Local pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a powerful tool to drive traffic, increase visibility, and boost conversions. To maximize ROI, businesses need advanced PPC management strategies that refine targeting and optimize ad performance within a specific geographic area.
With the help of our experts, we’ll dive into the key tactics to take your local PPC campaigns to the next level. Read on for expert strategies and actionable insights.
Table of Contents
Step-by-Step Guide for Creating an Effective Local PPC Management Strategy
An effective local PPC campaign requires planning, implementation, and monitoring. Here are the steps you need to take to ensure your campaign is a success:
- Be clear on your objectives
- Create a list of local keywords
- Research your target audience
- Perform competitive analysis
- Develop powerful ad copy
- Localize landing pages
- Set up ad groups
- Optimize for mobile
- Monitor and optimize
1. Be Clear on Your Objectives
Your campaign goals may include increasing sales and leads, driving website traffic, building brand awareness, and more. Setting these goals first helps you create a local PPC strategy that works. SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) objectives provide clear direction and focus, so you can optimize campaign performance and achieve better results through data-driven decision-making.
In addition to setting clear objectives, you should also set a budget. The cost of localized PPC management varies based on factors like company size, industry, and the agency handling your campaign.
2. Create a List of Local Keywords
To optimize PPC keywords for local searches, you must specify your location (e.g., “best pizza in [City]), include keyword modifiers (e.g., “near me” or “in my area”), and focus on industry-specific terms. You can use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Microsoft Keyword Planner Tool to identify high-traffic, low-competition keywords that can give you an edge over competitors.
Avinash Chandra, Branding, Integrated & Digital Marketing consultant and Founder of BrandLoom Consulting says PPC isn't just about keywords and bids: “It's about deeply understanding local lingo, events, and sentiments. The ads are tailored not just to what people search for, but how they live in that area. It's a game of relevance and connection, not just reach and frequency.”
3. Research Your Target Audience
According to Danielle Denman, Senior PPC Analyst and Small Business Lead at SmartSites, local PPC can help businesses capture broad audiences: “Local PPC involves precise geography targeting and while typically costlier, 'near me' searches often yield higher-quality leads and using dynamic location-insertion in ad headlines will help assure your audience that you're local.”
When you know who you’re targeting, you can craft ads that truly resonate, increasing the likelihood of conversions. Research allows you to fine-tune your approach and ensures that your ads are reaching the most relevant people.
Use tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and customer surveys to gather valuable audience information. Leverage geofencing to target potential customers within a defined radius, such as people attending a local event or visiting nearby competitors. This precision ensures your ads are both relevant and impactful.
4. Perform Competitive Analysis
Analyze your competitors’ PPC strategies to identify gaps, opportunities, and areas for improvement in your own approach. Look at the keywords they’re targeting, their ad copy, and the ad extensions they use. With this data, you can craft more compelling ads, identify untapped keywords, and adjust your bids to stay competitive.
5. Develop Powerful Ad Copy
Your ad copy is the first impression customers will have of your business, so make it count. Crafting compelling, action-oriented copy can dramatically improve your click-through rates and conversions.
Focus on what sets you apart from local competitors, whether it’s a special offer, unique service, or your location advantage. Use clear, concise language and include a strong call-to-action (CTA) like “Get started today” or “Call for a free quote.” Highlight local relevance by incorporating the neighborhood or city name, creating a sense of connection with your audience.
Ad extensions, such as call buttons, location information, and sitelinks, can significantly boost your ad’s visibility and click-through rates by providing users with more relevant options. For example, location extensions make it easier for potential customers to find your business by displaying your address, helping drive foot traffic to your physical storefront.
6. Localize Landing Pages
A tailored landing page makes a huge difference in converting local traffic. When users land on a page that speaks directly to their location, they feel more connected and are more likely to take action.
To optimize your landing pages for local audiences:
- Highlight local keywords to improve relevance
- Showcase your business’s location and reference community-specific offers or events.
- Add testimonials or case studies from local customers to build trust.
By aligning your landing pages with the specific needs and expectations of your local audience, you increase relevance and boost conversions.
Mauricio Luiz Siriguti, Marketing Director and Business Partner at Webegin, reinforces this strategy: “Everything goes to the local level: geographic area, landing page, keywords, copywriting, and advertising... For instance, one action that is critical to local businesses is to leverage the power of Google My Profile (ex GMB), so you can advertise on Maps.”
7. Set Up Ad Groups
Each campaign consists of several ad groups, which contain one or more ads with similar themes and keywords. You can separate ad groups into different services or products you offer. However, you must ensure that your ad copy, keywords, and landing pages align well.
The benefits of using PPC ad groups include improving the relevance of ads to user search queries, allowing better budget control and making it easier to optimize local PPC campaigns for better performance.
8. Optimize for Mobile
Over 62% of internet traffic is through mobile. A mobile-friendly, smooth, and responsive experience can significantly boost engagement and conversions. Make sure your ads and landing pages load quickly on mobile devices, with clear CTAs and easy navigation.
Mobile features like click-to-call can also facilitate immediate customer engagement. This is particularly beneficial for service-based businesses.
9. Monitor and Optimize
Tracking your campaign performance is key to making data-driven improvements. Regularly monitoring your ads through analytics tools allows you to identify what’s working and what needs tweaking. Keep an eye on paid search metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost-per-click to spot trends and optimize accordingly.
Here’s how to optimize your local PPC campaign:
- Conduct A/B testing: Test different ad copy, headlines, and images to see which ones resonate best with your audience.
- Refine targeting: Narrow down your audience by demographics, location, and interests to reach the most relevant customers.
- Adjust your bids based on keyword performance: Increase bids for high-performing keywords and reduce spend on underperforming ones.
- Optimize ad display times: Schedule ads during peak local business hours and high user engagement periods.
3 Local PPC Examples
Here are some examples of local PPC campaigns for local businesses:
1. Ad Extensions
This sponsored ad for a dentist in Austin, Texas, is an excellent example because it meets potential patients’ needs right away. The call button enables users to quickly schedule an appointment, while sitelinks like “Contact Us” and “$199 New Patient Offer” provide immediate access to relevant actions. The flexible financing option extension reassures users about affordability, further adding value.
By offering all this key information in one ad, it becomes incredibly convenient for users to take action. And as it’s at the top of the search results, there is tremendous potential for both clicks and conversions.
2. Google Map Pack
This sponsored ad for a pizza restaurant in the Google Map Pack is highly effective because it gives the business prime visibility when users are actively searching for nearby dining options. The restaurant is displayed with crucial information such as location, photos, and even a special promotion that can attract more clicks from local customers.
Complete business information, like hours of operation and availability of dine-in, delivery, and pickup options ensure users have everything they need to decide. This combination of elements improves user experience and plays a significant role in boosting local rankings on Google.
3. Bing Ad
This ad for a large car rental company’s Las Vegas landing page is a great example of local advertising because it directly targets users with high intent who are ready to make a booking. The ad extensions include customer ratings, prices for various types of car rentals, price comparisons, and enticing discount offers.
Furthermore, the landing page is tailored to the local market, highlighting relevant car options, prices, and services in Las Vegas. By addressing the specific search intent and offering a seamless experience, this strategy boosts both conversions and customer satisfaction.
Benefits of Hiring a Local PPC Management Agency
Partnering with a skilled agency for local business PPC management leads to the following benefits:
1. Save Time
Launching paid search ads might sound like a simple task, but it’s a lot of time to research keywords, build an initial campaign, optimize it, and continuously refine it to get the best results. The process can be very overwhelming if you don’t have extensive experience with PPC.
Hiring an agency for local PPC management leaves you free to focus on more important business matters, while experts work to drive results.
2. Save Money
You may think that handling pay-per-click ads yourself will save you a few bucks. However, it might actually be the opposite. If you’re new to PPC, learning everything about it and launching your first campaigns as trials will require quite a bit of money.
As you navigate the PPC landscape, you may lose potential PPC profit. Partnering with local PPC management experts who know what they’re doing will speed things up so you can start seeing a return on investment sooner.
3. Launch Targeted Campaigns
Paul Bies, President of Mystique Brand Communications, emphasizes how effective local PPC helps businesses launch highly targeted campaigns: "Unlike traditional PPC, local PPC focuses on specific areas, reaching local audiences effectively. Tailor strategies to local nuances, ensuring your business stands out where it matters most..."
However, local paid search ads only work if they’re precisely targeted and carefully thought through. There are a lot of elements that contribute to their success or failure, such as keyword research, competitor analysis, audience targeting, ad copy creation, effective bidding, and more.
All of this requires skills and experience that expert PPC managers have, so they can quickly set up targeted localized PPC campaigns for your business and attract more customers. They will do all the work with precision to drive results.
4. Ensure Ongoing Tracking and Adjustments
Setting up Google Ads is not a one-time task. Ad campaigns require monitoring, testing, tracking relevant metrics, and adjusting the campaign accordingly. Your local PPC advertising expert will handle all of this, ensuring that your strategy is up-to-date and fruitful.
Local PPC Management: Key Takeaways
Local PPC campaigns can transform your business by getting your brand in front of your target audience without breaking the bank. With a well-executed PPC strategy, your business can achieve greater visibility, stronger engagement, and ultimately, higher ROI.
Local PPC management experts conduct thorough research to uncover keywords you want to rank for, set up targeted campaigns, and provide continuous tracking and monitoring of the results. Partnering with one will take a load off your plate, and you can trust them to deliver top results.
Local PPC Management FAQs
1. How much does a PPC manager cost?
The average hourly cost of hiring a PPC manager for local ads management ranges from $75 to $200. The exact amount varies depending on the agency’s experience, campaign size, company size, business location, and industry.
2. How do I create local PPC ads that stand out?
To create compelling local PPC ads, use clear and engaging copy that highlights your location, offers, and unique selling points. Incorporate ad extensions like location, phone numbers, or special deals, and make sure your ad is optimized for mobile devices to capture attention and drive conversions.
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