheap shit.

Downsides...

Competitors clicking on your ads to drain your budget, and it does happen. Ignorant people clicking on your ads looking for free advice, miracle soaps and homeowner level equipment. Google is good about taking care of you if you show them the pattern of the same person clicking repeatedly, but that responsibility is on you. If you're covering a large/populated area expect it to cost you $150/month depending on what budget you set.

Since you have a credit to burn, give it a shot. But, in my experience the time and money spent with AdWords in our field can be better spent on other marketing avenues.

I'll also add to COMPLETELY AVOID paid facebook advertising. That was by far the sketchiest advertising experience I've ever gone through. Getting billed for lots of clicks, but mysteriously very few of those clicks were registering on StatCounter or Analytics. 83% of them actually. I only lost $80 in that ordeal, many others lost thousands. It was shortly after they went public, there were hundreds of complaints just like mine.
 
You would think with all the advancements and accomplishments google has made, they'd write a simple script to stop charging for multiple clicks from the same person (competition). Guess they like the extra money from those that don't take the time to report it.
 
Tiger Pressure Wash said:
You would think with all the advancements and accomplishments google has made, they'd write a simple script to stop charging for multiple clicks from the same person (competition). Guess they like the extra money from those that don't take the time to report it.
Click to expand...

My first few months using AdWords is when I was 100% convinced that Google is an advertising company, not a free search engine. lol.
 
Matty P said:
My first few months using AdWords is when I was 100% convinced that Google is an advertising company, not a free search engine. lol.
Click to expand...

I was reading something on them recently.
They started as a free search engine and remained that way I believe until the early 2000's, but just like any corporation, head honchos came in and decided to squeeze every penny they can out of the business. Those bastards lol
 
also read where they offered to sell the company for $1million in its early days... bet they're glad nobody bit that offer lol
 
Google is all about making money and they definitely try to get you to spend as much as you can on Adwords campaigns. So unless you know what you are doing you may end up spending way more than necessary. Be careful and quickly change your campaign as you notice what is or is not working for you. You also may want to ask your customers when they call what they typed in to find you.

But overall, Google is a great search engine because they take pride in showing relevant companies in the Organic section. That is why they are constantly updating their algorithms to ensure that relevant businesses and companies that are using White Hat SEO techniques show up in the organic section.
 
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