In Case You Missed Our SGI Presentation on Google Local Service Ads…

by VitalStorm |

April 13, 2018

At the Expo in Anaheim, Calif., SGI ensured that their members (all home service company owners and managers) understood how to better market their business to their target audience, among many other relevant topics inside the home service industry. Some of the topics that accredited presenters explored included:

  • Call Center Updates: How to Bring Your Call Center into the 21st Century
  • Voice Search: Is Your SEO Strategy Ready?
  • Google Home Service Ads
  • And more!

On Thursday, April 12th, our co-owner, Josh Moran, gave a presentation with Google team members, Rabia Khalil Mainwaring and Jim Armstrong, about future-proofing your business for the evolving online user and how Google is responding to this audience in home services with their beta platform, Local Service Ads.

We’ve outlined the details of the presentation below:

Homes Service Trends and Marketing Strategies

Home services is an attractive and growing market. What’s more: The home service industry is competitive. There is so much data surrounding the home that we don’t always stop to notice, like:

  • Electricity usage
  • Water usage
  • Smart appliances
  • Home remodeling and re-design
  • Home repair and restoration

Consumers are curious about this info, and big players are getting involved with tools and apps. This is changing the online landscape for home services and how consumers expect to find and receive services.

How are people finding you online? Whether someone finds your website by hearing about your company from a friend, online reviews or Google, 95% to 97% of online leads will visit your website before converting. It’s not news that consumers turn to your website before they interact with you. But this statistic just reinforces the need to keep your “house in order” when it comes to your company’s online presence.

What is news is this: Now, the data shows that many of these leads will visit your mobile site rather than your desktop site. So, is your mobile site up-to-speed? The average home service mobile site loads in 8 seconds (16 seconds faster than average) – kudos to the home service industry! – but 53% of the time, mobile sites are abandoned if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.

Knowing where you’re getting your leads can show you where you need to focus your efforts. Now, more than ever, we have to be intentional. With competition and costs rising, knowing where to target is a key success factor.

Everything is changing. So, consider how you can future-proof your business in an ever-changing market. What changes and best practices must be adopted to “get your house in order”?

For us in home services, that’s where Google Local Service Ads come into the picture.

Spotlight: Google Local Services Ads

Google’s mission is to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Google is for everyone. Presenters and Googlers Rabia and Jim make it clear that Google wants people who are searching for something as frantic as “sink leaking” to be able to find the services they’re looking for. And they want to connect trusted pros to those people.

Consumers trust Google to help them manage their home. Home service pros just like you trust Google to help them grow their business.

With Google Local Service Ads (previously known as Google Home Service Ads), Google has created a unique platform for the home service industry.

Google considers your business helpful and “trusted” after passing a strenuous enrollment process, which includes a third-party background check. The more five-star reviews you have, the more likely it is for Google to serve up or  “recommend” your business to someone searching for “plumbers near me.” So, in the grand scheme of things, the only way you can show up in front of consumers on the LSA platform is to provide exceptional service worth talking about.

Frequently Asked Questions about Local Service Ads (LSAs)

How can I rank on LSAs?

Your company isn’t ranked by its size or how many times you were searched. You’re ranked on an algorithm involving the number of reviews you have, your star rating and your location.

Does Google look at all my online reviews across different platforms (YELP, etc.)?

Although YELP and other reviews are important to your overall online presence, Google Reviews are taken into consideration for Google LSAs, so building up your Google Reviews should be your focus moving forward.

Are Google Local Service Ads considered PPC?

Local Service Ads is a paid platform, but is quite different from AdWords, in which you bid on keywords and pay per click. With LSAs, you are not charged for clicks, and you pay a flat rate per lead.

Are Google Local Service Ads available in my area?

Local Service Ads are currently accessible in these cities:

  • Phoenix, Ariz.
  • Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Riverside, Calif.
  • Sacramento, Calif.
  • San Diego, Calif.
  • San Francisco, Calif.
  • San Jose, Calif.
  • Miami, Fla.
  • Atlanta, Ga.
  • Chicago, Ill.
  • Boston, Mass.
  • Detroit, Mich.
  • New York, N.Y.
  • Philadelphia, Pa.
  • Dallas, Texas
  • Seattle, Wash.
  • Washington, D.C.

Google may also offer these services in other areas eventually, but those additional regions are not publicly known at this time.

Where can I find digital marketing services to help me with Local Service Ads?

Right here!

After learning about all the in-depth tactics that go into making your company top-of-mind for your customers, you may realize this might be better left to the professionals. We’re a digital marketing agency that specializes in serving Home Service companies likes yours.

If you’re interested in getting started with Local Service Ads or any of the other services listed below, give us a call today.

Call Now: 1-877-311-5695