Google Ads, How much is online marketing, Lead Generation, Lead Generation for Contractors, online marketing, online marketing costs, Pay Per Click Advertising, PPC, SEM, SEO, service contractor leads, Uncategorized

The Incredible Shrinking First Page of Google

Why is it So Hard to Rank Organically?

If you are a small business owner who has had an online presence for at least 5 years, you have probably watched the landscape of the first page of Google searches change dramatically. 

Background

When we opened our doors in 2010, it seemed as though there was plenty of room for anyone who wanted to establish a presence online. 99 Calls began as a team of 4 professionals. We built websites for service area businesses, and within days, our clients would start to receive leads. We earned our first 50 customers by offering a free 30-day trial. Once contractors saw the number of leads they were receiving from their organic presence, most were more than happy to sign on for ongoing services. 

It didn’t take much to get pages ranking back then. The main components were well-written content, stating the contractors’ service offerings and the areas served and building listings for online directories such as Google, Bing, Manta and Yelp. Almost all sites ranked highly within a month or two and often much more quickly. 

The First Page Begins to Shrink

Although Google claims that they never accept payment from customers to rank well organically, they have shrunk the available playing field, especially for small businesses. The natural, or organic section became less achievable for owner-operated businesses as they made way for large national chains and huge marketing firms.

Beginning in 2013, we began to see major national businesses claiming the first positions on searches. Companies like Yelp, Yellowpages.com, Home Advisor and Service Pro mysteriously showed up at the top of local organic searches all over the country, knocking small owner-operated local businesses down on the list. This marked the beginning of a trend where smaller businesses were struggling to achieve prominent placement on Google search. 

Google Ads – A Game Changer

Although Google introduced Adwords in October of 2000, there were very few early adopters. Adwords was their self-serve paid advertising platform, and their first solid step toward monetizing the first page of search. Between its inception and the end of 2012, the playing field on the first page of searche made a significant change.

The playing field was reduced by 30%. Instead of showcasing 10 companies in the organic section, the number shrunk to 7 to make room for 3 prominently placed paid Google Adwords results at the top of each page. An article from wordstream.com explains the changes seen during that time. 

Free Organic Placement is Threatened Again by the Emergence of LSA

In 2015, Google introduced its newest venture; Google Guaranteed, also called Google Local Service Ads (LSAs). LSAs were first tested in small markets for a select group of industries. By the end of 2019, many cities across the United States had access to paid Google Guaranteed campaigns in industries such as carpet cleaning, house cleaning, and handyman services.

The image below shows that Google Guaranteed/LSA paid ads are shown at the very top of local searches:

Google’s verification process is more stringent for those who run LSA campaigns than for those running Google Ads. It requires providing documents such as drivers licenses, business licenses (where applicable) and proof of insurance insurance. Background checks are also often run on the company owners and their employees. 

Those companies that are able to successfully complete the verification process often reap great rewards. LSA is a pay-per-lead service, as opposed to the pay-per-click platform of Ads. LSA has a bit of a ranking process that makes it more similar to organic than paid Ads as well.

Those companies that are well-established and have lots of 5-star reviews on their Google Business Profiles and/or their LSA Profiles benefit from being shown much more often than other companies. Although LSA has its benefits, it has also contributed to the shrinking space available for organic results.

The image below shows how one business trended downward in placement on the first page of a Google search through the years.

As The Giant Grows, What Happens to the Little Guys?

In 2020, more than 80% of Google’s worldwide revenue came from their Google Ads platform, and that number is still climbing, according to an article posted by CNBC.

The page layout is as follows. When you search for a service in your area, you’ll see three or more Google LSA advertisements, followed by three or more google Ads advertisements, followed by Google Maps with three entries (which they are also beginning to monetize), and finally, a small organic section with three or more results. This is followed by more paid ads.

Where there were 10 opportunities for a small business to be shown on the first page of a local search, there are now just three, and often the first one or two is a large national company. 

Although there are usually only up to three organic results showing on the first page of a search, there are also three Google Maps listings, and for now, these are still free. In order to claim a prominent spot with Google Maps, your Google Business Profile must be complete, follow Google’s best practices and have lots of 5-star reviews.

That and a little luck might make your business visible here (outlined in red):

Google has made it all but impossible to be found without investing in one of its paid services. That said, small businesses will no longer be able to build a site or pay for SEO services and expect to receive a sustainable number of inbound leads. You’ve got to pay to play. That isn’t in question.

The key now is to find a way to play with ROI in mind. Online marketing, when done right, isn’t an expense. It’s an investment in your business. Every dollar you invest will ideally result in at least $5 in return. The good news is that there is plenty of return to be had when you use Google’s services. However, if you are unfamiliar with bidding strategies and optimizing campaigns, you’ll want to invest in a business that can deliver profitable results. 

What to Look for In a Digital Marketing Company

Given that organic lead generation takes much, much longer to produce and delivers fewer results, and Facebook ADs are a good option for some businesses but not as effective for service contractors, the two best bets for lead generation are the paid lead platforms on search; Google Ads and Google LSA.

If the name of the game is getting found online and getting leads coming in at a cost that will generate revenue for your business, you’ll want to do your research.

Questions to ask potential lead companies so that you can do your due diligence include: 

  • What are your monthly service fees?
  • Do you charge a monthly fee plus each Google Ads or LSA lead I receive or are they included?
  • If the company is charging a flat fee for leads plus a management fee, ask, “What is your markup?”.
  • What is your conversion rate for my service offerings/industry? 
  • How many other companies do you work with like mine?
  • What kind of reporting do you provide so that I can measure my ROI?

Once you get your answers and compare them, a clear winner will hopefully emerge. Remember, sales reps get a commission when they sell you. If you feel you’ve made a good connection, that’s great, but the sales rep probably isn’t going to be the person who sets up your account or continues to support your business in the future. Try to stick to the facts. 

For questions or more information on how to win with Google’s LSA or PPC campaigns, call 800-717-4669.

Google Ads

New “Profile Strength” Feature Rolled Out for Google Business Profiles

by Dipa Gandhi

Well, Google’s always keeping us on our toes. Just a couple of days ago, Google fully rolled out its new “Profile Strength” widget on the Google Business Profile (GBP) dashboard.

So What’s This All About?

Notice the green circle in the image above. This full green circle represents a complete profile. When you see a complete green circle, you have nothing to worry about. There is also a visual to indicate that more information is needed on a GBP.

Take a look at the GBP below, it looks like the profile is nearly complete, but after clicking on “Complete Info”, it takes you to another screen which implies the profile is not 100%. What was missing? The Ads credit hasn’t been claimed. Tricky, right?

It appears this may be Google’s way of trying to monetize the Google Business Profiles. Those who are Google Business Profile savvy would know whether or not their profile is as complete as possible without having to advertise with Google Ads.

Let’s take a look at another GBP that is less complete. If your profile strength is red in color and it appears to be 75% complete, this is an indication that there is room for improvement.

The red makes it look like your GBP is lacking, but there are times when the “Complete Info” is clicked and the user is taken to a screen like the one below. Options are given to you can choose to keep the messaging off. It’s not necessary to leave the “accept messages” option on in order to have a more complete profile.

However, if you see any of the images below on your profile, there are opportunities to make it more complete. Just specifying which services your business actually provides, or adding a description, will make your profile more complete and optimized.

Key Takeaways

Once you’ve created your Google Business Profile, you’ll want to make sure you optimize and monitor it on a regular basis. With Google always implementing changes, there may be new features you can include to strengthen your profile, and you’ll also want to be sure your profile isn’t negatively impacted by any of Google’s changes.

If your profile strength is yellow and nearly a complete circle:
then the only hindrance from it being fully complete with the green circle might be that you have not claimed your Google Ads credit, which is perfectly fine. As long as you know you’ve fully optimized your GBP, you are safe to ignore what “Profile Strength” shows.

Uncategorized

Effectiveness of Local Service Ads: Three Service Contractor Case Studies

Local Service Ads (LSA), a.k.a. Google Guaranteed, a Google product used for advertising, has gained popularity among service area businesses in the last couple of years. It was initially rolled out in 2018 to certain service industries such as plumbers and house cleaners, in certain regions of the United States. After small business owners experienced the benefits of high-quality, low-cost leads, Google expanded its reach to other areas and other service industries year after year. 

Almost two years ago, 99 Calls started offering LSA services to service contractors. Overall, customers have been pleased with the ROI they’ve seen and have found that Google Guaranteed leads are far less expensive than using Google’s Pay Per Click advertising. Below, we’ll present experiences from three different clients who offer services for three different industries.

Google Guaranteed for Carpet Cleaners

Meet Terrence Green of Spotless Carpet Cleaning Services

Terrence grew up in the floor cleaning industry. His parents and grandparents were flooring specialists and small business owners. He cleaned floors in schools during the summer months and thought using the big buffing machine “was the coolest thing ever”. After working with his family in Detroit he decided to make a move to Arizona, where he opened his own business, Spotless Carpet Cleaning Service

Over the years, Terrence dabbled with running Facebook Ads and handing out flyers, but was not able to generate a sustainable lead volume. He partnered with 99 Calls in July 2021, utilizing organic SEO, and Google PPC services, and was later introduced to LSA by Kevin Brenes, his PPC specialist. 

Of all of these advertising methods, here’s what Terrence had to say about LSA, “Leads from LSA are bigger jobs compared to PPC, but the quality of leads from both the LSA and PPC is far superior compared to Facebook.” When asked how easy or difficult was the LSA setup, “You made it really easy for me” – very easy to get set, not complicated. The background check was very easy….just answer all the questions and it didn’t take long at all.”

Terrence’s LSA has been live since Dec 10, 2022, with carpet cleaning as his primary industry. Below is a chart showing his lead volume and cost per lead in January 2023. Overall, he received 84 exclusive carpet cleaning leads from LSA at a cost per lead of just $25.11 each, which is the same price he pays for organic leads from 99 Calls. He’s thrilled with his ROI.

Google Guaranteed for HVAC Contractors

Meet Chris Kirkman of A Plus Air Conditioning and Appliances

Chris started his career working for a large HVAC business. He was constantly pushed to upsell their products and their services, even when they weren’t a great fit. After exhaustion from going from customer to customer just upselling, Chris decided to buy his first air conditioning company in 1996 and is currently the proud owner of A Plus Air Conditioning and Appliances Inc., serving all areas from Broward to Vero Beach FL.

Over the years, Chris tried multiple marketing companies to promote his business online, including organic SEO and Google’s PPC. After many years of disappointment and less than stellar results, he partnered with 99 Calls in September 2021. Along with website hosting, he utilized organic SEO lead generation and was introduced to LSA by Dipa Gandhi, the LSA specialist. 

Of all of the advertising methods he’s tried over the years, here’s what Chris had to say about LSA, “Other Ads seem to be a scam….out of 50 calls only 5 are real…..LSA is real and seems to work. I am very, very happy with 99 Calls Google Guaranteed services so far. Both the lead volume and quantity are very impressive. I don’t see any type of “odd” calls. Strictly air conditioning calls in our area. The only people I would use for any advertising is 99 Calls and Dipa for the LSA part.

Chris is planning to partner with his son to expand his HVAC services even further and plans to use 99 Calls for his advertising in new markets.

Chris’s LSA has been live since Oct 9, 2022, with HVAC as his primary industry. Below is a chart showing his lead volume and cost per lead in January 2023. With a budget of $1140.82, he received 24 exclusive HVAC leads at an average cost of $47.53 each. Google Ads campaigns generate HVAC leads at 2-3 times the price.

Google Guaranteed for House Cleaning Businesses

Meet Ellen Malhue of Red Services and Solutions Company

Ellen immigrated to this country from Brazil with her parents as a teenager. She and her mom started working in the cleaning industry while her father worked in construction. After living in the United States, learning English, and gaining knowledge on starting a business, Ellen and her mom started Red Services and Solutions Company, a house cleaning business serving clients in Fellsmere, FL.  

Ellen promoted her business flyers and taking advantage of online directories such as Bark. She then came to 99 Calls for organic lead generation services. After a couple of months, she decided to try LSA as well. Here’s what Ellen had to say about 99 Calls LSA services for house cleaners, “LSA has been a game changer. The difference between organic and LSA is that LSA clients are ready now. Organic seems like people are shopping around. The cost per lead is a fair price for the type of work generated per call. Plus we have a high closing rate via LSA because those customers are ready to go.”

99 Calls provides LSA setup at a low price and walks customers through a couple of portions that must be completed by them, including the billing and background check sections. Ellen says “It’s a process, but because I’ve been through other hurdles as an immigrant and learning everything there is to learn about moving from one country to another, is was easy, but it’s a process just like any other”.

Ellen’s LSA campaign has been live since Oct 13, 2022, with house cleaning as her primary industry. Below is a chart showing her lead volume and cost per lead in January 2023. Ellen has also signed on for 99 Calls calendar booking service, which allows customers to book appointments directly from her lead site. The appointment calendar integrates with her Google calendar. She generated 46 exclusive house cleaning leads from the LSA campaign, with the average lead cost at $27.56.

Google Guaranteed Works for Local Contractors

LSA Has Rapidly Become a Favored 99 Calls Service

Although the lead volume overall has been lighter via LSA campaigns than through Google Ads PPC campaigns, most contractors are finding that Google Guaranteed leads are of excellent quality and value. Many clients in other industries, including roofing and appliance repair have also had great success with Google’s LSA. The process is fairly simple and mostly turn-key. 99 Calls specialists complete the process for business owners and walk them through the necessary steps. It does take time to complete the verification process, but the payoff is spectacular. If you are interested in taking advantage of high value, low cost leads using LSA services, you can learn more at https://99calls.com/Google-LSA.htm.

digital marketing, SEO, Uncategorized

How to Utilize ChatGPT to Enhance Your SEO

by Dipa Gandhi

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence computer program created to provide instant responses for questions different users input. ChatGPT can even carry out a conversation if the auto-generated response isn’t satisfactory and the user wants a more in-depth response to something. 

For example, you want to write an approximately 100-word essay on how Covid-19 changed people’s lives. After entering this in ChatGPT, here’s your response:

Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted people’s lives globally. It has resulted in widespread job losses, a decline in the economy, and many businesses closing down. Remote work has become the new norm, and people have had to adapt to digital communication and learning. The pandemic has also changed people’s behavior, with more emphasis on personal hygiene and the importance of wearing masks. Social activities and gatherings have been limited, causing social isolation and loneliness. The pandemic has highlighted the significance of health systems and the importance of global cooperation in managing global health crises. Overall, Covid-19 has reshaped the way people live and interact with each other, leaving a lasting impact on the world.

Amazing right? So how can this be used to enhance your SEO? 

How to use ChatGPT to your advantage

Service / Product Pages

The key to successful SEO is writing compelling content using relevant keywords that answers the user’s search queries. Writing just one page of SEO-friendly content can easily take an hour, so imagine having to write multiple pages. You could spend hours and hours just writing content about your products or services.

For instance, you want to create an SEO-friendly website for a plumber, so popular keywords might include: Plumbing / Plumber, Clogged Drain, Emergency Plumbing Service, Kitchen Plumbing, Bathroom Plumbing, Faucet Repair, Drain Cleaning, and many more. Ideally, you’d want to include a service page on your website for each one of these services. Well instead of spending hours trying to write all of these pages, you can ask ChatGPT, which will, at the least, set up the foundation of the page for you. 

For example, after asking ChatGPT to write me an SEO friendly page on drain cleaning, here’s the response:

Drain Cleaning Services: Unclogging Your Pipes in No Time

Drain clogs are a common issue for homeowners and businesses alike, causing slow drains and water buildup. Fortunately, our drain cleaning services are here to help. With our state-of-the-art technology and years of experience, we can quickly and effectively clear any clogs in your pipes.

Why Choose Our Drain Cleaning Services?

  • Quick and efficient: Our drain cleaning services are designed to get your pipes flowing again as quickly as possible, without causing any damage to your pipes or fixtures.
  • Thorough and complete: We use powerful, yet safe and eco-friendly cleaning solutions to completely remove any clogs and buildup in your pipes, so you don’t have to worry about blockages coming back in the future.
  • Experienced professionals: Our team of experts has years of experience dealing with drain clogs of all kinds, and we have the skills and knowledge needed to tackle even the toughest clogs.

How Our Drain Cleaning Services Work

  1. Inspection: Our first step is to inspect your pipes and determine the cause of the clog.
  2. Cleaning: Depending on the type of clog, we may use a variety of cleaning methods, such as high-pressure water jetting, snaking, or hydro-scrubbing.
  3. Prevention: To help prevent future clogs, we can also provide recommendations for maintaining your pipes and drains, such as regular cleaning and avoiding items that can cause blockages.

If you’re tired of dealing with slow drains and water buildup, contact us today to schedule your drain cleaning services. Our experienced professionals are ready to help get your pipes flowing smoothly again in no time.

In seconds, you have the foundation for an SEO-friendly service page for drain cleaning services. Now it’s a matter of spending a few minutes elaborating on the key points of the page, making it sound a bit more human than AI, and making sure it is SEO friendly.

Blog Pages

In addition to writing pages on products or services, in order for your site to continue to rank well, adding high-quality, unique content periodically should be part of any website update schedule. What better way to accomplish this than blogs. 

Blogs are a great way to incorporate unique, high-quality, compelling content to a website, however, because it is time-consuming, not many businesses include this in their website update schedule. In fact, there are so many benefits to adding a blog to your website periodically. Some of these benefits are:

  • Increased Visibility
  • Easier to gain backlinks
  • Answers users questions 
  • Build authority
  • Additional ranked page 

Using ChatGPT as a foundation for your blog could be a game changer for your business. It would allow you to create more authoritative content which could help your website gain more traffic. 

Using our drain cleaning example, let’s create a blog about clogged drains. The input in ChatGPT is:

Create an SEO-friendly blog about what to do if you’re faced with a clogged drain. 

The result from ChatGPT:

“Dealing with Clogged Drains: What to Do and How to Prevent It”

Clogged drains are a common problem faced by homeowners. A clogged drain can cause a lot of inconveniences and can even lead to water damage if not dealt with promptly. If you’re faced with a clogged drain, don’t worry. Here are some simple steps you can take to unclog your drain and prevent future clogs.

  1. Boil water: Boiling water is one of the simplest ways to unclog a drain. Pour boiling water down the drain slowly, wait a few minutes, and then run cold water to see if the clog has been cleared.
  2. Use a plunger: A plunger can be an effective tool for unclogging drains. Make sure there is enough water in the sink or bathtub to cover the plunger’s cup. Place the plunger over the drain and pump it up and down several times.
  3. Use baking soda and vinegar: Mix 1/3 cup of baking soda with 1/3 cup of vinegar. Pour the mixture down the drain and let it sit for an hour. Then, flush the drain with boiling water.
  4. Use a drain snake: A drain snake is a long, flexible rod that can be used to remove blockages from the drain. Insert the snake into the drain, twisting it until you feel resistance. Continue to twist the snake until the blockage is cleared.
  5. Call a plumber: If none of the above methods work, it’s best to call a professional plumber. They have the tools and expertise to safely and effectively unclog your drain.

Prevention is the best cure for clogged drains. To prevent clogs from happening, you can:

  1. Avoid flushing anything down the drain other than water, human waste, and toilet paper.
  2. Use a drain strainer to catch hair and food particles before they reach the drain.
  3. Pour boiling water down the drain regularly to keep it clear.
  4. Avoid pouring grease down the drain. Let it cool and solidify, then dispose of it in the trash.

In conclusion, clogged drains can be a real hassle, but they don’t have to be. Follow these simple steps to unclog your drain and keep it flowing freely. If all else fails, don’t hesitate to call a professional plumber.

Imagine the traffic your website would generate if you published blogs like this every month. 

Unfortunately, even with all these great advantages of ChatGPT, there are some disadvantages.

Disadvantages of ChatGPT

Though ChatGPT is a fantastic tool to use as a foundational start for your writing, it can’t be used to replace your “human” content writers. 

Here are some flaws we’ve noticed in the ChatGPT-generated content:

Not readily accessible

If you’ve tried to get onto the system, you have likely encountered this error message: “ChatGPT is at capacity right now”. It’s often at capacity, but there is a paid version if you want more consistent access.

Lack of “human-like” characteristics in the writing

Each writer has their own style of writing, with their own tone and their own voice. By using ChatGPT, not only is the writing lacking someone’s “tone” and “voice”, it’s also losing the way the message is conveyed.

Not always trust-worthy

If your writing has a lot of facts within it, you might want to fact-check all the information ChatGPT generates. It might not always be “spot on”, and sometimes seems to fill in knowledge gaps with inaccurate information.

Limited information

ChatGPT only has knowledge on information from the year 2021 and before, not after.

Duplicate content

Anyone working in the SEO space knows duplicate content doesn’t rank. Unfortunately, because ChatGPT is AI-generated content, there’s always a possibility of duplicate content, unless you modify the content enough to make it your own.

Takeaway

ChatGPT is a fantastic tool to use as a foundation and supplement for your writing, but in no way can it, or should it, replace your “human” content writers, who are skilled in creating SEO-friendly, unique content. The advantages and disadvantages should be kept in mind when using the tool so that it can be used properly and efficiently.

Uncategorized

Customer Spotlight

Mobile Mechanical Repair of Tampa

by Diane Lovine

One of the newest industries that we serve are mobile mechanics. There are over 45,000 mobile mechanic businesses in the United States and the numbers are quickly growing.. As our lives get busier and busier, finding convenient ways to take care of repairs and maintenance on our homes and vehicles is a real-time saver. 

Mobile mechanics, such as Mobile Mechanical Repair located in Tampa, FL provide a wide range of auto repair services and travel to people’s homes or places of business. Whether your need your battery replaced or have repairs on your car or truck, calling a mobile mechanic lets you go about your day without having to sit at an auto shop or be left without a car for days.

Meet Cole Denney, Master Mobile Mechanic

We interviewed Cole Denney, owner of Mobile Mechanical Repair to learn more about his business and his experience with 99 Calls. Cole has probably spent more time in his life under a hood than not. His father and 4 brothers are all mechanics. Cole likes to say that he was born and raised in a salvage yard. 

At the age of 18, he became a master technician. After 25 years of working for others, Cole decided that it was time to become his own boss. He established Mobile Mechanical Repair in 2017 and is enjoys providing mobile auto repair services throughout the Tampa Bay area. 

Cole was very quick to explain what sets him apart from other mechanics in Tampa. His passion for the challenge of fixing any car problem, no matter how long it takes really drives him. He’s always up for a good challenge and says that “can’t” isn’t in his vocabulary as he troubleshoots and solves problems. He doesn’t even have a favorite make or model to work on. He truly loves working on all types of cars and trucks, even small engines. He most enjoys getting auto repair jobs done right, making satisfied customers, and getting vehicles up and running.

Business Challenges and Goals

The most challenging aspect of owning his own business has been getting established and building a customer base. This is what prompted his relationship with 99 Calls. He contacted us for lead generation for his Tampa mobile mechanic business in July of 2022. His goal was to generate as many leads as possible. 

He started with an organic lead generation site to begin increasing his online presence and begin working toward a long-term strategy of generating low-priced leads. Knowing that organic/SEO lead generation takes time to build up, and having the goal of generating lots of leads more quickly, he also started a Google Ads PPC campaign using 99 Calls services. 

Lead Generation Results

In his first six months of lead generation service, Cole has received 22 organic leads and 346 leads from his Google Ads campaign. We asked Devon, his account manager how she feels about working on this mobile mechanic campaign. Devon reports that the team at 99 Calls has had lots of success with the mobile mechanic industry and with Cole especially. With a consistently high conversion rate of 39%, the return on investment is tremendous. Organic and Google Ads leads combined have averaged $10 a piece. 

PPC Leads Between July 10 2022 and January 31 2023

Continued Success

Cole has been pleased with the number of calls that he’s receiving from the lead generation system. He does have issues at times with people not calling him back or being inaccessible to his calls after an appointment is made. That is definitely one drawback to providing mobile mechanic services as opposed to a brick-and-mortar shop. But when asked about his business model, Cole is very pleased overall with traveling to see his customers. Our common goals are to continue to refine searches to capitalize on high-intention buyers who need a truck or car repaired in Tampa Bay. The team at 99 Calls will continue to strive to get him as many leads as possible at the lowest cost per lead. 

Appliance Repair Leads, Carpet Cleaning Leads, cleaning business leads, Contractor Leads for Winter, digital marketing, Google Ads, How much is online marketing, Lead Generation, Lead Generation for Contractors, Off season marketing, online marketing, online marketing costs, painting leads, Pay Per Click Advertising, PPC, Roofing Advertising, Roofing Leads, service contractor leads

Don’t Freeze Your Leads This Winter:

4 Marketing Tips To Implement this Winter

3 Mistakes Contractors Should Avoid as the Slower Season Begins

4 Strategies to Implement in 2023

As colder weather rolls in, many contractors begin to pull back on their marketing efforts, but the winter is a great time to do just the opposite! While the demand for many services slows down between November and February, there are still many benefits of holding your marketing efforts steady.

1. The winter months may not bring in the highest volume of leads each year, which will allow you more time to focus on other aspects of your business, including marketing. 

  • The winter months are a great time to beef up your SEO!
    • Add fresh content to your website like photos, videos, and blog posts.
    • Confirm that all information on your website and online listings are up to date and make any necessary updates.

This will help your website rank higher when warmer weather comes back around, making it easier for potential customers to find you.

  • This is also a great time to figure out your game plan for your Google ads campaign for the upcoming year.
    • Think about what budget you would like to set, what services you want to target, and what areas you want to focus on marketing in.

2. Run some Google ads for winter/indoor services

3. Start running Local Service Ads (AKA Local Search Ads)

  • Google Local Service Ads, or Google Guaranteed offers an additional avenue to show off your business on the first page of Google. LSA is a pay-per-lead program which offers the benefit of a lower lead cost than pay-per-click advertising. If you begin now, your campaign will be further optimized for your busier months!

4. Run a reactivation campaign to convert old leads

  • If you have a database of “old” leads that you aren’t doing anything with, you’re missing out on potential revenue! Reactivation campaigns are a great, low-cost way to book more jobs at a fraction of the price of a new lead.

Get ahead of your competitors and utilize your winter months wisely by focusing on your marketing efforts while you have the time. Using multiple methods of lead generation may seem daunting. Luckily, companies like 99 Calls can help you manage your marketing efforts and get a return on your investment!

3 Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

Fall marks the beginning of the slower season for many contractors. The period between Mid November through the New Year yields far fewer consumers looking to remodel, move or expand. People are gearing up for the holidays and the new year ahead. Add to that the uncertainty that COVID has unleashed, and the supply chain issues that have slowed the market even further, and you may be looking at a lean winter. 

There are several common mistakes that contractors make when tighter times approach. It may seem to make sense to cut back, lay off and lay low to avoid any unnecessary expenses, but savvy contractors utilize these quieter months to build. This keeps revenue channels open and puts businesses in a prime position to enjoy exponential growth when the hot season begins.

Top Three Slow-Season Mistakes: 

  1. Scale way back on marketing – It might seem prudent to cut your marketing budget as the season comes to a close. However, when the number of booked jobs on the schedule begins to decrease, this is an excellent time to review your marketing strategy and trim out the efforts that aren’t yielding results. 
  • If you are losing money on print, it may be time to pause or halt that marketing.
  • If you are paying more for leads that you are making in jobs, it may be time to find a new lead company.  There are lead generation businesses that only charge for their performance, meaning the leads they actually produce. 
  • Google Ads may also be a viable short-term option for increasing lead volume into the winter. The team at 99 Calls is still seeing a 15 – 20% conversion rate on Google Ads campaigns. Google Ads marketing allows contractors to target specific services in selected areas so that you can get more done with a smaller budget. 

There are plenty of opportunities there to gain some leads, win new jobs, and keep your team on the payroll. 

  1. Cut back on labor – Because there is a general shortage of qualified, motivated laborers in the workforce nationwide today, if you are lucky enough to have them on your team, now is not the time to furlough or lay them off. 
  • Do what you can to keep those smaller jobs coming in, even if at lower profit margins to keep your valued workers gainfully employed.  
  • We all prefer the big jobs and/or recurring business, but those smaller gigs often lead to larger, more valuable jobs in the future.
  • Not only are you contributing to your employees’ livelihood, but you are building trust and loyalty. See #1 above for ideas on getting those smaller, one-off jobs to keep your calendar full and your people working.
  1. Take it easy and chill for the winter – It may be tempting to take a long winter nap, but here are a couple of things to do before you decide to take that much-needed vacation or rest after a busy summer. 
  • Take a look at your SEO efforts. Are you promoting the services that you offer in the winter months now? It takes time for new content to get indexed and start ranking on Google. Now is the time to promote the services you want to offer in February and March. 
  • Contact current customers and offer a discount when they book winter services. 
  • Plan your 2022 budget. What are your goals for the new year in terms of growth, revenue, advertising? 
  • Take time in the slower weeks ahead to review what’s working, what isn’t and see where you can trim the fat. 
  • Take some of your summer profits and invest them in some solid targeted online marketing. Remember, smart online marketing is an investment, not an expense!
  • Once you’ve got these things in place, take a quick break – you’ll be recharged and ready to reap the rewards of your efforts!

If the thought of laser-focusing your marketing dollars and finding low-cost, high-value leads seems out of reach at the moment, consider trying the bundle program with 99 Calls. For a $349 price tag, you’ll get set up on SEO marketing which will grow over time, and a Google Ads campaign that can start working for you immediately. 

Get Started Here

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Business Website, digital marketing, Lead Generation, Lead Generation for Contractors, SEO, Uncategorized

Solving the Problem of Duplicate Google Business Profiles Being Created by Google

By Dipa Gandhi and Diane Lovine

Problem Discovered

Late in 2021, the team at 99 Calls noticed duplicate Google Business Profiles (GBPs) had been created for many of our clients’ service area businesses. After some investigation and confirmation with our clients, it was apparent the duplicate profiles were generated by Google. In many cases, even though we had already built a GBP representing the customer as a service area business Google was auto-generating a secondary and often incomplete listing. 

99 Calls primarily works with service area businesses; those that travel to their customers to perform a service, rather than from a brick-and-mortar building where customers go to receive a service. Google’s own established guidelines specifically state that businesses that service their clients at their residential or business location should not display their street address on the GBP. 

It was determined that Google was using information from the Contact Us pages of the lead generation websites to auto-generate duplicate listings. These listings kept the addresses visible and promoted the Contact Us pages of the sites as the landing pages on the GBPs. This resulted in dozens and dozens of our customers having 2 GBPs; one with their address hidden as is in compliance with Google’s best practices and with the home page of the lead site used as the landing page, and the other with the address visible and showing an actual pin location that promoted the Contact Us page of the website as the landing page.

Below is an example of a customer who ended up with two GBPs, one that was successfully created and managed by the team at 99 Calls and the other that was auto-generated by Google:

Duplicate Auto-Generated GBP:

Original GBP Managed by 99 Calls:

Google’s Business Profile Guidelines

As per Google’s guidelines, businesses such as plumbers, electricians, HVAC contractors, and other trades should keep their addresses hidden on their GBP, allowing them to be represented as service area businesses. This prevents Google Maps from having an actual pinpointed location and instead displays the service area served by the business. The duplicate listings that were being generated by Google were out of compliance with their own guidelines.

Correct GBP: Service Area Shown:

Incorrect GBP: Address Shown with Pin:

How 99 Calls Fixed Duplicate GBPs

Having 2 GBP listings with the same business name, address, phone number, and website can impact SEO efforts, hinder lead volume results, risk a suspension of the live active GBP we manage, and cause confusion for people searching. 

Since 95% of our clients are service area businesses and do not have a brick-and-mortar location, we submitted suggested edits regarding the duplicate GBPs to Google. Specifically, we suggested that the businesses no longer existed at the locations indicated. We waited 30 days, and then if the duplicate listing had not been removed, we contacted Google Support for additional help, explaining the situation and asking them to remove the duplicate or merge it with the original GBP that we manage. 

Effectiveness of Removing Google-Generated Duplicate Listings

In some cases, the duplicate listings had been removed within 30 days of the suggested edits. More often, the duplicate listings were still showing and our team contacted Google support for further action. Within 60 days, almost all reported duplicates had either been removed or merged by Google, leaving just 1 GBP for the business.

Google Removed the Wrong Business Profile!

However, a new problematic issue was noted. In many cases, Google was merging the 2 GBPs but keeping the (incorrect, auto-generated) duplicate GBP. After the merge, what was shown was a GBP with the reviews still intact, but with the address visible and the landing page that people are being directed to as the Contact Us page, rather than the homepage of the website. Also, the business category is often slightly different than what it was prior and the business hours were removed. Unfortunately, this means we had to go to the GBP dashboard and correct the problems on the profiles. Luckily, once these edits were completed and the listing was back in order, the problem was resolved for our customers.

How to Prevent Google From Creating a Duplicate GBP

The team at 99 Calls recognized that Google was using the information contained on the Contact Us page of our lead generation websites to build these second (duplicate) listings. By removing the Contact Us pages from the sites altogether and utilizing an About Us page only, we have been able to avoid further issues with these duplicates being generated. 

Uncategorized

99 Calls Hits 10,000!

In October of 2022, the team at 99 Calls lead generation company hit a major milestone. After 12 years in business, the 10,000th lead generation site was built. The landmark customer was Kim Beasley, of Same Day Appliance Repair

Same Day Appliance Repair serves customers in the Fayetteville, NC area. A woman-owned enterprise, Kim opened her doors in 2015 with a single technician. She now employs several appliance repair technicians while she runs the office, sales and operations.

Prior to joining forces with 99 Calls, Kim reports using the services of Dex Media and relying on referrals for new business. She is already enjoying the lead boost that she is receiving from her Google Ads campaign. 

Quite pleased with the results thus far, Kim was even more happy to learn that 99 Calls will provide her December lead generation services for free as a reward for hitting that magic number! Thank you, Kim, and we look forward to a long relationship with you!

Google Ads, How much is online marketing, Uncategorized

Customer Spotlight: Hurricane Victim and Restoration Hero

A Conversation with Rocco Zaldivar

Owner of Florida Claims Adjusting Firm & The Powerhouse Group

by Devon Osborne

In October of this year, Hurricane Ian hit the gulf coast of Florida head-on. Hurricane Ian is one of the worst storms to hit the Gulf Coast in almost a decade. Clocking in at a category 4, Ian destroyed over 5,000 homes and left millions without power for several days. 

Rocco Zaldivar, one of 99 Calls’ customers, is one of those over 5,000 to lose their home in the storm. Unfortunately for Rocco and his family, his home stood directly in the path of the eye of the hurricane. Being so close to Sanibel beach, their home ended up flooding completely within 40 minutes if the storm’s approach. His home is now completely unlivable. 

With no true place to call “home” at the moment, Rocco and his family have been forced to stay in a hotel an hour north of Lee County, but that hasn’t stopped him from helping others in his community. Due to the nature of the industry he serves, there are a lot of people who are in need of his assistance. As a Lee County resident himself, Rocco has been traveling back and forth to help home and business owners to repair their damaged and flooded properties. Because he works in both claims adjustment and general contracting, Rocco is in a unique position to be able to provide support both with filing and managing insurance claims and property repairs, which is hard to find! 

Both Florida Claims Adjusting Firm and Powerhouse Roofing pride themselves on being honest and good companies with customer service at the forefront of their business models. When you choose to work with either or both of these companies, you can rest assured that you are in great hands. Rocco gained his passion for hard work and getting it right stems from a lifetime of solid role models in his life.

Since he was 15 years old, Rocco has found himself a part of the construction industry. Thanks to the strength and durability that a youthful body possesses, he was a great fit when it came to working for his Uncle’s construction business with his cousins. After learning the labor side of the trade, Rocco went on to get his general contractor’s license. In turn, his cousins began working for him instead of alongside him. 

Rocco knows the importance of hard work in order to be successful in business, but he notes that it’s also important to not overwork yourself. As a word of wisdom for future and existing business owners, Rocco recommends finding honest, loving, and humble people to surround yourself with and always following your passions. 

https://www.news-press.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news-press.com%2Fstory%2Fweather%2F2022%2F10%2F13%2Fhurricane-ian-damage-florida-cost-insurance-prevent-next-time%2F8177090001%2F

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/10/04/hurricane-ian-statistics-deaths-winds-surge/

Uncategorized

How to Navigate Google Business Profile’s New “In Search Experience”

By Dipa Gandhi

Once again Google has made changes to the Google Business Profile management dashboard. Business owners will have to adjust to a new process for managing their GBPs.

Here is the latest on how to navigate the Google Business Profile dashboard. It is quite different from what it used to be.

Once you log into your account, if you just have one profile to manage, the process to access it is simple. You are taken directly to the “in search experience”, which looks like this:

Below we’ve layed out how to navigate the new “in search experience”.

Edit Profile

Here you can manage all the basic details about your business. Business name, category, phone number, website, location, service area, business hours.

Note: For service area businesses, in the previous GBP dashboard you would need to manually clear the address so that it would be removed from the maps. In this new search experience, you’ll see an option like this, where you will turn that field off, so the business address isn’t visible.

Read Reviews

From this option, you can access all the customer reviews on your GBP and respond to them.

Messages

From here, you can either turn your SMS alerts on or off and manage the rest of your chat settings:

There are other chat settings that can be adjusted within  “chat settings”:

Add Photo

From this field, you can add your photos, logo, and cover photo.

Performance

From the performance option, you access analytics on your  GBP’s performance. This feature was the “Insights” feature in the prior GBP dashboard.

Advertise 

This option will direct you to the Google Ads platform where you can build and run an Ads campaign if you’d like. 

Edit Products

From here you can highlight any products you sell or promote.

Edit Services

In this section, you can manage a more detailed list of the services you provide.

Booking

Here you can link any online booking tools you would like to use on your GBP.

Quote Requests

This feature allows your customers to directly request a quote from your GBP.

Calls

This feature shows you your call performance or your call history.

Then when you click on the down arrow next to Calls from your menu, you’ll see additional options,

Q & A

This is the question and answer feature allowing you to connect with your customers via GBP.

Add Update

From here you can add Posts, either an update, offer or event. Just choose which type of update you’d like to add and complete the fields prompted.

Ask for reviews

From here you can capture the link to your GBP to make it easier for you to refer your customers to your GBP to leave a review. You can also send the link directly from here to an email address or other platforms such as Whatsapp or Facebook.

Other Management Tools and/or Settings

Some additional management options which aren’t so obvious can be found by clicking on the 3 dots found here:

Business Profile Settings

Business Profile Settings is where you would need to access your user management, Google assistant codes, see profile ID, remove business profile options, and link accounts such as Ads or Merchant Center.

Notifications

From here, you can manage you you wish to receive notifications from multiple  fields shown below:

Adding or Managing More than One Profile

If you are managing more than 1 GBP from your account, or want to add a new GBP, then you would select “Add a New Business Profile” or to manage another GBP, select “Your Business Profiles” to see your others.

The last 3 options include  Help & Support, Send Feedback, and Terms of Service.

Verifying GBP

If you’ve just created your GBP and you were waiting for a PIN code, once you receive the code, you will see this screen,

You’ll want to click on Enter code to enter your PIN code and verify the profile.

If you look at your menu from your in-search experience and you see this

Then you’ll want to click on “Get verified” and complete your GBP verification via the method you’ve been prompted.

Note: If you’re prompted to use the video verification method, please refer to this blog for help in completing the verification, https://blog.99calls.com/2022/10/18/new-process-for-google-business-profile-verification-with-video-2/