AdWords Funnel: Showing Up When You Search Your Name Is Only A Start

"When I Google my business, I show up on page one and my AdWords ads are in the top 3."  I hear this phrase, or a variation thereof, at least three times a week.  In my role at Level 5 and Team Velocity, I talk to a lot of prospects.   Inevitably someone has convinced them, or they have convinced themselves, that as long as they Google their name and they show up on top, that they are good to go in the digital world.

I always say that bragging that you show up when you Google your name is equivalent to the Los Angeles Lakers bragging they beat a junior high basketball team.  (Although with the season the Lakers are having, beating a junior high team may be tough for them.)  None-the-less people who are searching for you by name are just a small part of the digital picture.

There is a hierarchy of Google searches.  At the top of the funnel are people who search for you by name.  These people tend to be repeat customers simply looking up your name like they used to do in the phone directory.  They tend to be service calls, question calls and research calls in nature.  For medical practices they tend to be existing patients wanting to book another appointment.  For home improvement companies they are people calling for you to fix/adjust something on a project you did for them.  

There are a lot of things top of the funnel calls could be. What they aren't, is a good source of new revenue.  New customers tend to come from the middle or the bottom part of the funnel.  In the middle funnel people have a need or want for your vertical.  Patients who desire dental implants. Homeowners who want a new kitchen floor. They are looking to form a relationship with someone to advance their need or want.  That person could be you or it could be one of your competitors.

The best source of new revenue comes at the bottom of the funnel.  Searches for a specific product or service are low hanging fruit in the digital world.  Patients who Google Lumineers have made a decision to have dental implants and have decided on the product that is right for them.  They are simply searching for someone to perform the procedure.  A homeowner who Googles Bruce Flooring knows what type of floor they want, and are simply looking for a great deal.  These people are the easiest to sell with solid, creative, informative ads.

So back to the prospect who says when I Google my name I come up.  If you are one of those people or trying to help one of those people, ask them how they show when someone searches their vertical. Ask them how they appear when someone Googles their top 10 products or services.  Ask a cosmetic dentist how they show when someone searches veneers, Zoom, or teeth whitening.  Ask a flooring company how they show when someone searches carpet, tile, or Armstrong.  Ask a car dealer how they show when someone searches Honda lease, Honda deals, or Honda Civic.  Then you get the true story.  

Consumer searches are more sophisticated then ever.  If you are not ahead of the curve then you are leaving money on the table. Consumers know what they want, and smart business owners find a way to give it to them and  let the consumer think it was all their idea.  So stop bragging about beating a junior high team and step up against a pro.  Your wallet will thank you...

Is there a still a page one on Google?

While watching the Red Sox this afternoon, (Yes I'm one of the 5 people in America watching spring training baseball today instead of March Madness) I saw a tweet on my timeline that read, "Is there still a page one on Google?"  I clicked the linked and it dropped me into a LinkedIn Group discussion on the value of page rank in the modern SEO world.  

(Disclaimer 1: I am an unabashed SEM guy, who does not believe in paying for SEO.)  

That said I had to admit I was fascinated by reading how the other half lived.  SEO analysts complaining that clients had unrealistic expectations about their services filled my screen. No one however was talking about the big elephant in the room.  That elephant comes in the form of smart phones and tablets.  No one was addressing the fact that on a smart phone or a tablet, most consumers choose from the first three links on their screen.  Two of those links on a smart phone and all three on a tablet are paid positions.  SEO on mobile searches is like the kid who sits at the end of the bench and only gets in the game when his team is too far ahead or too far behind to care.  

(Disclaimer 2: I was that kid, so please do not think I am making fun of anyone other than myself.) 

I took this screen shot several months ago on my Galaxy Note 2, which my wife says is as big as an iPad...... it's not. In fact it is not even close to the size of an iPad mini. (Yes I have checked.) Even with my unusually large screen, SEO's impact on this search would be extremely limited.  At best your site is in the #3 position.  The two links above, complete with their call now links, will get a majority of the clicks.  I have read studies that estimate from the time someone speaks or types in their Google search term, on a mobile device, until they click a link a mere four seconds elapse.  Four seconds is not enough time to scroll down the screen and read through 20 different organic listings to find the one listing that you were looking for.  No, most people just hit the call now button and away they go.

I sat in on a presentation recently where the speaker used this graphic to demonstrate the new mobile search

paradigm. On mobile searches people either simply click to a well optimized mobile friendly landing page or they hit the call now button.   They don't take the time while driving, shaving, riding the bike at the gym, watching American Idol or any of the other 1 million things people do while on their mobile phone, to scroll down the page. You are either there and get the conversion or your not and don't. There isn't a whole lot of gray area on this issue. 

John Koestier reported in January that over 50 million smart phones were activated the week between Christmas and New Year's 2013.  Industry leader Netsertive, states that the number of mobile devices in the United States has tripled since Q2 2012.  Forrester Research points out in their new report, "The Future of Business is Digital," that by the end of 2017 74% of the US Adult online population will own a smartphone, and 46% will own tablets.  

Look the mobile revolution is here whether you choose to participate or not.  It's no longer acceptable to simply be on the first page of Google.  You have to be at the top of the first page.  They used to say that the best place to hide a dead body was on page two of a Google search.  Now you can simply drop the body off at the bottom of the first page, no one is going down that far anymore.

So the answer is "YES" to the question that interrupted my ballgame watching experience, "Is there still a page one on Google?"  Just like there are still cassette players, black and white TV's, and the occasional Ford Pinto floating around out there.  The question that they should have asked is, "Is it simply good enough to be on Google page one?"  The answer to that question is a much easier "NO." The game takes place at the top of the page. You need to be there.  Unless you enjoy watching your website die a slow and painful death, in which case SEO away. 

Stating The Obvious

In my role at Level 5 and Team Velocity, I look at 100's of Pay Per Click ads every week.  It always amazes me that people will spend big bucks on Google AdWords, and say absolutely nothing. Take for example this ad...

This ad was served by google in response to a "transmission repair" inquiry. Look at the text below the phone number. "Our Mechanics Are Highly Qualified." As opposed to what? "Our Mechanics Are Highly Unqualified."

Chris Rock had a comedy routine that made fun of people who would go around saying, "I take care of my kids." He used to say, "Do you want a medal for doing something that you should be doing?"  The same holds true for business owners.  Consumers should be able to assume that a transmission shop employs people who are qualified to perform the repair. Why waste valuable ad space and marketing dollars stating something so obvious?

These guys get it..

A quick glance at this ad lets me know I can save $100 and be protected from coast to coast.  

There is a science to good PPC ad writing. Verbs, much more effectively than nouns or adjectives, will move your message past Broca’s Area, that part of the brain that rejects the mundane and ignores the predictable.  After all, you aren't trying for an impression or even a click.  The sole purpose of your ad is to get someone to pick up the phone or fill out an online form.  Those who bore Broca are condemned to mediocrity. Those who stimulate Broca will find themselves generating serious AdWords ROI.

So if your Google AdWords campaign isn't making your phone ring. Before you start tweaking bids or adding budget, take a glance at your ad copy. Make sure you aren't wasting everyone's time by stating the obvious.