Google processes over 3.5 billion searches per day. You probably use it multiple times a day, your current clients are definitely leveraging it and your future clients are googling terms and phrases about homes in your area right this instant! Using pay-per-click (PPC) Google Ads can help you capitalize on those leads by ensuring that you appear on the coveted first page of search results.
Google Ads can be one of the most effective and high-converting online advertising tactics for real estate agents – but only if you know how to use them.
If you don’t know which Google products and services to use or invest in, Google Ads can be overwhelming. But we’re here to break it down for you! Here’s an overview of 3 Google tools that can be leveraged to capture valuable real estate leads in your market.
Use Google Search Ads to Appear at the Top of Search Results
1. Use Google Search Ads to Appear at the Top of Search Results
When you perform a search on Google and start scrolling through the results, the first few entries populated are paid ads. If you keep scrolling, you’ll see more ads at the bottom of the page after the organic search result listings. The ads that are displayed are served up based on the unique words and phrases you used in your search.
Basically, Google Ads is a paid advertising platform that utilizes a pay-per-click (PPC) model where advertisers (like you!) bid to get your ad copy and link shown to consumers who input specific keywords. You pay when a consumer clicks on your ad.
Google also partners with an extensive number of third-party websites and outlets to display their ads, and you can choose to have your ads run on the Google Display Network as well. These ads are a little different, since they can include text, images, video or rich media formats, and can use different targeting strategies.
Google Ads can be an extremely powerful tool. But remember, there are hundreds or thousands of companies and real estate agents that are targeting the same keywords and competing for their ads to be shown to the same consumers. That’s why keywords like “Arlington VA Real Estate” and “Homes for sale in Washington DC” are going to cost a pretty penny. You can get creative and advertise your brand instead with keywords like “CENTURY 21 Ashburn VA” or “how to sell my Stafford VA home for more”
Scroll down for more keywords tips and tricks.
Google chooses which ad to show using a number of factors that make up a Google Ad’s Quality Score. Success hinges on choosing the right keywords/phrases, creating high-quality and relevant ad copy and setting a realistic budget.
2. Use Google Keyword Planner to Determine the Best Keywords for Your Ads
So how do you decide what keywords and phrases you want to target in your real estate Google Ads? First, start with putting yourself in the shoes (or should we say fingers?) of a buyer or seller and brainstorm what search words and phrases they would physically type into Google at different stages of their home search.
Next, use Google Keyword Planner to help evaluate your list of phrases and keywords. The Keyword Planner will show you the search volumes for a particular phrase and will rank the competition for ads related to it as low, medium or high.
For your targeted search ads to be the most effective, you want them to have an adequate search volume with low competition.
Certain keywords have more demand than others. The lower the Google keyword search volume, the more affordable it should be to win an auction and display your ad at the top of the search results. The exact cost-per-click (CPC) depends on how many other businesses are bidding on the same keywords.
If a keyword doesn’t have a monthly estimate in the Keyword Planner, that means that the search volume is too low – no one is searching for it, so it wouldn’t make sense to create a targeted ad for it. On the other hand, if the search volume is high and the ranking difficulty is also high, it’s going to be an expensive ad!
This is usually the case with short, broad search terms like “homes for sale in DC” or “DC real estate.” The secret is to target longer, more specific phrases that are descriptive, such as “2 bedroom condo for sale in Alexandria.” The search volume will be lower, but so will the competition! And if a consumer is searching for this phrase, they are more likely to be ready to buy and highly motivated.
3. Use Google Business Profile Listing to Appear in Local Listing Results and Ads
Every real estate professional should have a Google Business Profile listing. This is Google’s preferred way to display business information in search results and in Google Maps. Local listings are another way to cut to the front of the line and show up on the first page of search results.
Your Google Business Profile can show up in a featured box at the top of mobile search results or to the right of desktop results when someone searches for your name or business. It can also appear when a potential client searches for something like “best real estate agents in DC.” Google may use your Google Business Profile profile in a “map pack” of a few local businesses in response to a search query. This can dramatically increase your visibility, and the best part is it’s free!
Businesses with a My Business Listing can also take advantage of the newest (and most exciting) tool in Google’s suite of advertising options: Local Service Ads. Last year, Google made these ads available to real estate agents! So when someone searches for “best real estate agents near me,” Google will display a map with 3 nearby real estate agent results right underneath the search bar – ABOVE the paid search ads. You pay only when someone clicks on your Local Service Ad. This has the potential to be a total game changer!
To best capitalize on this tool, make sure that your Google Business Profile is fully filled out and optimized. Claim your profile, confirm your business address, add photos, contact information, hours of operation, a link to your website, etc.
Used together, Google Ads, Google Keyword Planner and your Google Business Profile profile are powerful tools that can be leveraged by every real estate agent to capture leads and convert them into clients.
