Expanding Your Electrical Business With Google Local Services Ads
Michael J. Fox is a marketer and founder of Corberry. He has successfully helped home service contractors with their websites and marketing.
If you’re thinking of expanding your electrical business, Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) might be the solution you need. Google offers LSAs as an option that lets service businesses of all sizes advertise directly on search engine results pages (SERPs). For this reason, LSAs are useful for service providers including electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors.
LSAs work by showing your business as one of the top results for location-specific searches. They enhance your presence in search results as they provide important information about your company at the top of the SERP.
Here’s what an LSA includes:
• Your business’s name
• Your service area and hours
• Your rating and Google Guaranteed or Google Screened badges (if you have one)
• Your services
Let’s explore how Google LSAs can boost your electrical business’s online visibility, attract more local leads and increase conversion rates.
How Local Services Ads Benefit Electrical Contractors
Now that I’ve explained LSAs, it is time to turn our attention to some of the advantages that they offer electrical contractors:
• Increased visibility: LSAs’ level of visibility is powerful. Eighteen percent of local smartphone searches lead to a purchase within one day, and by appearing at the top of search results, your chances of getting chosen over competitors increase dramatically.
• Highly targeted leads: Unlike many other marketing efforts, LSAs are aimed at users looking for specific services within range of a certain location, which is great if you want to target a specific area.
• Builds trust with Google Guarantee: The Google Guarantee badge is given to businesses that pass Google’s screening and verification process. It signals to customers that the business is trustworthy and real.
• Improved conversion rates: Customers can reach you instantly from the ad via their phones, hence simplifying the steps they need to take. This can help you increase your conversion rate.
Setting Up Local Services Ads For Your Electrical Business
Step 1: Sign Up
Go to the Google Ads LSAs page and click “Get started.” At this point, you may be prompted by Google to enter different kinds of information regarding your business, including contact details, services offered and the service area.
Step 2: Complete The Verification Process
If you want to run LSAs, you will need to satisfy minimum requirements. These can include:
• A background check: To protect users who are communicating with your business, Google conducts an extensive background check to ensure that your business is safe and trustworthy.
• A license check: You may need to submit documentation for your business license.
• Insurance verification: You also may have to show proof of current insurance for your business.
This process guarantees that all advertisements are from legitimate, reliable companies only.
Step 3: Create Your Business Profile
Once you’ve gone through the required approval process, the next step is to complete your business profile. You should include the following:
• Business name: Maintain the same name throughout all the platforms to allow customers to find you faster.
• Contact information: Make it easy for your customers to contact you by providing correct phone numbers and email addresses.
• Service hours and service area: Specify your working hours and the local area you serve to help people who may want to contact you.
• Services offered: Provide a brief list of services you offer (for instance, electrical repairs, installation, etc.) so that potential customers know what to expect.
• Photos: Include pictures representing your work, and make sure they are of good quality. Think of this as a portfolio of past work.
Step 4: Set Your Budget
Determine how much you want to spend on LSAs. With LSAs, you are charged per lead generated instead of per click, so be ready for potential costs when running an ad. Set an appropriate budget in line with your marketing strategies and the size of your business, and adjust depending on how well the ads perform.
Step 5: Evaluate And Launch
Before launching any of your LSA campaigns, review the information in your profile and verify it is correct. After ensuring that you’ve met every requirement, submit the ads for approval and get ready for them to go live.
How To Make The Most Of Local Services Ads
After your LSAs go live, it is tempting to rest on your laurels, but persistence in optimization can help you get the most out of your investment. Here are several helpful suggestions to ensure your LSAs perform at their best:
• Optimize for search engines: Integrate relevant keywords, such as “electrical repair,” into your description of your business and the types of services you offer.
• Encourage reviews: You can integrate LSAs with your Google Business Profile, thereby enabling customers to review your business. Positive feedback can enhance your visibility and credibility. Ask happy customers to share this happiness to help you generate more leads.
• Respond professionally to reviews: Whether a reviewer has left a five-star review or a one-star review, be polite and professional in your replies. This demonstrates that you value good customer service and helps you bring in more sales.
By taking these small but important actions, you can generate more reviews, more leads and greater returns from your LSAs.
Elevate The Power Of Your Electrical Business With LSAs
No one thing can guarantee success, and using LSAs alone, without putting any effort into them, may be ineffective. When you run LSAs in combination with other marketing strategies, and optimize them for maximum success, you can make these ads an integral part of your electrical business’s growth strategy. So start growing your business with LSAs today.
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