4 Google Tools Service Company Owners Can Use to Help Increase Leads

When you’re a field service business, getting a leg up over the competition is key. 

Let’s say you’re a pest control company in Houston. You want potential customers in your area to choose your business over your competitors for service. To make this happen, you’ll need to be a dominant presence across online platforms like Google. This means showing up high in search results, having ads displayed prominently, and having a strong business listing that shows potential consumers you’re one of the best.

There are multiple Google marketing tools to help you grow your business and build on your brand across many platforms, such as Google Ads, Local Services Ads, Google Guarantee, and Google My Business. 

Not familiar with this list of Google tools? Don’t worry; we have you covered. In this post, we’ll explain some of the key services Google has to offer for those in the field service business. We’ll also explain how to leverage these Google products to help grow your business and raise brand awareness.

Google Ads

One way to easily reach customers online is by advertising through Google, using Google Ads. Google Ads allows you to get in front of potential customers when they’re searching for services like yours. When you use Google Ads, you can use different ad formats and features to reach your goals. This can be in the format of a clickable call or having customers fill out a form on your website. The ads can also appear across multiple platforms like laptops, cell phones, tablets, and apps.

To help reach these goals, you can target your ads by using keywords. In addition to selecting the keyword you want your ad to show for, you can even set what hours of the day you’d like for the ad to occur, or specify search locations for where the inquiry should come from.

The key to Google Ads is establishing—and working within—your budget. You can decide how much you want to spend, then pay only when someone interacts with your ad. For example, you would only pay if someone clicks on your text ad or watches a video ad you’ve created. Once you establish your parameters for displaying your ads, you can bid based on what you feel is best for your business and what you can afford. The Google Ads platform also allows you to measure how an ad performs so you can make changes moving forward based on what works and what doesn’t.

For an in-depth guide on getting started, check out this resource. Below is an example of what Google Ads look like in a Google Search.

To sign up for Google Ads, you can start the process here by following Google’s guide.

Local Services Ads

While Google Ads can be a great tool, managing the platform on your own can be difficult. If you’re looking for something a little less complex that will still generate great results, then Google’s Local Services ads are what you want. Local Services ads allow you to advertise your business on Google and receive leads directly from potential customers. The leads come in through both phone calls and messages via your Local Services ads, which you can then reply to online or through the app.

To achieve these results, Local Services ads are shown at the top of Google search results when people search for services you offer in your specified service area. Consumers can click on these ads to give your business a call or send a message. You then get an email or message notification from the Local Services app and take over the lead from there. If you don’t respond to messages sent through your Local Services ads, though, it can affect the ranking of your ad in the future.

Below is an example of what Local Services ads look like. For this, we searched, “Holmdel pest control.”

There are many benefits to using Local Services ads. Some of these benefits include placing your business’ ads at the top of Google’s results, connecting with potential customers who are searching for services your business provides, and using the mobile app to communicate with customers anytime. This also gives potential customers the chance to pick your business, as you’ll only hear from customers who have specifically selected your Local Services ads out of all the other ads that are displayed.

Right now, Local Services ads are available only for certain service categories and areas. You can click here to find out if Local Services ads are available in your area and if your business is eligible.

Google Guarantee

The Google Guarantee, a part of Local Services ads, is a badge that’s available for any business that passes a Google screening and qualification process through Google Local Services. 

If your business has the Google Guarantee, Google may refund customers who aren’t satisfied with the quality of your services as long as they found your company through Google. If a customer submits a claim, Google will reach out to you to learn more about the situation. After investigating the claim, Google will pick a way to resolve the problem. You will have the chance to fix the situation with the customer, as well.

The Google Guarantee will cover claims up to the amount a job costs. However, there is a lifetime cap for coverage from Google Guarantee set at $2,000. In order for Google to handle the refund, services must be booked through Google Local Services. This service also doesn’t cover add-ons or future projects, damages to property, dissatisfaction with price or provider responsiveness, or cancellations.

You’re able to apply for the Google Guarantee badge by signing up for Local Service ads. 

Google My Business

Aside from using ads services through Google, you can also sign up for a Google My Business listing.

Google My Business is a free tool that allows you to manage your online presence across Google, including the way your business appears in platforms like Google Search and Maps. This allows you to help customers find your business online and tell the story of your business by verifying and editing your business information.

For example, here is the Google My Business listing for WorkWave.

You can manage what information customers see when they search for your business and stumble upon the Google My Business listing. When you verify this information with Google, it makes your business twice as likely to be considered reputable by potential consumers. Just make sure to include accurate information, such as your hours, a link to your website, a current phone number, and the correct street address of your business.

Through this listing, you’re able to interact with your customers by reading and responding to reviews that are left by consumers*. You can also share photos of your business in the listing. Adding photos makes it more likely that potential customers will look to utilize your business.

Business owners can also take steps towards understanding their Google presence with a listing by being able to track how customers find your business in search, where they come from, and how many call directly when the listing shows in local search results.

There is also a great feature in Google My Business that lets you connect your Google Ads and Google My Business accounts. You can link these two together through a local extension, which then allows you to advertise through each location. Local extensions help potential customers find your locations by showing your ads with your address, a map of the location, or the distance to the business. Customers can then click or tap this extension to get more information about your location and more details about your business. Some might even have a phone number or a call button so people can quickly call your company with ease.

In the example below, you can see the search results for, “pest control Los Angeles.” New Systems Exterminating is running ads through Google My Business, which you can see displayed at the top of the map results.

If interested in starting a Google My Business listing, you can start the process here by signing up and verifying your business.

Making the Most of Google’s Services

Becoming proficient in the products Google has to offer can help you to work toward dominating your service area. The better you are at using these tools, the more of a presence you’ll have across Google’s platforms. This means your business will appear high in searches and it will be increasingly likely that Google searchers looking for your type of services will become leads for your business. Get started today by utilizing the many tools Google has to offer for field service businesses.

*Editor’s Note: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, some features of Google My Business have been temporarily suspended. During this period, no new reviews will be published to Google My Business listings, review replies won’t be published, and Q&As have to be removed. While Google isn’t currently publishing new reviews, that doesn’t mean they aren’t important. Continue to monitor your reviews and don’t hesitate to reply. Although they won’t be published immediately, reviews and replies are expected to be posted once the outbreak passes.