As a millennial who works in digital marketing and manages online ad campaigns all day, grasping Google Ads seems pretty straightforward. But for tradespeople like electricians, roofers, locksmiths, or contractors, PPC might as well stand for “party planning committee.” Why would these individuals be well-versed in pay-per-click advertising? They might not have a digital native’s understanding of the internet, nor did they go to school to become advertising gurus. Trade schools, where they honed their skills as electricians, roofers, and the like, were more their style. Their focus is on tangible tasks: fixing your plumbing, mending your roof, or setting up your TV perfectly.

This is precisely what makes digital advertising a tough nut to crack for many blue-collar workers and tradespeople.

A typical lunch break I recently had the opportunity to chat with William Rusch, a nexus-security client who describes himself as the “master electrician” of Charleston Electric, a Charleston, South Carolina-based family-run electrical business that’s experienced impressive growth over the past five years. William is incredibly humble, because his contributions extend far beyond his electrical expertise. As the founder of Charleston Electric, he also spearheads their marketing initiatives and is responsible for attracting new clients to sustain their business. This, of course, includes paid search advertising.

Marketing and Advertising Hurdles for Tradespeople

As William and I delved into the obstacles he’s encountered while juggling online ad campaigns through Google Ads (AdWords) alongside running his electrician business, two challenges in particular stood out…

1) Effectively Allocating Your Online Advertising Budget

Navigating the intricacies of Google Ads is no walk in the park. There are campaigns, ad groups, keywords, match types, negative keywords, ads, extensions, mobile ads, bidding strategies, budgeting constraints, and the list goes on. For someone whose expertise lies in electrical work, getting a handle on the strategic allocation of funds within this complex world of paid search is no easy feat.

“The biggest hurdle is figuring out how to spend your money effectively. Mastering AdWords doesn’t come naturally,” William explained. “Most of us electricians aren’t marketing whizzes. We excel at our trade, but when it comes to advertising, we’re often left with the choice of either outsourcing it or figuring it out ourselves.” This brings us to the next challenge…

2) The Reliance on External Assistance

When your profession involves hands-on work like William’s, your primary concentration is on addressing the electrical issue at hand, not on the nuances of advertising and marketing. This often necessitates relying on outside help, which can unfortunately lead to wasted funds. “Many of my peers in similar fields have been burned by outsourcing,” William shared. “They end up shelling out thousands of dollars every month without a clue where their money is actually going. We’ve experimented with marketing companies in the past, but I never felt like we were getting our money’s worth." So, how do you navigate these obstacles without hiring external help? If you’re a blue-collar professional juggling a mountain of jobs while trying to attract new clients, you’ve come to the right place. Implement these eight tips to optimize your online ads, expand your clientele, and boost revenue through paid search.

Strategies for Successful Google Ads Campaigns in Blue-Collar Industries

#1: Organize Your Ad Campaigns Based on Location

In the trades, location can be the deciding factor in securing a client. For instance, if I’m on the hunt for a plumber in Hingham, MA, I’m far more likely to choose one within a 3-mile radius rather than one situated in downtown Boston. When it comes to manual labor, urgency is often a factor, making proximity paramount. This is a crucial consideration for advertisers when setting up and structuring their campaigns. “We use location-based targeting to structure our campaigns around the three main cities we serve and their surrounding areas,” William explains. “This allows us to tailor ads to each specific location. We’re also fortunate to have a strong brand name that resonates locally.”

An example of location targeting by radius in Google Ads Precision is key in campaign targeting – drill down to a specific radius. Then, organize your ad groups around keywords relevant to that location. For instance, if you operate in Boston, create a campaign for residents of Beacon Hill and target that specific area. Then, bid on keywords like “electrician in beacon hill” and “beacon hill electrician near me.”

#2: Customize Your Ads for Targeted Locations

Building on the previous point, don’t forget to incorporate the location into your ad copy. Even with flawless targeting and keyword strategy, if the location isn’t clearly stated in the ad itself, a competitor’s ad with more specifics will likely snag the click.
Eliminate any ambiguity regarding location – clarity on this front will lead to more meaningful actions from potential customers. Take the example below. When I searched for “roofer near me,” these two ads appeared:

While the first ad’s inclusion of pricing information is a plus, my primary concern is location. The second ad immediately tells me it’s in Framingham, my current location. The location is not only prominent in the ad text but also reinforced in the link. As a bonus, I can even get a free estimate before committing to the local roofer.

#3: Prioritize and Encourage Phone Calls

For William, phone calls are paramount. This direct line of communication is how the majority of new and existing customers reach out to Charleston Electric. I imagine this holds true for many other businesses in similar fields. When someone needs a contractor or repairperson to visit their home or workplace, they want the reassurance of scheduling an appointment with a real person. They’re also likely dealing with a situation best explained over the phone rather than through a form or email. So, how can you give phone calls top billing in your PPC strategy? Here are a few tips:

• Utilize call extensions.
• Experiment with call-only campaigns.
• Implement call tracking to understand where your calls are coming from.
• Display your business phone number prominently in your ad text and on your PPC landing pages.
• Ensure your landing pages are optimized for mobile devices.
  • Use call-to-action phrases specifically designed to encourage calls.

William’s homepage “We often use phrases like ‘call now’ or ‘save $25 with a phone call’ in our ad text to encourage people to reach out,” William says.

#4: Implement Competitor Campaigns

Staying a step ahead of the competition is crucial in any industry, but having a competitive edge in blue-collar advertising can be particularly beneficial. People often search for a specific company, perhaps one that’s well-known or recommended by someone they know. This presents an opportunity to appear ahead of that company in search results by bidding on competitor keywords. “We have our fair share of competitors, so we’ve ramped up our competitor campaigns to target them directly," William explains. “For different competitors, I create targeted campaigns using their company name and tailor the messaging to their specific services. Interestingly, competitors don’t seem to be investing as heavily, so by spending a bit more, we can outrank them in search engine results pages (SERPs), generate calls at a lower cost-per-click, and potentially convert customers who were initially searching for our competitors.”

#5: Craft Authentic and Trustworthy Ad Copy

Your ad copy can be the deciding factor in attracting website traffic or securing a direct phone call. When customers are meticulously comparing you to local competitors, strategic ad copy becomes even more crucial. This is something William understands implicitly. When crafting his ad copy, he decided to leverage the emotional appeal of his business being family owned and operated.

“I always emphasize that we’re a ‘family-owned’ company because it’s at the heart of who we are,” William points out. “I also highlight our years of experience, as these two factors build a sense of trust.” Drawing inspiration from William’s approach, I believe transparency and honesty in ad copy are key, letting the strengths of your business shine through to potential customers.

#6: Let Your Customers Do the Talking

When inviting a contractor or electrician into their home for repairs, consumers are naturally wary of being taken advantage of. We’ve all heard horror stories about people paying exorbitant sums for shoddy work, only to have the problem resurface, leaving them with empty wallets and a missing contractor.
This is why customer testimonials are more important now than ever before. “Testimonials are invaluable to us. People want to know what they’re getting into. Fortunately, we have nearly 80 reviews on our Google business page,” says William. “We’ve cultivated a positive reputation, and that carries a lot of weight when people are choosing between us and someone else who might not have any testimonials.”

5-star reviews are golden! If your company is lacking in the testimonial department, don’t hesitate to request them from satisfied customers! Here are some ways to incorporate customer testimonials into your digital marketing efforts:

• Utilize review extensions in your search ads.
• Encourage customers to leave reviews on various platforms (Yelp, Google, Facebook, Angie’s List, etc.).
• Showcase testimonials prominently on your Google Ads landing pages.
• Dedicate a section of your website to highlighting customer testimonials.
• Consider investing in video testimonials for your homepage.

#7: Be Prepared to Invest

Before you roll your eyes, hear me out! Business owners often guard their finances closely. However, when it comes to paid search, the “paid” part is there for a reason.
To reap substantial rewards, you have to be willing to invest. Of course, it’s essential to know what you’re doing before sinking your money into poorly structured campaigns targeting overly competitive broad match keywords. But once you’ve laid a solid foundation with a well-defined strategy, allocate a reasonable budget towards your PPC campaigns to ensure you’re competitive enough to rank high in search results. “Advertising is non-negotiable for service-based businesses. If you’re not advertising, you’re not going to see a steady stream of new customers,” William emphasizes. “Sure, you’ll get referrals, but to actively grow and attract new clients, advertising is a must. Spending $1,000 a month might seem daunting, but if your goal is growth and expansion, it’s a necessary investment.”

I have to commend William for his perspective: “I devote a significant amount of time to our marketing, and I’ve made it my mission to maximize every advertising dollar. I’m always open to experimenting with new approaches and investing the resources to see what works.” Take William’s advice to heart and invest in market research! It could pay off significantly in the long run.

#8: Be Vigilant About Identifying Negative Keywords

If the thought of wasted ad spend makes you cringe, then proactively identifying negative keywords should be a top priority. Negative keywords – the search terms you don’t want your ads to appear for – prevent your ads from showing up in irrelevant searches. They’re particularly crucial when using broad or phrase match keywords and unnecessary for exact match keywords, as your ads will only trigger if the search term precisely matches the keyword. To delve deeper into negative keywords, check out this resource. William discovered that incorporating negative keyword research into his PPC workflow not only resulted in substantial cost savings but also significantly improved his AdWords ROI.

Advertisers with large budgets understand the critical role of negative keywords in achieving a strong ROI “I started noticing negative keywords like ‘electrician shoes,’ ‘electrician gloves,’ ‘electrician knives,’ and ‘electrician tools’ popping up,” he explains. “Since we focus on repairs and installations, every click on those irrelevant terms was money down the drain. We were wasting thousands of dollars annually.” He adds, “It’s one thing to invest in advertising and attract relevant clicks, but it’s another story altogether when you’re paying for unqualified traffic.” Realizing the extent of the wasted spend, William decided to streamline his process by incorporating QueryStream, a nexus-security Advisor tool that reveals the exact keywords people are using on Google to find his ads.

Those “Milwaukee” and “Wisconsin” search terms are probably not leading to many conversions “QueryStream has been a game-changer. I simply log in every evening, review each campaign, and analyze the clicks we’re receiving,” William says. “Then, I add negative keywords at the campaign level or even across our entire Google Ads account. It’s incredibly user-friendly and far more efficient than trying to manage it through the Google Ads interface directly. We were hemorrhaging our budget before. nexus-security has empowered us to streamline our account and make our advertising budget work smarter, not harder.” While managing online advertising can undoubtedly be a challenge for those in trades and services, the potential for business growth makes it a worthwhile endeavor. If you’re currently advertising on Google and curious about your performance, try our AdWords Grader for a free report!