Solved: Best Ad Platform for Landscaping Business?

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out! Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance regarding your ad campaigns for the landscaping business. It sounds like you've made good progress with organic social media, but paid ads require a slightly different approach. I'll break down the best platforms, strategies, and website considerations to help you get those calls coming in. It's important to remember that B2C services like landscaping often see immediate ROI with the right search campaign.

Overview of Recommended Solutions

Here’s a quick overview of the actions I'd recommend you take:

We'll dive into each of these areas in more detail, starting with which ad platform to focus on...

Why Google Search Ads and Local Services Ads are Key...

As I mentioned earlier, for service-based businesses like landscaping, it's generally more effective to target people who are actively searching for your services. This is where Google Search Ads and Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) come in. People typing "landscaping near me" are displaying a strong intent to hire someone for that work. Whereas social media advertising can be useful for other kinds of businesses, for something like landscaping you're more likely to waste money showing ads to people who don't need their garden looked after at all.

Google Search Ads allow you to target specific keywords related to landscaping services in your area. This means your ads will appear when people search for terms like "lawn care services," "garden design," or "tree trimming."

LSAs are even more targeted and show up at the very top of Google's search results when people search for local services. These ads include your business name, phone number, hours, and customer reviews. Because they are visual and right at the top of the page, they tend to perform very well for attracting immediate phone calls.

Next, we'll need to think about identifying the right keywords to target...

Nail down your keywords

Keyword research is super important for Google Search Ads and Local Services Ads. You need to find the right keywords that your target audience is using to search for landscaping services. This includes researching what people actually search for and then grouping keywords into logical ad groups.

Here are a few steps to do it:

1. Brainstorm a list of keywords related to your services. Some examples: "landscaping near me", "lawn care services", "garden design", "tree trimming", "irrigation repair", "hardscaping", "outdoor lighting".

2. Use keyword research tools. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs can help you find more keywords and see how many people are searching for them each month. A good place to start with this is using Google's own keyword planner (it's free!)

3. Analyze your competitors' keywords. See what keywords your competitors are targeting to get ideas for your own campaigns.

4. Group keywords into logical ad groups. For example, you might have an ad group for "lawn care services" with keywords like "lawn mowing", "lawn fertilization", and "weed control".

I'd say you need to give it more time and optimisation when it comes to campaigns. A well-researched keyword strategy should yield some decent results.

Budgeting

Setting the right budget is important. When it comes to budgeting, it is a balancing act between ad spend, the number of leads needed and the estimated cost per lead. The amount you need to spend will vary and depends on how competitive your market is and how many leads you need to generate enough business to keep your customer happy.

I'd suggest a starting budget of $1-$2k per month to start, and you can then increase or decrease it based on the results you see. Your target cost per lead will depend on your area and how competitive it is. We're running a campaign for an HVAC company currently in a competitive area and seeing costs of around $60/lead - yours *should* be lower, but it will take some time to get a good idea of likely costs.

We'll need to look at traffic quality and your website...

Is your website letting you down?

If they click your ad and then leave immediately, the website could be the problem. People may think it doesn't look trustworthy, or it may be difficult to navigate. This should be your first priority as with a website that has low conversion rates, you'll probably see a high cost per lead.

Your website should be mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and include clear calls to action. Make sure it's easy for people to find the information they're looking for and to contact you.

It might also be worth creating a dedicated landing page specifically for your ad campaigns. This allows you to tailor the message and design to match your ads, which can improve conversion rates.

Don't forget that you'll need tracking to ensure your campaigns are working...

Tracking Conversions

Make sure you set up conversion tracking to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. This will allow you to see which keywords, ads, and website pages are driving the most leads. Conversion tracking is key to understanding what's working and what's not so you can optimise your campaigns accordingly. Make sure you measure which search terms and websites lead to conversions so you know where to focus.

You can set up conversion tracking in Google Ads to track phone calls, form submissions, and other actions that you want people to take on your website.

In conclusion, I'm confident that by focusing on Google Search Ads and Local Services Ads, doing thorough keyword research, optimising your website, and tracking your results, you can start to generate more leads for your family member's landscaping business. It's important to be patient and persistent, and don't be afraid to experiment with different strategies to see what works best.

If you'd like to delve further, our agency offers expert assistance in crafting and executing effective paid advertising campaigns. We have experience working with similar businesses, achieving significant results, and we'd be happy to provide a free consultation to discuss your specific needs and how we can help. Don't hesitate to reach out if you're keen to explore how expert assistance might give you the edge and generate more leads.

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh