[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Introduction” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Research shows 85 percent of consumers turn to the internet when looking for information on local businesses (SmallBizGenius<\/a>). Add that to the fact that search ads are linked to an average 80 percent lift in brand awareness, and local PPC becomes an essential part of every successful digital marketing strategy<\/a> tied to a local business (Google<\/a>).<\/p>\n Establish yourself as the trusted local expert in digital advertising. Download “White label: Mastering Google and Facebook advertising for local businesses” right now.<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look behind the scenes at what goes into successfully managing a pay-per-click advertising campaign and how professional agencies can help companies boost their online presence using the power of PPC.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Table of Contents” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”What is considered local PPC management?” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Local PPC management focuses on paid online advertising campaigns that target a specific geographic area. While traditional PPC strategies might cast a wide net, going after potential customers across North America or even internationally, local PPC limits search parameters to a much smaller area \u2014 think a state, city, zip code, or even an individual neighborhood.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”11 strategies for local PPC management” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re an agency interested in making money from PPC ads<\/a> while expanding your client base or a business owner just beginning to learn the basics of local business PPC management<\/a>, it\u2019s important to get to know best practices behind local PPC management.<\/p>\n Google Ads can make or break a PPC campaign<\/a>, but the truth Is that the platform can be a bit difficult to navigate. There\u2019s a big gap between those who can perform basic functions via Google Ads and marketing pros who\u2019ve mastered this industry-leading tool. But turning to a SKAG-based account structure can help streamline operations and produce laudable results.<\/p>\n A single keyword Ad Group strategy (SKAG) is an account structure that targets variations of a single keyword rather than expecting one ad to somehow work for a slew of keywords that are only peripherally related. Paring down your keyword list offers a ton of benefits, including:<\/p>\n Minding your own business may be a good approach to some entrepreneurial concepts, but that\u2019s not the case with local business PPC management. Keeping an eye on your competitors \u2014 or hiring someone to do that for you \u2014 can help you get to know the local market in a different way. It\u2019s also helpful to analyze competitors\u2019 PPC strategies to identify opportunities for differentiation. In other words, how can you stand out from the crowd already advertising to consumers?<\/p>\n By scanning the PPC ads that pop up from competitors, you can find gaps in the market and fine tune your unique selling point (USP). You may also be able to see what\u2019s working and not working for consumers and offer compelling incentives to turn heads and increase conversions.<\/p>\n The connection between SEO and PPC ads<\/a> is strong, but some new-to-SEO marketers might not realize how important it is to anchor keyword usage in data. Base your choices not on guesswork or \u201cgut feelings,\u201d but on thorough PPC keyword research<\/a> with a localized twist. Instead of broad keywords, consider long-string alternatives that take location into account. You can refine those options even further by combining local keywords with other KWs tied to the brand\u2019s key differentiator.<\/p>\n Tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush can help marketers find keywords that tick two essential boxes: high search volume and low competition. That way, you\u2019ll be able to leverage optimal visibility without getting lost because you\u2019re using the same keywords favored by the opposition.<\/p>\n Why not go for high-volume keywords that everyone else is using so you can get a piece of that pie, too? Well, you can, but that pie has already been served up. Trying to compete with sites that are already ranking high in the SERPs and garnering a lot of ad attention can cost a ton of money and take more time than clients are willing to wait. Focusing on lower-competition keywords helps you get a foot in the door and produce results while \u201cslow burn\u201d campaigns are plugging away in the background.<\/p>\n Take advantage of productivity boosting local PPC management tools like Google Ads and Facebook Ads to work on location targeting. Geographic areas should be based on the client\u2019s target market to get brand messaging in front of the right audience.<\/p>\n For some businesses, the target area might be a city or state. For others, the goal might be reaching out to people in a specific neighborhood. Google Ads offers other options, too:<\/p>\n Sometimes, the \u201cright\u201d locations aren\u2019t the most obvious ones.<\/p>\n Target the areas where customers are, which might not be the same area where a brick-and-mortar business is located. This is especially true with e-comm businesses or service-based businesses that travel to customers instead of the other way around.<\/p>\n Also avoid targeting very small locations, as that can accidentally cause ads to fall short of Google\u2019s targeting criteria.<\/p>\n No PPC ad is complete without some captivating copy, and that copy should be just as locally themed as the campaign settings already dialed in. Copy should highlight the brand\u2019s unique selling point but also speak to the needs and preferences of a local audience.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some agencies expand their bandwidth and build on in-house talent pools by opting in to a PPC reseller program<\/a>. These offerings allow the agency to deliver superb PPC services to end clients without taking on the responsibility of writing copy and running campaigns themselves.<\/p>\n SEO is one of the fundamentals of white-label PPC<\/a>, but keyword-laden ads are only truly effective if clicking through takes consumers to an equally refined and well-thought-out landing page. All landing pages should be optimized for conversions, which requires:<\/p>\n Not sure if your landing page is optimized? Consider A\/B testing<\/a> two versions of the same landing page, with some ads taking consumers to page A and some leading to page B. You\u2019ll want the ad parameters to be identical (that\u2019s the \u201ccontrol\u201d aspect of the experiment). Then you can look at conversion rates and other key metrics to see which page offers the best ROI.<\/p>\n Rev up your local business PPC management<\/a> ROI by leveraging local ad extensions that provide additional information and increase the visibility of your PPC ads. These enhancements help make ads more appealing, because they facilitate superior UX. Think of it as the table-side Parmesan cheese added to your pasta at an Italian restaurant \u2014 it\u2019s not required, but it sure does improve the experience.<\/p>\n Google Ad extensions are free to use, but you don\u2019t get control over how often they show up for consumers. That\u2019s up to Google\u2019s almighty algorithm.<\/p>\n As of late 2022, there were 18 Google Ad extensions available, including 11 manual options and eight extensions that are dynamic. The manual extensions require some knowledge and finesse, while dynamic extensions are powered by information Google nabs from client assets like the ad account and referenced website.<\/p>\n For local search<\/a>, the best extensions to consider are:<\/p>\n Setting up a PPC campaign is only the beginning. Every campaign starts off in a sort of test mode. You\u2019re trying out your ideas. Copy, ad settings, audience targeting \u2014 they\u2019re based on research, but the only way to truly know if those choices are on target is to regularly monitor advertising data<\/a> and see what that data says.<\/p>\n It\u2019s likely that you\u2019ll need to adjust bids based on performance, too. See how keywords are doing and what ad placements seem to produce the best ROI and increase bids accordingly. Keywords and locations that are underperforming should result in lowered bids, or you might want to eliminate them altogether depending on how poorly the numbers are and what the overall goal is.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re an agency looking to resell white-label paid advertising services<\/a>, you\u2019ll want to ask third-party PPC managers how they monitor performance and how often you\u2019ll get to see reports and request strategy adjustments.<\/p>\n Best case scenario is that they\u2019ll use a platform with multi-person dashboard access, so you can sign in and see how campaigns are doing whenever the mood strikes. But if that\u2019s not an option, report frequency should be specified in your initial contract.<\/p>\n Once you identify the campaigns that are performing best, funnel more of your budget in that direction. Remember, you\u2019re not looking for full coverage of your target area so much as you\u2019re looking for maximum ROI. There\u2019s no point in blowing your budget on zip codes or cities that aren\u2019t gelling with your core message, product, or service.<\/p>\n Rather than picking the campaigns that are generating the most conversions, choose the ones generating the most actual sales. Reviewing each campaign\u2019s cost per acquisition (CPA) will help, too, as the lower the CPA, the more effectively you\u2019re using your budget. A big part of local PPC management is figuring out where your money makes the most sense, and knowing which campaigns are effective can be hugely informative when you\u2019re shifting funds around.<\/p>\n Another way to maximize PPC management efforts is to find ways to market brands locally<\/a> without starting over from square one. Remarketing is a tactic that involves engaging with consumers who have already shown interest in a brand. They\u2019re essentially already warmed up and ready to receive further messaging \u2014 this is no cold call.<\/p>\n Local remarketing takes information from general marketing campaigns and puts a local spin on it. It\u2019s two wins in one, because you\u2019re targeting people who already know about the brand and also dialing in your ad copy and parameters to make your messaging even more personalized.<\/p>\n Remarketing can pay off in a number of ways:<\/p>\n The last vital tip for successful local business PPC management is to always customize client goals to match local market conditions. Every small business is unique. It has its own mission, a key differentiator that separates it from the competition, and budget and campaign concerns that might differ from those found elsewhere as well.<\/p>\n To optimize properly, you must create a campaign around the client rather than expecting clients to fit into a pre-set campaign.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Frequently asked questions” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Geo-targeting is the core focus of local PPC management. You can target specific states, cities, zip codes, neighborhoods, and even an area around a significant attraction by using your chosen ad platform\u2019s campaign settings. There are drop-down menus listing your options. Just click the most relevant selection and follow the instructions to finish constructing the campaign.<\/p>\nTable of Contents<\/h2>\n
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What is considered local PPC management?<\/h2>\n
11 strategies for local PPC management<\/h2>\n
1. Incorporate a SKAG-based account structure<\/h3>\n
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2. Monitor local competition<\/h3>\n
3. Conduct thorough keyword research<\/h3>\n
Example 1:<\/h4>\n
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Example 2:<\/h4>\n
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Example 3:<\/h4>\n
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Finding stellar keywords<\/h4>\n
4. Utilize location targeting<\/h3>\n
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Tips for picking the right location targets<\/h4>\n
5. Create compelling localized ad copy<\/h3>\n
These tips should help create effective copy:<\/h4>\n
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Examples include:<\/h4>\n
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6. Optimize your landing pages<\/h3>\n
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Testing landing page copy and formats<\/h4>\n
7. Leverage local ad extensions<\/h3>\n
Google local ad extension options<\/h4>\n
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8. Monitor and adjust bids<\/h3>\n
Keeping an eye on outsourced PPC campaigns<\/h4>\n
9. Double down on your best local campaigns<\/h3>\n
10. Leverage local remarketing<\/h3>\n
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11. Customize your client\u2019s goals to their local market conditions<\/h3>\n
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Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How can I target specific geographic locations with my local PPC campaigns?<\/h3>\n
How do I pick the right keywords for my local PPC campaigns?<\/h3>\n