Using Google AdWords to get real estate leads is a simple and cost-effective method for generating leads.
The Times Square of the Internet
Times Square is infamous for the density of advertising which can be found there. Prices for even the smallest ad space above Broadway can run anywhere from $1-4 million per year. An ad in Times Square will be viewed by millions of people per year and enough of those people will respond to the ads by becoming paying customers of the products and services advertised for companies to justify paying such a premium price. In the digital age, much of marketing has shifted online, and the Times Square of the internet is Google. Every month, approximately 175 billion searches are performed online, of those, 115 billion are generated through google alone. Real estate is not immune to these trends; according to the National Realtors Association home buyers begin their journey by first searching online for properties and then contacting an agent. Investors and realtors looking to move property can take advantage of Google Adwords to get real estate leads by creating a simple and effective AdWords campaign.
The Financial District
There are two major advantages to using Google AdWords to get real estate leads. First, Google AdWords is simple to use. More importantly perhaps, it is a cost-effective marketing strategy, because control of the campaign is entirely in the hands of the account holder. Ads are paid for on a click by click basis. As a marketer, you only pay for an ad when a user actually clicks on it. If a user doesn’t click on the ad, your business still gains exposure and builds brand awareness by being a visible presence in searches and it won’t cost you a cent. When a user does click on the ad, you pay a small (and negotiable) fee to google. The price per click can be adjusted within the settings through an algorithm which automatically balances the interests of the Ad purchaser and Google. Users can also limit the daily or monthly costs of their campaign, allowing for more control over the budget.
Madison Avenue
As any Madison Avenue executive will tell you, the ultimate goal of advertising is to obtain maximum exposure/conversions at a minimal cost. The more effective you can make your campaign, the less it will cost you per lead. Google AdWords can help to build real estate leads by focusing on keywords which are pertinent to local buyers through its Keyword Planner tool. This tool tracks and suggests words to use in your campaign which are the most searched by buyers in your area and which match your business’ scope. Ads which share keywords are then placed into a set which Google calls Ad Groups. Each Ad Group has a specific target, such as ‘single-family homes in Houston’ or ‘multi-units in Dallas’. By zeroing in on very specific search terms, you can increase your chances of connecting your ads with a buyer who matches your criteria. The more effectively you can relate your ads to your product/services, the higher Quality Score you will achieve with Google, which will then place your ad ahead of less pertinent search results, which is important when using Google AdWords to get real estate leads.
Building a Better Business
Google AdWords is no flash in the pan. Once you have an account setup, AdWords has tools which monitor your conversion rates, suggest more effective keywords, and can compare your campaign results with those of your competitors with the Auction Insights tool, allowing for continual adjustments over time to build a better campaign by emulating what works for others and avoiding what doesn’t. As you gain experience using Google AdWords to get real estate leads, your business will grow, and more money can then be invested back into the marketing campaign, continuing the cycle of success.
Regardless of whether you are beginning a real estate lead-generating campaign or looking to supplement an existing one, Google AdWords is simple, affordable, and highly-effective. Whether you plan to navigate setup yourself or decide to hire an AdWord professional, as a real estate investor in the digital age, you can’t afford not to give it a go.
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