Tradie marketing may not be your thing, but in 2023 to be successful you need to be online. According to research commissioned by hipages, 50 percent of Australians are more likely to hire tradies online now than 5 years ago.
Online tradie marketing can be paid or search for organically
What is Google Ads?
Your tradie marketing toolkit may include Google Ads. Google Ads are the first ads that are displayed at the top of a search. It’s also called Google Adwords.
So, in this example I searched for ‘plumber near me’. Google knows I live in Gymea, Sydney, so has put this ad for ‘Dan’s Plumbing’ as the first result. Every time someone clicks on Dan’s ad, Dan has to pay for that click.
Some industries have to pay more money than others. In Australia, the average monthly search for ‘plumbers near me’ is 16 100. That’s a lot of people with blocked toilets. But, the problem is there are a lot of plumbers. Not only that, but you’re competing with the big guys, hipages, Houzz and Airtasker. This is why it’s smart to consider Google Ads as part of your tradie marketing strategy.
How much does Google Ads cost?
So, this is where paying for an ad may work. The ‘cost per click’ for the very popular and often searched ‘plumber near me’ isn’t cheap. Each time someone clicks on Dan’s ad which takes them to his website, Dan forks out $19.95.
‘Toilet repair’ has 260 searches in Australia per month and the price per click from someone searching is $11.38.
You can see that these two keyword phrases would probably be only typed in when someone intends to pay for this service quite urgently.
Someone who types in ‘replacing a toilet’ doesn’t seem to be in such a hurry to purchase, so Google Ads charge less, only $4.08.
Google Ads lets you select a monthly budget and daily average, so you’re in charge of how much you spend and you can cancel any time.
Should I use a cheaper keyword?
You would really only run a Google Ad using keyword phrases that a customer ready to purchase would use. This is called searcher intent.
If someone searched for ‘how much does a plumber earn’ then they are after information. They aren’t after a plumber’s services.
If they type in ‘best plumber in the Sutherland Shire’, then again, they’re still searching and not yet ready to part with their hard-earned cash.
If someone is typing in ’24 hour plumber near me’ or ’emergency plumber near me’ then they intend to pay whatever it costs to fix their problem now.
They have buyer intent, which is what people pay for in Google Ads.
Why does a tradie need a website?
Tradies make a huge mistake when they pay a fortune for Google Ads, only to direct potential customers to a dodgy website made in 2009.
Google Ads will get people to your website, but they’ll click off it again if your website isn’t up to scratch. Then you’ll wonder why your ad isn’t working when really you should blame your stone-age website.
Your website needs to show you’re a leader in your industry. Include recent testimonials, case studies, latest technology and anything else relevant to make them give you a call.
The majority of Australians (77 per cent) say they still value word of mouth recommendations for tradies. So your website needs testimonials from your happy customers.
Don’t just rely on pretty pictures. It needs to be well written and sound professional. Your website needs to provide a solution to their problem straight away.
If you want a well written Google Ad with a website to match, give me a call and we’ll work out a tradie marketing strategy to fit your budget.