Need tips using google adwords!

[larolargo]

I'm going to start a google adwords campaign in my area to attract motivated sellers; however, it will be my first time.



I was wondering if I could get some tips on using it effectively.



What search terms would sellers most likely use ?



How much should I expect to invest in this campaign on a monthly base?



Thank you very much!



Mario

 

[Aaron Moore]

I've only been using Google adwords to find motivated sellers for a few weeks. But before that I've used adwords for other marketing.



Use keyword tools to find search terms that sellers are likely to use. Here's a link to the Google Adwords Keyword Tool:

https://adwords.google.com/o/Targeting/Explorer?__u=1000000000&__c=1000000000&ideaRequestType=KEYWORD_IDEAS#search.none



Monthly budget depends on many things... the size of the area you will target, the number of motivated sellers searching at any given time, are the ads compelling enough for searchers to click?

A budget of $3-$5 per day should be enough to get you started for several weeks until you can see trends. Then you can adjust according to your needs.

 

[larolargo]

Thank you Aaron!



I'll try it out!



Have you been getting good results with google adwords so far?



In what type of marketing you are getting the best results?



Thanks a lot!



Mario

 

[Thomas Beyer]

Know your customer !





Focus on the area of the world you wish people to click from. Thus, if you're looking for buyers from CALGARY, don't advertise in Alabama, Vancouver or Toronto !



Know what key words people type into Google. AdWords is key word driven, thus know the top 10 key words or experiment with it !



In your case that might be: bankruptcy, divorce, distress, foreclosure,
pre-foreclosure, motivation, debt relief, help, under water, high interest rate, mortgage qualification



Have a budget .. say $1000 over 4 month. Spend $250 in month 1 and see where clicks come from .. and if weird, adjust.



Have a compelling landing page with meaningful GENUINE CONTENT for the target audience.. not just "what is your name" but list of debt relief agencies, tips on how to re-finance their home, Top 10 list of "how to reduce your debt", a list of mortgage brokers, ... !



Let the website disqualify tire-kickers. People who need what you offer will tell you who they are.



For example, in our Googe AdWord campaign, people land on our website. Lots of clicks. Good. But it costs me nothing for people to click around. I want to hear ONLY from folks that have $25,000 or more to invest in cash or RRSP. Not $12,000 .. or $5000 .. or people that love real estate only and want to do it themselves. I am looking for investors with $25,000 or more. Other folks look for people that have $60,000 or more as they need 25% down on a $240,000 home.



Know exactly what you look for. Perhaps gender is relevant. Perhaps not. Perhaps age. Perhaps marital status.



You can hire people, for a fee, too.

 

[ChrisDavies]

Some quick tips, becuase I've seen people, including experienced professionals, make mistakes that have cost $100,000's.



1. Geo-target. Like Thomas said, if you're going for Edmonton, just do Edmonton.

2. Learn the difference between the match types (broad, phrase and exact). You'll pay less for a term you match exactly.

3. Have a logically laid out campaign. The hirearchy goes Campaign>Ad Group> Keywords and Ads. If you've got a divorce focused page on your site, then have an adgroup with divorce related keywords only.

4. Sending people to your home page is a waste of money. The have an intention (or problem) when they search and click. Your ad should match their intention, and the page they land on should carry that message through, as should your follow up after they take the desired action.



E.g. As a Realtor, I have ad groups like 'Castledowns Townhouse', with similar keywords in it. The ad they see uses words like 'find 3-bedroom townhouses in Castledowns', and the page they land on has....3-bedroom townhouses in Castledowns. And when they signup or ask for more info, or book a showing, I show them.....
3-bedroom townhouses in Castledowns.



There's an art to online advertising, and it does take time to see results.



Here's a couple good blogs to check out:

http://www.searchengineguide.com/paid-search-advertising-ppc/

http://searchenginewatch.com/search-advertising

http://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-paid-search

 

[larolargo]

Thank you Thomas and Chris!



That clarifies a lot of my questions.



Mario

 

[Thomas Beyer]

[quote user=ChrisDavies]Sending people to your home page is a waste of money.


enlighten me .. as I've been told it should be the home page as THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE THE MAIN MESSAGE .. regardless of "divorce", "death", "bankruptcy" or "foreclosure" that triggered a click if you look for a motivated home seller !

 

[GaryMcGowan]

[quote user=ThomasBeyer][quote user=ChrisDavies]Sending people to your home page is a waste of money.


enlighten me .. as I've been told it should be the home page as THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE THE MAIN MESSAGE .. regardless of "divorce", "death", "bankruptcy" or "foreclosure" that triggered a click if you look for a motivated home seller !




Chris is saying that a specific ad can should be directed to a specific Landing Page (money page) within your website. The landing page should be completely focused to the visitor you want to read that page. It should also have a call to action for that specific visitor. Eventually the visitor will explore your website and learn.



Ad words can get VERY expensive if you use a broad approach. In this segment there are realtors that have very large budgets for attracting sellers and buyers from google adwords. I have seen as much as $3-4 a click for one ad you as the advertiser would have to pay. This was located in the Toronto area and may be cheaper where you are. You would need a very substantial budget to compete with those numbers. It is also very important to pick some very specific keywords you want to rank for.

 

[ChrisDavies]

Gary's right on target. While your homepage has your main message, the people who were thinking divorce, death or bankruptcy want to see different words on the page, and have slightly different concerns. Thus you should send them to a customized landing page for each topic and offer in your ads and always be testing different landing pages.

 

[Ellensamiec]

Hi Mario,



If you are interested in hiring someone to set up and run the campaign for you send me an email, I can recommend someone who gets good results.
Ellen