As a Realtor®, youre probably inundated with phone calls, emails and direct mail that tries to excite you about supercharging your marketing efforts or getting to the top of Googles first page of search results.
Its true that advertising is essential especially in this business but do you really need to spend a small fortune on it?
Marketing costs money, especially if youre trying to compete with major websites. However, what about Google ads? Should you spend money on them, and if you should, how much?
SHOULD REALTORS SPEND MONEY ON GOOGLE ADS?
If youre going to spend money on Google ads those that put you on top or in the sidebar of search results you need to align your marketing budget with your sales goals. If you spend too much or too little, youll end up with the wrong results.
Some marketing experts will tell you that Google ads are a waste of money, while others will tell you its an absolute must-do.
So whos telling the truth?
Both.
If youre going to advertise on Google using their cost-per-click model (you only pay when someone clicks on one of your ads), you need to do a little homework first so you dont risk wasting your valuable marketing dollars.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU ADVERTISE ON GOOGLE
Before you even consider using Google ads, you need to know that it can become very expensive, very quickly. Youll pay each time a web surfer clicks an ad, whether or not he or she buys a home through you or lists with you.
If youre willing to try it, heres what you need to know.
YOU'LL NEED LONGTAIL KEY WORDS
Long-tail keywords are specific phrases that people use to find things online. Rather than one-word or two-word searches, such as real estate or local listings, long tail keywords can include:
- Nashville Homes for Sale
- New Construction in Nashville
- Nashville 3 bedroom homes
When you advertise on Google, you need to know that when you target longer, more specific phrases (like new construction in Nashville), youll receive less traffic but the traffic you do receive will be looking for exactly what you have to offer.
YOU'LL NEED TO MONITOR PERFORMANCE
Keeping tabs on whats going on in your Google Analytics account is essential if youre using Google ads. Its like any other advertising medium; if you dont know whether its working, you could continue to waste money on it.
YOU NEED A LANDING PAGE ON YOUR WEBSITE FOR TRAFFIC FROM YOUR ADS
A landing page, like the name implies, refers to a page where visitors can land to get more information about what was in your Google ad. It allows you to continue your original message so people who click get a consistent experience.
For example, we could use our Brentwood page as a landing page if the ad was aimed at people who wanted to learn more about the community and purchase a home there. Its packed with all the information they need and it has listings they can explore.
SHOULD YOU BUY GOOGLE ADS?
Theres no one-size-fits-all answer to whether a Realtor should buy Google ads. It depends on how much time you want to invest evaluating your results, how much money youve allotted for marketing and whether you feel theyre useful.
ARE YOU WORKING WITH
BENCHMARK REALTY?
If youre not already working with Benchmark Realty, wed love to have you on board. We pride ourselves on giving our agents timely, useful information they can apply to their own real estate careers, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss our agent plans and other benefits with you.
Call us at 615-371-1544 or contact us online to set up a confidential meeting where you can ask questions about how Benchmark empowers you to take control of your real estate career.
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