Ahhh, Google. We all know what it is. It’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone says search engine. But Google is so much more than just a place to find answers. Are you using Google to its full potential when marketing your real estate property? In our opinion, it’s the BEST place to capture your audience when they are actively searching for a new place to live. Learn a bit about how to use Google as a business platform primed to generate leads.
Google My Business
On the organic side, there is something called Google my Business. This is a tool businesses and organizations use to manage their online presence across Google including search, maps, business information, and reviews.
The set-up process is super simple, anyone can do it! If you haven’t built out and registered your business — you are missing a huge opportunity for reaching potential customers. Additionally, having this set up increases your SEO in Google search rankings.
BONUS: You should also encourage new tenants to leave positive reviews to improve your reputation online. Reviews are an essential part of your online marketing presence, and people are actively using reviews to make purchasing decisions.
Google My Business Example:
The following is the Google My Business page for our client, The Heights at Slippery Rock, an off-campus student apartment. Check it out:
Paid Advertising: Google AdWords
On the paid side, you can capture intent-based search traffic by having our ads rank first on specific Google searches. These ads are extremely powerful as most of the customers you will be attracting are in the consideration stage. This means they are actively looking for a new place to live.
You can do considerable amounts of research to see what your audience is searching for and what your competitors are paying for. This allows you to rank against them and pay to place your property at the top of search lists, even before big-name companies such as Zillow.
NOTE: a social media presence is not needed for this type of advertising! This is important if you don’t necessarily have the time to run social accounts or just want to do marketing that is quick and highly effective.
Google AdWord Example:
Real Sample Results – July 2020
Avg CPC – $0.64
Leads – 12
Conversion Rate – 5.06%
Cost per Lead – $12.64
Cost – $152
The following is an example of AdWords we ran over the course of a month for our client, Copper Creek Apartments. Here you can see that a little money goes a long way!
For just around $150 dollars we were able to attract 12 leads for the apartment building who are interested in living there and have joined a waitlist!
All in all, the initial investment may be in your branding and website however, long term marketing efforts are crucial to filling up your units and keeping them filled.
But Google Marketing is not all that’s important when it comes to capturing quality leads and growing your real estate business. Check our full collection of real estate blogs, webinars, information, and more HERE.
