Plumbing PPC: Setting Up Your Google Search Campaign to Drive More Leads as a Plumber

A successful Google PPC campaign can be a game-changer for small businesses, especially in the plumbing industry. With approximately 92% of all internet searches occurring on Google, securing top ad placement means being highly visible to local consumers actively seeking plumbing services. However, these campaigns come with inherent risks; poorly managed campaigns can deplete your budget on irrelevant clicks and low-quality leads. Ensuring effective keyword targeting, compelling ad copy, appropriate budget allocation, and optimized bid strategies is crucial for maximizing the value and minimizing the risks of your PPC efforts.
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Setting Your Budget
Setting the right budget for your PPC campaign is crucial for its success. Several factors influence how much you should allocate, including the competition within your market, the size of your market, and the number of searches available in your location. For many small plumbers, starting with a modest budget and scaling as you see results can be a smart approach. However, underspending on your PPC campaigns can be detrimental, potentially doing more harm than good.
Dangers of Underspending: If your budget is too low, your ads might not appear high enough on the search results page to attract clicks, leading to a poor return on investment. In highly competitive markets, a budget that’s too small means you won’t be able to compete with larger businesses, and your ads will likely be overshadowed by those with higher bids. Many small plumbers might be better off not running PPC campaigns at all than underfunding them, as this can result in wasted effort and minimal visibility.
Here's how to determine a proper PPC budget:
Analyze Your Market: Understand the competition in your area. Highly competitive markets may require higher budgets to outbid competitors. Typical budgets for plumbers can range from $500 to $2,000 per month, depending on market conditions.
Assess Your Goals: Define what you aim to achieve with your PPC campaign. Are you looking for more leads, increased website traffic, or brand awareness?
Evaluate Search Volume: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to estimate the search volume for relevant keywords in your area.
Adjust Based on Performance: Monitor your campaign's performance and adjust your budget accordingly. Increase the budget for high-performing campaigns and decrease it for those that are not yielding results.
CPCs
Cost-per-click (CPC) varies based on numerous factors, including keyword competitiveness and location. According to SEMRush, the national average CPC for a search like "plumbers near me" is $24.13. To manage CPC effectively:
Target Long-Tail Keywords: These are less competitive and often more specific, leading to lower CPCs and higher conversion rates.
Monitor and Adjust Bids: Regularly review your bids and adjust them based on performance to maintain an optimal CPC.
Use Negative Keywords: Exclude irrelevant searches to ensure your budget is spent on valuable clicks.
Bidding
Google offers several bidding strategies, each with its own strengths and weaknesses:
Manual CPC: Gives you control over your maximum CPC bids, allowing for precise budget management. However, it can be time-consuming.
Enhanced CPC (ECPC): Automatically adjusts your manual bids to maximize conversions while staying within your budget.
Maximize Clicks: Automatically sets bids to get as many clicks as possible within your budget, but may not always result in high-quality leads.
Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): Sets bids to get as many conversions as possible at your target CPA. It's great for focusing on cost-effective conversions.
Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Bids based on the target return on ad spend, ideal for maximizing revenue.
Keyword Targeting
Choosing the right keywords is essential for a successful PPC campaign. Focus on relevant keywords such as "emergency plumber," "plumbing services," and "plumbers near me," as these are highly relevant and likely to drive leads. Incorporating long-tail keywords like "affordable plumbing services in [city]" can attract more specific and ready-to-convert customers. Additionally, using negative keywords is crucial to filter out irrelevant traffic. For example, if you don't offer septic tank services, you might add "septic tank" as a negative keyword to ensure your budget is spent on valuable clicks.
Ad Copy
Good ad copy is critical for attracting clicks and converting leads. Ensure your ad copy is clear and concise by highlighting your unique selling points, such as 24/7 availability or free estimates. Incorporate a compelling call-to-action (CTA) with phrases like "Call Now for a Free Quote" or "Schedule Your Service Today" to encourage immediate action. Additionally, make sure your ad copy is relevant and matches the keywords you're targeting to improve quality scores and overall relevance.
Click-through-rate (CTR)
A high click-through rate (CTR) is highly advantageous for several reasons. First, a higher CTR often leads to better quality scores, which can lower your cost-per-click (CPC) and improve your ad positioning. Additionally, a good CTR provides valuable insight into ad performance, indicating that your ads are relevant and compelling to your audience. Ultimately, a higher CTR generally translates to more traffic and potentially more conversions, resulting in a better return on investment (ROI).
Other Terms to Know
Impression Share: The percentage of impressions your ads receive compared to the total available impressions.
Quality Scores: Google's rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords and PPC ads. Higher quality scores lead to better ad placements.
Impr (Top) %: The percentage of your ad impressions that are shown in the top positions of the search results.
Ad Rank: Determines the position of your ad based on your bid amount, quality score, and expected impact of extensions and other ad formats.
Google Local Service Ads (LSAs): Different from traditional PPC ads, LSAs are pay-per-lead ads that appear at the top of search results and include a Google Guarantee. They are designed to help local service providers get more leads.
Do I Need a Marketing Agency to Run My PPC?
No, you don’t necessarily need a marketing agency to run your PPC campaigns. However, there are benefits to having experienced professionals manage your campaigns. At LE Digital, our team has managed over $30 million in Google Ad spend since 2014. We build efficient campaigns that can save you money and drive higher quality conversions. We set up conversion tracking and bidding to optimize spends and ensure your campaigns are ready for changes within your market.