Do Google Ads Work For Roofing Contractors & Roofing Businesses? [Spoiler: Yes]
Does Google Ads work for roofers?
Absolutely!
We might sound biased. After all, we do provide PPC services for residential and commercial roofers, but that’s not why we’re such fans of paid ads. It’s because your roofing company has a specific type of customer – and Google Ads are practically tailor-made to resonate with them.
But we’re not going to tell you that PPC will work for you and expect you to believe us.
Because that’s not true. Google Ads CAN be a huge waste of your time and money…if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Read on to get the Google Ads truth if you’ve ever said, thought or heard the following:
- “My customers don’t want to click on ads”
- “I’ve tried Google Ads and it was a waste of money”
- “Paying for ads is like lighting your money on fire”
Need a quick refresher? Check the jargon-free guide to roofing Google Ads
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What your roofing business needs to use Google Ads
Google has released their official data showing the average Google Ads campaign returns $2 for every $1 invested.
With the chance to double your money, it’s easy to think a PPC campaign is all sunshine and rainbows. But Google Ads aren’t for everyone…
To turn a profit through Google Ads your roofing company needs:
- A high average sale value
- A high profit margin
- A high conversion rate
Now we know what you’re thinking.
“My average sale isn’t super high” or “My conversion rate isn’t red-hot” and that’s OK.
When we say ‘high’ we mean sustainable.
If an ad click costs you $2 and you sell t-shirts online for $10, that’s not sustainable. In fact, it’s impossible to run a profit long-term with those figures.
As a roofer your average sale isn’t $10.
The cost of installing tiles can sit between $8 to $25 per square foot. Or, roughly $15,500 to replace a full tile roof.
By landing just ONE new client at those figures means you’ve got a high average sales value. And if you’re making a profit margin between 10% to 15%, every new client helps build your business and your bank account.
In short, Google Ads aren’t for everyone.
But they work perfectly for roofers.
You only pay when your roofing ads get clicks. That’s how you generate targeted traffic
Let’s say you printed out 100 leaflets and dropped them in every letterbox in your neighborhood.
Imagine you had to pay $2 every time someone looked at your leaflet, even if they threw it in the bin within 5 seconds. That would cost you $200 without knowing if you’re any closer to a sale. Just because every home and business has a roof doesn’t mean those people need roofing help today.
Now, let’s say you set aside $200 to spend on Google Ads.
Imagine you had to pay $2 every time your ad was clicked. That would bring 100 people through to your website, and you know those people need roofing help because they weren’t picked randomly. You created an ad which they found while researching their problem on Google.
That’s how you attract targeted traffic who are actively looking for roofing services. And when you’re attracting the right people, your odds of generating a lead and a sale go up – with PPC visitors 50% more likely to hire you than organic visitors.
“Yeah but what does it COST?” Check the full Google Ads price breakdown [exclusively for roofers]
Google Ads let you target customers at each stage of the buyer’s journey
Google Ads suits roofing contractors and companies because you can create ads to suit customers at every stage of their ‘Buyer’s Journey’.
This journey consist of three stages:
- Awareness: “I have tiles in my yard, looks like I have a loose tile problem”
- Consideration: “I could borrow my neighbor’s ladder and try to fix them, or hire a roofer”
- Decision: “I’m going to hire a roofer because it’s faster and easier than doing it myself”
Bidding on roofing keywords like “loose tiles” can help you target customers in the first stage of their journey. While long-tail keywords like “cheap loose tile repair and maintenance” can target customers who are reaching their decision stage.
This is great for your business because long-tail keywords typically come with more intent.
And targeting customers with intent is easy through Google Ads. These customers have gone looking for loose tile help, and that intent is what makes them more likely to reach out to contact you.
75% of people say Google Ads make it easier to find what they were looking for online. Far from a chore, paid ads give people info at every stage of their journey – and they’re craving this info!
Compare this to Facebook Ads, where the intent is low (or non-existent) because people are browsing their news feed and seeing your ad, as opposed to going out themselves to look for a solution and seeing your ad.
STEAL OUR ADVERTISING SECRETS!!! Learn every advertising strategy the modern roofer should be using (seriously, steal them)
“What are the benefits of Google Ads as a roofing contractor?”
OK, we’ve got 30 seconds to show you how effective a strategic Google Ads campaign can be.
Aaaaaand go…
| Target Specific Customers
Direct your ads to certain users, locations, devices and demographics. The more targeted your audience, the better your chance of a lead because your message resonates with a niche audience. |
Instant Results
75% of people never click past the first page of Google. Instead of using SEO and a 6-month timeline, Google Ads can deliver first page rankings in as little as 48 hours. 46% of clicks go to the top 3 paid ads, offering instant results. |
| Close the gap on your competitors
It’s tough to outrank a roofer who’s been running SEO campaigns for years. But with Google Ads you can close the gap and outrank seasoned roofers with 10x your brand recognition and exposure. Within 48 hours your ad can be in the #1 spot. |
Easy to measure ROI
You can hand out 1,000 flyers and never know if they were effective. With Google Ads you can measure every click, ad impression, and conversion. You’ll know exactly how many leads and customers your PPC campaign brings. |
“What are the downsides of running a roofing PPC campaign?”
No advertising strategy works across the board.
Google Ads requires time, patience and money to enjoy the full benefits.
With hundreds of settings and ways to structure a campaign, you can end up burning through your monthly ad spend without targeting the right customers or bringing in a single lead.
The downside of running a PPC campaign is the risk of wasting money if you’re not prepared. So if you’re planning to run your own Google Ads campaign, here are three common mistakes to avoid.
Don’t send traffic to your home page
Ad clicks take a potential customer from Google to…somewhere.
It’s up to you to decide where an ad takes people. However, Google Ads won’t deliver the best results if you send people to your roofing site’s home page.
This is a mistake roofing contractors and business owners make because they think their homepage is the most valuable destination. The problem is, your homepage is also SUPER distracting.
Let’s say you ran an ad for ‘hail damage roof repair’. You set your targeting to a storm-prone area of your city to speak to the right people. And you set your ads to run after 5pm so you’d be available to pick up any calls and start turning leads into sales.
Only…the phone never rings.
Why? By sending people to your homepage you distracted them. They went from an ad about storm damage to a homepage with videos about your team. There were blogs to click on. And it was hard to find the best way to contact you – so they left.
In contrast, a custom-made landing page has ONE message. In this case it would be about storm damage – and storm damage only. This landing page might outline the benefits of storm damage roof repair, show video testimonials from previous storm damage customers, and make it easy to request a quote.
Focus beats clutter.
Google Ads only works to its full potential when you create custom-landing pages connected to each ad you’re running.
Don’t write boring ads
Do roofing ads work on Google? Yep, but only if the ads themselves are quality.
You can perfect your targeting and put an ad in front of a customer who’s literally got water dripping on their head through a gaping hole in the ceiling and STILL miss out on the lead.
How? Because there are other roofers running ads to those same customers.
If their ads do a better job at building trust and conveying value, you’ll miss out. Saying “Google Ads works for roofers” is true in theory. But you need to tick off each box to give your ads a chance at converting.
That means including:
- Roofing keywords related to your customer’s problems
- A specific solution to your customer’s problems
- An honest and authentic message
- A clear and powerful call-to-action (CTA)
Any roofer can turn on an ad campaign, but you’ll need to nail your ad targeting, keywords and copy to see results.
Don’t jump behind the wheel if you’re inexperienced
You wouldn’t volunteer to replace a full cross-gable roof on your first day on the job.
Experience matters, and it’s best to work your way up to the advanced tasks. Running a PPC campaign follows the same logic.
That doesn’t mean you need to pay an agency for the rest of your working life, but you will have a better chance at generating consistent leads by bringing onboard a professional.
Once you learn how to manage the long list of features in a Google Ads dashboard you can start to run the show. Hearing Google Ads is tailor-made to work for roofers and assuming this means “I can run a campaign tomorrow and make a million dollars” will get you into trouble.
Learn why Tradie Digital offers the best roofing PPC campaigns (with a lead increase GUARANTEE)
Ready to text the next step?
Looking for more leads for your roofing business?
Google Ads offers a fast, proven solution. You’re in control of your ad spend so there’s never any bill shock. And by creating custom landing pages, optimizing your ads, and partnering with a PPC agency you can easily turn on a pipeline of quality leads and steady revenue.
With more than $200 million generated over 200 trade industries, we’ve got a proven track record running PPC campaigns for residential and commercial roofers. With the peace of mind that comes with our ‘Lead Increase GUARANTEE’ we’ve got a strategy to make the most of Google Ads and fill your inbox with leads and.
Curious about working with Tradie Digital?
