Locksmith PPC: 5 Strategies for Success

PPC is a great way to get your business in front of the people who need you most. Unlike organic search marketing (SEO), PPC gives you greater control in when and where your ad appears in search engines.

It also is quicker to get to the front of the page versus the slow and steady climb of SEO. While PPC can be a powerful tool to generate leads, it can be challenging for first-time advertisers.

In this article, we will be sharing 5 strategies to help you generate more locksmith PPC leads through Google Ads.

Watch my video on locksmith lead generation.

Before You Get Started, Set The Right Budget!

Before diving into your locksmith PPC campaigns, you need to have a realistic budget to set yourself up for success.

It’s important to strike a balance. Spending too little may limit your reach and you won’t be able to gather enough data. And many advertisers try to avoid drastic overspending.

To determine how much you should spend, consider your customer lifetime value and the cost-per-click (CPC) for your targeted keywords. Multiply your CPC by your daily click goal to see what your daily budget will be (aim to get 5-10 clicks per day!). This is a general rule of thumb for anyone looking to dip their toes into PPC for the first time.

PPC Strategies for Locksmiths

Strategy #1: Prioritize Intent And Location Based Keywords

When it comes to locksmith PPC campaigns, you need to prioritize intent and location-based keywords. These are keywords that show that the searcher is actively looking for a locksmith immediately and in a specific area that you serve.

Examples of these keywords are:

• Location-based
  • 24/7 locksmith in Phoenix
  • Locksmith in Phoenix
• Intent focused
  • Locksmith open now
  • Emergency locksmith

If you are just targeting locksmith and using it as a broad match keyword, your ad will likely be shown for locksmith job postings and education which isn’t relevant for lead generation. Longer-tail keywords typically have lower competition and are a better way to make use of your budget.

Strategy #2: Leverage Ad Assets To Make Ads More Compelling

To make your locksmith PPC ads more compelling and engaging, you need to use ad assets effectively. Ad assets are additional “real estate” Google gives you to make your ads stand out to searchers.

Three key ad extensions that can improve the click-through rate (CTR) of your locksmith PPC campaigns are:

• Call Extensions
• Structured Snippet  Extensions
• Callout Extensions.

By including call extensions, you make it convenient for potential customers to call with just one click. This feature is especially valuable when people are in urgent need of a locksmith. 

Structured Snippet  Extensions are great to share specific services you provide. As a locksmith, you can list that you do key fobs, building lockouts, car lockouts, and more. This can help increase the click-through-rate because searchers will immediately see if your services are relevant to them.

Callout extensions can highlight important qualities that set your locksmith business apart from the competition. You can emphasize quick service, years of experience, 24/7 availability, or being a full-service locksmith. These extensions help reinforce your credibility and value proposition, compelling users to choose your locksmith services over others. 

Strategy #3: Focus On Mobile Devices

Focusing on mobile is a crucial strategy due to the nature of the locksmith business and the behavior of potential customers. Since people often find themselves locked out of their homes or cars while they’re out and about, it’s highly likely that they’ll be using their mobile phones to search for locksmith services.

Capitalize on this behavior by prioritizing mobile advertising. In many cases, 95% of your leads should be coming from mobile devices.

By allocating more of your budget and increasing impression share on mobile devices, you can effectively capture a larger share of leads. Experiment with call-only campaigns and bidding more on mobile devices.

Build a landing page that is mobile-friendly, as this will provide a seamless user experience and increase the likelihood of conversions. 

Strategy #4: Use Call Recordings To Evaluate Lead Quality

Not enough advertisers utilize call recording to evaluate the leads generated via phone call. In an industry where mobile usage is extremely high, you need to understand what happens when a customer calls.

Call recording can also uncover why your ads may be receiving a ton of calls, but no real sales.

Short call durations may indicate that callers didn’t find the information or assistance they were seeking. If you have multiple team members are handling calls, listening to recorded calls can also reveal potential issues in the sales process or customer interaction.

On the flip side, call recordings can also reveal what you are doing well. You can share this information to help increase the conversion rate and increase sales.

Make sure to check call recording laws in your state before implementing call tracking and recording. States like California, Delaware, and Florida are two-party consent states, which means all parties involved in the conversation must agree to be recorded.

Strategy #5: A/B Test Your Ad Copy

By conducting A/B tests, you can experiment with different call-to-action (CTA) phrases or unique selling propositions (USPs) to see which ones generate better response rates and conversions. For example, this can be pinning that you are a 24/7 locksmith vs a CTA like Call Now!

A/B testing can extend to your landing pages. Testing different elements, such as layout changes or different forms of social proof, can provide insights as to what changes are driving more conversions.

One important thing to remember when A/B testing is testing one element at a time to accurately understand what is working and what isn’t. If you make too many changes, your data cannot accurately tell you what is causing the increase or decrease in conversions. 

Closing Thoughts on PPC for Locksmiths

By using these strategies, you can start your locksmith PPC campaign on the right foot. One important thing to remember about PPC is that it is not a “set it and forget it” strategy and that it isn’t a magic solution!

While results are a lot quicker than SEO (typically takes at least 6-12 months), you still need to keep a close eye on your PPC campaign. Adjustments are needed overtime and you should have a checklist of maintenance tasks to keep your campaign performing well.

If you are looking for locksmith PPC management, contact Level 28 Media for a consultation!