Keyword research is the foundation of successful Google Ads campaigns. It helps you discover the search terms your ideal clients are using, allowing you to align your ads with their needs and intent. For real estate investors, targeting the right keywords is crucial for reaching motivated buyer and seller leads—those actively searching to sell quickly or find investment deals.

In a competitive market, effective keyword research ensures you attract high-intent traffic, not just clicks. This guide is designed for real estate investors, particularly those using platforms like Carrot and will help you find and use the best keywords to optimize your Google Ads and maximize your ad spend.

Why Keyword Research is Crucial for Real Estate Investors: Boost Leads and Slash Costs

Real estate is one of the most competitive industries in online advertising, with countless agents and investors fighting for attention. Without a solid keyword strategy, your Google Ads can easily get lost. Keyword research is the key to standing out by targeting the exact search terms your audience is using.

For real estate investors, reaching motivated sellers and buyers is essential. These leads are ready to take action, whether it’s selling their house fast for cash or finding investment properties. Keywords like “sell my house fast” or “cash home buyers” attract high-intent leads who need quick solutions.

Precise keyword targeting ensures you spend your budget wisely, bringing in qualified leads rather than unqualified clicks. By focusing on phrases like “off-market properties” or “investment homes for sale,” you’ll connect with serious buyers and sellers in need of fast results.

In a competitive niche like real estate, you need a focused strategy—and that begins with smart keyword research.

Setting the Foundation: Understanding Search Intent

Before diving into keyword research, it’s essential to understand the concept of search intent. Search intent refers to the purpose behind a user’s query on Google. There are three main types of search intent: transactional, navigational, and informational.

• Transactional Intent: This type of intent indicates that the user is ready to take action, such as making a purchase or completing a form. In the context of real estate investing, keywords with transactional intent are often associated with users who are motivated to sell their property quickly or find investment opportunities, such as “sell my house fast” or “buy investment properties in .”
• Navigational Intent: The user is looking for a specific website or platform. For example, a real estate investor may use keywords like “Carrot real estate website” or “best real estate investor tools” to directly find a product or service they’ve heard about.
• Informational Intent: These users are seeking knowledge or research on a topic. In real estate, this could include searches like “how to sell a house by owner” or “real estate market trends 2024.” While important for brand visibility, these keywords typically lead to people who are still in the research phase and not yet ready to convert.

For real estate investors focused on generating leads, the most valuable search intents to target are transactional and navigational. These users are further along in their decision-making process and are more likely to convert into leads. Transactional keywords are key because they signal immediate action. Navigational keywords, while often brand-specific, are also valuable because they indicate the user knows what they want and are actively seeking your service.

Search intent directly impacts the type of ads you create and the keywords you prioritize. For instance, a person searching “sell my house fast” has clear transactional intent—they are looking for a quick solution, and your ad should reflect urgency and a direct call to action, like “Get a Cash Offer Today.” In contrast, someone searching for “real estate market trends 2024” is still in the research phase, so while they may not convert right away, nurturing these leads with content and retargeting ads can eventually pay off.

Let’s take two examples to illustrate how search intent affects keyword strategy:

• A person searching for “sell my home fast in ” likely has transactional intent. They want a fast, direct solution, making this keyword ideal for investors targeting motivated sellers.
• Someone searching for “how much is my home worth” may be researching the market and not yet ready to act. While they may be worth capturing for long-term nurturing, this type of keyword would fall under informational intent.

Understanding search intent allows you to align your keywords with your goals, ensuring that your ads are displayed to users who are most likely to convert. Focusing on transactional and navigational keywords can result in higher-quality leads and a more effective ad strategy for real estate investors.

Step-by-Step Guide to Conducting Keyword Research for Real Estate Google Ads

Option 1: Use Google’s Keyword Planner

Google’s Keyword Planner is a powerful tool that helps advertisers discover relevant keywords for their campaigns. It provides valuable insights into keyword search volume, competition, and cost-per-click (CPC), making it an essential resource for real estate investors looking to optimize their Google Ads.

By using this tool, you can find keywords that target motivated sellers and buyers, ensuring that your ads reach the right audience.

How to Access and Navigate the Tool

1. Create a Google Ads Account: If you haven’t already, sign up for a Google Ads account at ads.google.com. You’ll need to provide some basic information about your business.
2. Access Keyword Planner: Once your account is set up, click on the “Tools & Settings” icon (wrench) in the upper right corner of the Google Ads dashboard. Under the “Planning” section, select “Keyword Planner.”
3. Choose Your Option: You will see two options:
   • Discover new keywords: This option helps you find keywords related to your business or website.
   • Get search volume and forecasts: This option allows you to enter keywords and see their historical performance metrics.
4. For the purpose of this guide, select “Discover new keywords.”

Step-by-Step Process to Find Relevant Real Estate Keywords

1. Enter Your Ideas: In the “Discover new keywords” section, start by entering terms related to your business. Think about phrases that motivated sellers or buyers might use. For example, you could enter “sell my house fast,” “cash home buyers,” or “investment properties.”
2. Select Location and Language: Adjust the targeting options to focus on your specific market. You can set the location to your city or region to find local keywords. Ensure the language is set to your target audience’s language (typically English).
3. Click on “Get Results”: After entering your keywords and adjusting the settings, click the “Get Results” button to see the keyword suggestions.
4. Analyze the Results: You’ll be presented with a list of keyword ideas along with important data, including:
   • Average monthly searches: Indicates how many searches are performed on average each month.
   • Competition: Shows how competitive a keyword is, rated as low, medium, or high.
   • Top of page bid: Provides an estimated cost-per-click for that keyword.
5. Filter and Sort: Use the filter options to narrow down your results. For example, you can filter by competition level or search volume to find the most relevant keywords for your ads.
6. Select Relevant Keywords: Identify keywords that align with your goals. For example, look for terms like “we buy houses,” “quick cash offers,” and “sell my property fast.” These keywords indicate strong transactional intent and can help you reach motivated sellers.
7. Add Keywords to Your Plan: Once you’ve identified a list of potential keywords, you can add them to your plan by clicking the checkbox next to each keyword and then selecting “Add to plan.”

Example Keywords for Real Estate Investors

Here are some example search phrases you might find using Google’s Keyword Planner:

• Motivated Sellers:
  • “Sell my house fast”
  • “Cash offer for my home”
  • “Quick home sale”
• Cash Buyers:
  • “Cash home buyers ”
  • “Sell house for cash”
  • “Buy my house cash offer”
• Property Listings:
  • “Investment properties for sale”
  • “Foreclosed homes for sale”
  • “Off-market properties in ”

You can efficiently identify and select the best keywords for your real estate Google Ads campaigns using Google’s Keyword Planner. This targeted approach will enhance your ability to connect with motivated buyers and sellers, ultimately driving more qualified leads to your business.

Option 2: Leverage Carrot’s Keyword Explorer Tool

Carrot’s Keyword Explorer tool is an invaluable resource specifically designed to help real estate investors discover relevant keywords and optimize their online presence. This tool is integrated directly into the Carrot platform, making it easy for you to find and utilize keywords that attract motivated buyers and sellers without needing to switch between multiple applications.

How Carrot’s Keyword Explorer Can Help Real Estate Investors

1. Targeted Keyword Suggestions: Carrot’s Keyword Explorer provides keyword suggestions tailored to the real estate market. This feature helps you identify the most effective keywords to reach motivated leads who are searching for solutions like yours.
2. SEO and PPC Integration: The tool not only helps with Google Ads keyword research but also assists in optimizing your website’s content for search engines. This dual functionality ensures that your advertising and organic efforts are aligned for maximum impact.
3. User-Friendly Interface: Carrot’s interface is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy to navigate even if you’re not a tech expert. This accessibility means you can spend more time focusing on strategy and less time figuring out how to use the tool.

Learn more about using Carrot’s Keyword Explorer tool in the in-depth tutorial.

Benefits of Using a Tool Integrated into a Website Platform

• Streamlined Process: Having the keyword tool integrated within your website platform means you can quickly move from keyword discovery to content creation and ad setup without leaving the Carrot ecosystem. This streamlining saves time and improves efficiency.
• Real-Time Data: Carrot’s Keyword Explorer provides real-time data and insights, enabling you to make informed decisions quickly. You can adjust your strategy on the fly based on the latest trends and performance metrics.
• Tailored to Your Niche: Unlike generic keyword tools, Carrot’s Keyword Explorer is specifically designed for real estate investors, ensuring that the suggestions you receive are relevant and actionable.

Example of Uncovering Long-Tail Keywords Using the Carrot Platform

To illustrate how to use Carrot’s Keyword Explorer to uncover valuable long-tail keywords, follow these steps:

1. Access the Keyword Explorer: Log in to your Carrot account and navigate to the Keyword Explorer tool within your dashboard.
2. Enter Seed Keywords: Start by entering a few seed keywords related to your business. For example, you might enter “sell my house fast,” “cash home buyers,” or “real estate investment.”
3. Review Suggested Keywords: After clicking “Search,” the tool will generate a list of related keywords. Look for long-tail keywords—phrases that are typically three or more words long, as these often indicate stronger intent. For example, you might see suggestions like “sell my house fast for cash in ” or “best cash home buyers near me.”
4. Analyze Metrics: Examine the suggested keywords for their search volume, competition level, and relevance to your business goals. Long-tail keywords often have lower competition but can lead to highly qualified leads.
5. Select and Save Keywords: Choose the keywords that resonate most with your target audience and align with your campaign objectives. You can save these keywords for use in your Google Ads campaigns and website content.

By leveraging Carrot’s Keyword Explorer tool, real estate investors can uncover valuable long-tail keywords that attract motivated buyers and sellers. This integrated approach not only enhances your advertising strategy but also strengthens your overall online presence, driving more qualified leads to your business.

How to Analyze Competitor Keywords

Analyzing competitor keywords is a crucial step in refining your keyword strategy for Google Ads. By understanding what keywords your competitors are targeting, you can identify gaps in your own strategy and uncover valuable opportunities to attract motivated buyers and sellers.

How to Identify Competitor Keywords Using Tools Like Carrot Keyword Explorer, SEMrush, or Ahrefs

1. Choose a Competitor: Start by identifying one or more of your key competitors in the real estate market. Look for businesses that operate in the same geographic area and target similar buyer and seller demographics.
2. Access Your Chosen Tool:
   • Carrot’s Keyword Explorer: Log in to your Carrot account. Use the same instructions as above.
   • Ahrefs: Log in to your Ahrefs account and go to the “Site Explorer” feature.
   • SEMrush: Log in to your SEMrush account (or sign up for a free trial if you don’t have one). Navigate to the “Domain Analytics” section.
3. Enter the Competitor’s Domain: In the search bar, input the URL of your competitor’s website and click “Search.” This will provide you with an overview of their website’s performance and keyword targeting.
4. Navigate to the Keywords Section:
   • Carrot Keyword Explorer: Pull a report on your top 2-3 competitors’ sites and see their most popular keywords bringing them traffic.
   • Ahrefs: Click on “Organic Keywords” to see the keywords driving traffic to their site.
   • SEMrush: Click on “Organic Research” to view the keywords your competitor ranks for organically.
5. Filter Keywords by Metrics: Use filters to narrow down the results based on criteria like:
   • Search Volume: Focus on keywords with substantial search volume.
   • Keyword Difficulty: Look for keywords with lower competition scores to identify more attainable targets.
   • Traffic: Check for keywords that generate significant traffic for your competitor.

How to Evaluate Which of Your Competitors’ Keywords Are Worth Targeting

1. Relevance: Ensure that the keywords are relevant to your business. Target keywords that align with the services you offer and the needs of your target audience, such as “sell my house fast” or “cash buyers for investment properties.”
2. Search Intent: Consider the search intent behind the keywords. Focus on transactional keywords that indicate potential leads are ready to act rather than purely informational terms.
3. Competition Analysis: Analyze the competition for each keyword. Use the tools to see how many advertisers are bidding on the keyword and how much they are spending. This can give you an idea of the keyword’s value and potential ROI.
4. Gaps and Opportunities: Look for keywords that your competitors rank for but you do not. These gaps can represent lucrative opportunities for you to target in your campaigns.

Example of Dissecting a Competitor’s Google Ads Campaign for Valuable Keyword Ideas

To find the keywords your competitors are using and leverage Carrot’s Keyword Explorer, follow these steps:

1. Access Carrot’s Keyword Explorer Tool

• Log in to your Carrot.com account.
• Navigate to the Keyword Explorer tool from your dashboard.

2. Research Competitor Domains

• In the Keyword Explorer, input the URL of a competitor’s website or landing page. This will allow the tool to analyze their content and provide keyword insights.
• Click Search to see what keywords your competitor is ranking for organically.

3. Analyze Competitor Keywords

• Review the keyword suggestions that appear based on your competitor’s domain.
• Focus on high-intent keywords related to real estate investing or home selling, such as “sell my house fast,” “cash home buyers,” or “investment properties.”
• Pay attention to the search volume, difficulty, and click-through-rate (CTR) estimates to prioritize valuable keywords.

4. Look for Long-Tail Keyword Opportunities

• Scroll through the results for long-tail keywords—these are often less competitive and can provide opportunities for local targeting. For example, “sell my house fast in ” or “cash buyers [Location].”

5. Refine Your List

• Filter the results by relevance, competition, or search volume to create a refined list of keywords.
• Export this list to compare it with your own keyword strategy or to test it in your Google Ads campaign.

6. Incorporate Competitor Keywords Into Your Campaign

• Take the top-performing keywords and incorporate them into your Google Ads campaign. Based on these high-performing terms, create new ad groups or update existing ones.

7. Monitor and Iterate

• Once you’ve implemented competitor keywords in your campaign, regularly monitor their performance. Use Carrot’s platform to track how well these keywords drive traffic and conversions, making adjustments as needed.

By using Carrot’s Keyword Explorer, you can easily dissect a competitor’s campaign, find valuable keyword opportunities, and use this data to outperform them in your own Google Ads efforts.

Long-Tail Keywords for Local Targeting

Long-tail keywords are search phrases that typically contain three or more words and are highly specific to the user’s intent. In niche markets like real estate, long-tail keywords hold significant value. They not only help you target a more specific audience but also reduce competition, making it easier to rank in search engines and attract qualified leads. For real estate investors, long-tail keywords can connect you directly with motivated sellers and buyers in your local market.

The Value of Long-Tail Keywords in Niche Markets

1. Higher Conversion Rates: Because long-tail keywords are more specific, they often attract users who are further along in the buying or selling process. For example, someone searching for “sell my house fast in ” is likely ready to take action, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
2. Reduced Competition: Long-tail keywords typically have lower search volumes, but they also face less competition compared to broader terms. This makes it easier to rank higher in search engine results and have your ads displayed to the right audience.
3. Targeted Traffic: By focusing on long-tail keywords, you can draw in highly targeted traffic that aligns closely with your business objectives. This means your ads are more likely to be seen by individuals who are genuinely interested in your services.

How Real Estate Investors Can Use Geo-Specific Long-Tail Keywords to Target Local Leads

1. Identify Your Target Market: Start by determining the geographic areas where you want to focus your marketing efforts. This could be specific neighborhoods, cities, or regions.
2. Incorporate Location into Keyword Phrases: Use your identified locations to create geo-specific long-tail keywords. This involves adding the city or neighborhood name to your main keyword phrase. For instance, instead of simply using “cash home buyers,” you would use “cash home buyers in .”
3. Utilize Keyword Research Tools: Use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or Carrot’s Keyword Explorer to identify local long-tail keywords relevant to your area. Search for phrases that potential sellers might use when looking for quick solutions.
4. Test Variations: Consider different variations of long-tail keywords that may resonate with your target audience. For instance, you might try phrases like “we buy houses in ,” “sell my house quickly in [Neighborhood],” or “investors buying homes in [Location].”

Examples of Long-Tail Keywords for Local Targeting

Here are some examples of effective long-tail keywords for real estate investors targeting local leads:

• “Sell my house fast in ”: This phrase directly targets homeowners who need to sell their property quickly and indicates a sense of urgency.
• “Cash home buyers [Location]”: This keyword targets individuals searching for cash buyers in a specific area, showcasing your capability to provide quick and hassle-free transactions.
• “Sell my property in [Neighborhood]”: This variation narrows the focus even further, appealing to homeowners in a specific neighborhood looking to sell.
• “We buy houses in ”: This keyword signals that you are a buyer actively looking for properties, which can attract motivated sellers.
• “Best real estate investors in [Location]”: This keyword helps position you as a reputable investor in your area, attracting potential sellers who are seeking trustworthy buyers.

By leveraging geo-specific long-tail keywords, real estate investors can effectively target local leads, increase their visibility in search results, and ultimately drive higher-quality traffic to their ads and websites. This focused approach not only enhances your marketing efforts but also increases the likelihood of converting leads into sales.

Negative Keyword Research

Negative keyword research is a crucial aspect of optimizing your Google Ads campaigns. By identifying and utilizing negative keywords, you can prevent your ads from appearing for irrelevant search queries to your business. This helps to avoid unqualified clicks, which can waste your budget and skew your campaign performance metrics.

Importance of Using Negative Keywords to Avoid Unqualified Clicks

1. Cost Efficiency: Negative keywords help ensure that your ads are only shown to users who are genuinely interested in your services. By filtering out irrelevant traffic, you can maximize your advertising budget and improve your return on investment (ROI).
2. Improved Click-Through Rate (CTR): When your ads appear for more relevant searches, you’re likely to receive a higher click-through rate. This not only boosts your ad performance but also enhances your Quality Score in Google Ads, which can lower your CPC over time.
3. Better Lead Quality: By eliminating unqualified clicks, you increase the chances of attracting leads who are more likely to convert. This means you can focus on potential sellers and buyers who are genuinely interested in your services.

How to Identify and Add Negative Keywords to Save Budget

1. Review Search Terms Report: Start by reviewing your Google Ads account’s Search Terms report. This report shows the actual search queries that triggered your ads. Look for terms that are irrelevant to your business or that led to clicks without conversions.
2. Identify Irrelevant Terms: Make a list of search queries that don’t align with your target audience or business goals. For example, if you notice terms like “real estate agent jobs” or “rental properties” leading to clicks, these should be added as negative keywords.
3. Use Keyword Research Tools: You can also use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or other keyword research tools to identify common terms that may not be relevant to your campaigns. Look for keywords that fall outside of your services or target audience.
4. Create a Negative Keyword List: Once you have identified the irrelevant terms, create a list of negative keywords. This list can be organized into categories, such as job-related terms, rental property terms, or unrelated services.
5. Add Negative Keywords to Your Campaigns:

• In Google Ads, go to the “Keywords” tab for your campaign.
• Click on “Negative Keywords” and then select “Add Negative Keywords.”
• Enter your identified negative keywords or upload them in bulk if you have a long list.
• Save your changes to ensure that your ads are no longer triggered by these terms.

Examples of Negative Keywords to Avoid

Here are some common examples of negative keywords that real estate investors might consider adding to their campaigns:

• “Real estate agent jobs”: This term attracts individuals looking for employment opportunities rather than those interested in buying or selling properties.
• “Rental properties”: If your focus is on buying homes or properties, you may want to exclude this term to avoid attracting renters.
• “Free home appraisal”: This term might attract users looking for free services rather than those interested in selling their homes.
• “How to become a real estate investor”: This term indicates a search for information on entering the industry rather than someone ready to buy or sell.
• “Real estate courses”: Users searching for educational materials may not be looking to engage in a transaction.

By conducting thorough negative keyword research and regularly updating your negative keyword list, you can enhance the efficiency of your Google Ads campaigns. This will help you avoid unqualified clicks, save your budget, and ultimately drive more qualified leads to your real estate business.

Refining Your Keyword List Based on Search Volume, Competition, and Cost

Once you’ve gathered a list of potential keywords for your Google Ads campaigns, it’s essential to refine it based on key metrics: search volume, competition, and cost. This process will ensure that you focus your efforts on the most effective keywords that align with your budget and marketing goals.

How to Evaluate Keyword Search Volume and Competition in the Real Estate Niche

1. Understand Search Volume: Search volume indicates how often a particular keyword is searched for in a given period, typically monthly. Higher search volume generally means more potential traffic, but it can also indicate higher competition.
   • Use Tools: Access tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner to get insights into the average monthly searches for your keywords. This tool will clearly show which keywords are frequently searched in your niche.
2. Assess Competition: Competition reflects how many advertisers bid on a particular keyword. Keywords with high competition can be challenging to rank for, especially if you have a limited budget.
   • Competitive Analysis: In Google Ads Keyword Planner, you can see a competition rating (low, medium, or high) for each keyword. A high-competition keyword might require a larger budget to achieve visibility, while low-competition keywords could be more cost-effective.
3. Consider the Niche: In the real estate niche, some keywords may have inherently high search volume and competition (e.g., “buy a house”) while others may be more niche-specific (e.g., “sell my house fast in ”). Focus on keywords that balance between relevance to your business and the likelihood of conversion.

Balancing High-Intent Keywords with Affordability

1. Identify High-Intent Keywords: High-intent keywords indicate the user is ready to act. For example, keywords like “sell my house quickly” or “cash home buyers near me” show strong intent and should be prioritized.
2. Evaluate Cost Per Click (CPC): Along with search volume and competition, consider the estimated cost per click (CPC) for each keyword. This will give you an idea of how much you’ll need to budget for each click.
   • Finding Affordability: Compare the CPC with the potential return on investment (ROI) from leads generated through those keywords. If a high-intent keyword is too expensive, it might not be worth the investment compared to a more affordable option that also drives qualified traffic.
3. Create a Balanced List: Aim for a balanced keyword list that includes a mix of high-intent, medium-competition keywords that fit within your budget. Prioritize those that align with your business goals and have the potential for higher conversions.

Using Tools Like Google Ads Planner, Carrot’s Keyword Explorer or Third-Party Platforms for Detailed Data

1. Google Ads Keyword Planner or Carrot’s Keyword Explorer:
   • Enter your seed keywords and view suggestions for related keywords, along with their search volumes, competition levels, and CPC estimates.
   • Use this data to filter and sort keywords based on your criteria, allowing you to create a focused and effective keyword list.
2. Third-Party Platforms:
   • Consider using tools like Carrot’s Keyword Explorer, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz for additional keyword insights. These platforms often provide more detailed data on keyword performance, including historical trends, organic traffic estimates, and competitor analysis.
   • These insights can help you identify emerging trends and keywords that may be gaining traction, allowing you to stay ahead of the competition.
3. Regularly Update Your Keyword List: The real estate market can change rapidly, so it’s essential to regularly revisit and refine your keyword list based on performance data and changes in search behavior. Use your chosen tools to track which keywords drive the best results and adjust your strategy accordingly.

By evaluating keyword search volume, competition, and cost, you can refine your keyword list to focus on the most effective terms for your Google Ads campaigns. This strategic approach will help you maximize your budget, attract high-intent leads, and improve your overall campaign performance in the competitive real estate niche.

Testing and Iterating on Keywords

Once you have refined your keyword list, the next step is to test and iterate on your keywords through small-budget campaigns. This process allows you to gauge the effectiveness of your selected keywords and make necessary adjustments to improve your overall ad performance.

How to Test Your Initial Keyword List with Small-Budget Campaigns

1. Set Up a New Campaign:
   • Create a new Google Ads campaign focused specifically on your refined keyword list. Set a modest budget that allows you to gather data without risking too much of your advertising budget.
   • Choose relevant ad formats, such as search ads, and create compelling ad copy that aligns with the intent of your chosen keywords.
2. Implement Keyword Grouping:
   • Organize your keywords into tightly themed ad groups. For example, group keywords related to selling homes together and those related to cash buyers in another group.
   • This organization helps ensure that your ad copy is relevant to the keywords being targeted, which can improve your click-through rate (CTR).
3. Launch the Campaign:
   • Once your campaign is set up, launch it and allow it to run for a sufficient period, usually a few weeks. This timeframe will give you enough data to analyze performance while avoiding premature conclusions.

Monitoring Performance Metrics (CTR, CPC, Conversion Rate) to Refine Your Keyword Strategy

1. Track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
   • Monitor essential metrics such as:
     • Click-Through Rate (CTR): Indicates how often people click on your ad after seeing it. A low CTR may suggest your keywords or ad copy need adjustments.
     • Cost Per Click (CPC): Understand how much you are spending for each click. This metric helps you assess the cost-effectiveness of your keywords.
     • Conversion Rate: This measures the percentage of users who take the desired action (e.g., filling out a contact form). A high conversion rate indicates that your keywords are effectively attracting the right audience.
     • Cost Per Lead (CPL): Understand how much you are spending to acquire each lead. This metric helps you evaluate the cost-effectiveness of your campaigns in generating qualified prospects.
2. Analyze Performance Data:
   • After your campaign has run for a few weeks, review the performance data. Look for patterns in CTR, CPC, CPL, and conversion rates to identify which keywords are performing well.
3. Identify Trends and Insights:
   • Determine if specific keywords consistently yield high CTRs and conversion rates. Then, prioritize these keywords in future campaigns.
   • Conversely, look for keywords with low-performance metrics. These may need to be paused or adjusted.

Examples of Optimizing Keywords Based on Performance Data

1. Adjusting Bids on High-Performing Keywords:
   • If you find that a keyword like “sell my house fast in ” has a high conversion rate and CTR, consider increasing your bid for that keyword to gain more visibility and traffic.
2. Pausing Underperforming Keywords:
   • If a keyword such as “cash home buyers” has a low CTR and conversion rate, it may indicate that the keyword is attracting the wrong audience. In this case, pause this keyword to focus your budget on more effective terms.
3. Refining Ad Copy:
   • If certain keywords are attracting clicks but not converting, analyze your ad copy. For example, if “cash home buyers near me” has a high CTR but low conversions, it might be worth refining the ad copy to better highlight your unique selling points or call to action.
4. Adding New Keywords:
   • Based on performance insights, consider adding new long-tail keywords that align with high-performing terms. If “we buy houses in ” is successful, look for variations like “quick cash home buyers in [Neighborhood].”
5. Implementing Negative Keywords:
   • As you analyze performance, you may discover terms that attract clicks but do not convert. For instance, if “real estate courses” is receiving clicks but leading to no conversions, add it as a negative keyword to avoid future unqualified traffic.

By testing your initial keyword list with small-budget campaigns and closely monitoring performance metrics, you can refine your keyword strategy effectively. This iterative process allows you to make data-driven decisions, optimizing your campaigns to attract motivated buyers and sellers more effectively in the competitive real estate market.

Pro Tips for Real Estate Keyword Research

Effective keyword research for real estate requires a nuanced approach that goes beyond basic search terms. By employing specific strategies, you can better target motivated sellers and buyers, ultimately leading to improved ad performance and higher conversion rates. Here are some pro tips to enhance your keyword research process.

How to Target Motivated Sellers with Emotional Keywords

1. Understand Seller Pain Points: Motivated sellers often face emotional challenges related to their selling situation, such as stress, uncertainty, or urgency. Identifying these pain points can guide you in selecting emotional keywords that resonate with their needs.
   • Keyword Examples: Consider using keywords that evoke emotions or reflect urgency, such as:
     • “Sell my house quickly due to divorce”
     • “Need to sell my home fast for cash”
     • “Help selling my inherited property”
     • “Urgent home sale due to job loss”
2. Create Compelling Ad Copy: Use these emotional keywords in your ad copy to connect with sellers on a personal level. Phrases like “stress-free home selling” or “quick cash offers” can attract those in distress.
3. Test Variations: Experiment with different emotional phrases to see which resonates best with your target audience. A/B testing can be an effective way to measure engagement and conversion rates for various emotional keywords.

Using Seasonal or Situational Keywords

1. Identify Relevant Seasons and Situations: Different times of the year or situational contexts can influence sellers’ motivations. For instance, tax season often prompts individuals to consider selling their homes to access cash.
   • Keyword Examples:
     • “Sell my house before tax season”
     • “Home selling tips during foreclosure”
     • “Best time to sell a house in spring”
     • “Sell house fast before the holidays”
2. Adjust Your Campaigns Seasonally: Tailor your ad campaigns to reflect seasonal trends. For example, if you notice that more sellers are looking to sell during the spring months, create targeted campaigns focusing on that timeframe.
3. Utilize Current Events: Keep an eye on local and national events that may impact the real estate market. Keywords related to foreclosures, economic changes, or housing market shifts can attract motivated sellers during those periods.

Keeping an Eye on Trending Search Terms in Real Estate

1. Monitor Industry Trends: Stay updated with the latest trends in the real estate industry. Tools like Google Trends can help you track what keywords are gaining traction over time, allowing you to adapt your keyword strategy accordingly.
2. Leverage Social Media and Forums: Platforms like Reddit, Facebook groups, or real estate forums can provide insights into what potential sellers are discussing. Look for common questions or concerns that may reveal trending keywords.
3. Incorporate Long-Tail Variations: As new trends emerge, create long-tail keyword variations based on popular discussions or search terms. For example, if “cash home buyers” is trending, consider phrases like “best cash home buyers for fast sales” or “cash offers for houses in .”
4. Review Competitor Keywords: Regularly analyze your competitors’ ad campaigns to see what keywords they are focusing on. This can give you insights into current trends and help you identify gaps in your own keyword strategy.

By employing these pro tips for keyword research, real estate investors can effectively target motivated sellers and buyers, enhance their ad performance, and ultimately drive more qualified leads to their business. Adapting your keyword strategy to incorporate emotional, seasonal, and trending keywords will ensure you remain competitive in the dynamic real estate market.

Conclusion

In the competitive landscape of real estate, conducting thorough keyword research is essential for the success of your Google Ads campaigns. By understanding your target audience, evaluating search intent, and leveraging the right tools, you can identify keywords that attract motivated buyers and sellers. Effective keyword research helps you reach the right audience, optimizes your advertising budget, enhances lead quality, and improves your overall campaign performance.

As you embark on your keyword research journey, use the tools and strategies outlined in this guide. From Google’s Keyword Planner to Carrot’s integrated Keyword Explorer, these resources will provide you with valuable insights and data to refine your keyword list and drive better results.

Now is the time to take action! Use Carrot’s platform and keyword tools to enhance your keyword research process and launch winning campaigns that resonate with your audience. By focusing on the right keywords, you can position yourself effectively in the market, attract high-quality leads, and achieve your real estate investment goals. Start optimizing your campaigns today!

As a real estate investor, you know that finding motivated sellers is crucial to your success. With the emergence of powerful AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard, there are now even more ways to automate your lead generation efforts and optimize your Google Ads campaigns.

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In the past, automation tools were primarily focused on bid management and targeting.

However, with the latest wave of generative AI technology, you can now leverage the power of text generation to create more effective ad copy that resonates with your target audience.

Using ChatGPT for Google Ads lets you set up and optimize your accounts and save time and resources while improving your campaigns’ effectiveness. With ChatGPT, you can automate tasks such as ad creation, keyword research, and even ad testing and optimization.

Using the right keywords in your ad copy is important to attract motivated sellers. Some examples of keywords to target might include “sell my house fast,” “cash home buyer,” or “we buy houses.” Incorporating these keywords into your ad copy and using ChatGPT to generate compelling headlines and descriptions can increase your chances of connecting with motivated sellers and closing more deals.

Overall, the emergence of AI-powered tools represents a significant opportunity for real estate investors to streamline their lead generation efforts and improve the effectiveness of their Google Ads campaigns.

ChatGPT for Google Ads for Real Estate Investors

Discovering Motivated Seller Keywords with ChatGPT

As a real investor, you know the importance of finding motivated seller leads. While Google’s Keyword Planner is a helpful tool, there’s an alternative that can help you discover new keywords. ChatGPT can provide suggestions when prompted with the landing page you want to target. It can be a valuable resource to help you find the right keywords for your motivated seller lead generation strategy.

Here is an example:

To make the keyword suggestions a bit more relevant, you can ask ChatGPT to include a particular term in each one:

Using GPT for Motivated Seller Keyword Classification

When using a keyword tool like ChatGPT for your Google Ads campaigns, you may end up with a long list of suggested keywords. However, having too many keywords can make creating targeted campaigns difficult, resulting in higher Quality Scores on Google.

Splitting the list of keywords into smaller groups related to each other is important to solve this problem. This way, you can create more relevant campaigns that are more likely to convert.

Fortunately, ChatGPT is great at grouping words by relevance. It’s so accurate that you may not even need to provide category names or examples in your prompts. I initially tried to help ChatGPT understand my desired categorization by adding a category name after the first few keywords, but this was unnecessary.

Using ChatGPT to group your keywords by relevance, you can create more effective campaigns and improve your search engine rankings.

The response to this prompt was of good quality despite not providing any examples for classification.

How to Utilize GPT for Ad Creation

To set up ad groups, I already have grouped keywords and a landing page on my site. The only thing I need now are headlines and descriptions for the responsive ads. I asked ChatGPT for assistance in writing these ads.

Beware that sometimes, ChatGPT suggests ad headlines that are too long, exceeding the allowed character limits. This happens because ChatGPT doesn’t have strong mathematical abilities. Instead, it predicts the most probable text that should follow a given sequence. For instance, it recognizes that “1+1=” is typically followed by “2,” but it doesn’t perform the calculation. Instead, it looks for common patterns.

If this happens, you must adjust the characters to fit or try again.

GPT has a talent for completing the text, which means that when examples are provided in the prompt, the suggestions it generates are more accurate. This is because the suggestions follow the same pattern as the examples, which helps GPT predict what should come next in the sequence.

Utilize GPT for Optimizing Search Terms

After launching the ad groups, they will gather information about the search terms for which the ads were displayed.

This data can then be utilized for optimization purposes. However, analyzing search terms can be daunting, as there may be a vast amount of them to sift through.

To simplify this process, I requested ChatGPT to rank my ad group’s search terms according to their relevance. As ChatGPT already comprehends the concept of relevance, no further explanation was necessary. The outcome was as follows:

Here are some search terms that ChatGPT deems more relevant to real estate investors advertising to motivated sellers:

Here are some search terms that ChatGPT deems more less to real estate investors advertising to motivated sellers:

As a real estate investor, you might find it helpful to use negative keyword ideas when conducting research. One effective strategy is to focus on the terms near the bottom of the relevance list, as they are usually less relevant to the landing page you’re promoting. This can save you time and help you prioritize your efforts when busy with other marketing tasks. While it’s not a perfect solution, it can be a helpful tool in your arsenal.

How to Use ChatGPT to Optimize Your PPC Landing Pages

If you’re someone who doesn’t create landing pages, you might feel unsure about them. To help you feel more confident, use these prompts to identify intelligent landing page recommendations.

ChatGPT Prompt: “What can a person do from this page, and why would they want to do it? [Landing Page URL]”

This is a fast and basic method to assess whether the content of the page and the call to action are suitable for your potential leads.

ChatGPT Prompt: “I’m currently driving paid search traffic to this landing page [Landing Page URL]. How would you suggest improving it so that we get a better conversion rate?”

This prompt may provide you with general advice for your landing page rather than reviewing your specific URL, but it’s still valuable advice to consider.

ChatGPT Prompt: “Rewrite a headline for [Landing Page URL] that explains [unique value proposition] and includes the phrase [keyword phrase].”

This prompt can help you address an issue with landing pages where the headlines focus on attention-grabbing rather than clearly conveying the page’s purpose. By using this prompt, you can improve your landing page’s message-match sequence and create stronger content above the fold to engage your audience better.

If you don’t like what you see the first time, you can ask ChatGPT to “try again.”

Conclusion

As a real estate investor, staying informed about the latest automation opportunities in PPC advertising is important.

Generative AI technologies like GPT and Bard can revolutionize how you approach PPC, and incorporating them into your campaigns can help you achieve better results.

However, it’s crucial to remain vigilant and monitor the performance of your AI-powered strategies to ensure they align with your business goals. Consider implementing the techniques covered in this post in your PPC campaigns.

With AI technology rapidly changing the PPC landscape, staying ahead of the curve is essential to remain competitive as a real estate investor.

We’re here to help. You don’t have to get overwhelmed and fumble through paid ads. Here is a guide that can help you get started using Google Ads so you can be on your way to doing what you do best — closing deals.

As always, if you feel Carrot may be a fit for your real estate websites and want better results online, we’d love to have you in the Carrot community, and be sure to learn more about paid ads. 

Check out our plans and hit us up with questions anytime!

Looking for leads? Google Ads for real estate agents can be an extremely effective lead generation tool.

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By targeting potential customers who are already interested in buying or selling a home, agents can save time and money while reaching more clients.

However, creating and managing a successful Google Ads campaign takes careful planning and execution.

The good news is that we’ve been in the real estate marketing space for a long time at Carrot, and we know what it takes to run great Google Ads, even if you’ve never used PPC advertising before in your life.

In this guide, you will learn everything you need about Google Ads that can potentially change your life as it has for 1000s of Carrot members…

Google Ads for Real Estate Agents: Steps for Successful Campaigns

1. What is Google Ads for Real Estate?
2. Understanding the Basics of Google Ads
3. Why Google Ads for Real Estate?
4. Set Up a High Converting Real Estate Website
5. Setting Up Your Google Ads Account
6. Crafting Compelling Ads
7. Targeting Strategies for Real Estate
8. Budgeting and Bidding Strategies for Real Estate Ads
9. Monitoring and Analyzing Performance in Real Estate Advertising
10. Best Practices and Tips for Success in Real Estate Google Ads Campaigns
11. Future Trends and Innovations in Google Ads for Real Estate
12. Conclusion

What is Google Ads for Real Estate?

PPC advertising is a form of online marketing in which businesses can pay to display their ads on search engines and other websites. Advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their ad, making it a very effective way to drive traffic to your website.

Google Ads is a popular form of PPC advertising, and it’s an excellent way for real estate agents to get their properties in front of potential buyers and attract home sellers to use their services.

Here’s an example of how Google Ads appear in search results…

Understanding the Basics of Google Ads

Google Ads, a cornerstone of online advertising, operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, allowing advertisers to reach their target audience effectively. To embark on a successful journey with Google Ads for real estate, it’s crucial to grasp the fundamentals that govern its functionality.

1. Explanation of Google Ads and its Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Model:

Google Ads is a robust advertising platform where advertisers bid on specific keywords to have their clickable ads appear in Google’s search results. Unlike traditional advertising, where you pay for ad space regardless of performance, PPC means you only pay when a user clicks on your ad. This model offers a cost-effective way to drive traffic to your real estate listings.

2. Key Terms: Keywords, Ad Groups, Campaigns, and Quality Score:

• Keywords: These are the words or phrases you choose to trigger your ads. In the real estate context, keywords could be terms like “homes for sale,” “real estate agents,” or specific location-based searches.
• Ad Groups: Ad groups are clusters of related keywords within your campaign. You might have ad groups for real estate that focus on property types, locations, or buyer demographics.
• Campaigns: Campaigns are the overarching structures that house ad groups. You might create campaigns for different property types (e.g., residential, commercial) or target audiences in real estate.
• Quality Score: Google assigns a Quality Score to your ads based on their relevance, click-through rate (CTR), and the quality of your landing page. A higher Quality Score can positively impact your ad’s visibility and cost-per-click.

3. How Google Ads Auction Works:

Google Ads employs a dynamic auction system to determine the placement of ads in search results. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

• Bid: Advertisers set a maximum bid they’re willing to pay for a click on their ad.
• Quality Score: In addition to the bid, Google considers the Quality Score of the ad. A higher Quality Score can enhance ad placement even with a lower bid.
• Ad Rank: The Ad Rank is calculated by multiplying the bid with the Quality Score. Ads with higher Ad Ranks are more likely to appear prominently.
• Actual CPC (Cost-Per-Click): The actual amount an advertiser pays is influenced by the competitor’s Ad Rank below them and their Quality Score.

Understanding these foundational elements equips real estate professionals with the knowledge to navigate and optimize their Google Ads campaigns effectively. As we delve deeper into the intricacies of real estate advertising on Google Ads, this knowledge will be a valuable guide for creating impactful and cost-efficient campaigns.

Why Google Ads for Real Estate?

In the dynamic landscape of real estate marketing, leveraging the right platforms can make all the difference. Google Ads emerges as a powerhouse for real estate professionals, offering many advantages that can significantly impact visibility, lead generation, and overall success in the industry.

1. Precision Targeting for a Targeted Audience:

Google Ads allows real estate professionals to hone in on a highly specific, targeted audience actively seeking properties. Through the strategic use of keywords, advertisers can align their ads with the precise queries potential buyers are entering into Google’s search bar. This precision targeting ensures that your real estate listings are presented to individuals actively interested in the type of properties you offer.

2. Immediate Visibility in Search Results:

Real estate is competitive, and standing out in a crowded market is paramount. Google Ads provides a shortcut to immediate visibility in search results. Instead of relying solely on organic search rankings, your ads can appear prominently at the top of relevant search pages. This prime real estate in search results increases the likelihood of attracting the attention of potential buyers in the crucial decision-making phase.

3. Cost-Effective Lead Generation:

Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, ensuring that you only pay when someone actively engages with your ad by clicking on it. This cost-effective approach means that your advertising budget is allocated to genuine leads—individuals who have shown interest in real estate properties by clicking on your ad. This targeted expenditure maximizes the return on investment and minimizes wasteful spending on audiences uninterested in your offerings.

4. Instant Brand Exposure:

For real estate professionals aiming to establish or enhance their brand presence, Google Ads provides an avenue for instant exposure. Beyond just listings, you can use ads to showcase your expertise, unique selling propositions, and the value you bring to potential buyers. The more frequently your brand appears in relevant search results, the more trust and recognition you can build among your target audience.

In essence, Google Ads offers a powerful toolkit for real estate professionals to survive and thrive in a competitive market. By strategically harnessing the advantages of this platform, you can position your listings in front of the right audience, elevate your brand visibility, and generate high-quality leads that are more likely to convert into successful transactions. As we explore the intricacies of Google Ads for real estate, these advantages will be the foundation for creating impactful and results-driven advertising campaigns.

Before You Start: Get Your Website Dialed In

Before launching any Google Ads campaigns or spending a single dollar on paid traffic, there’s one thing you need: a high-converting website. Without a site that’s optimized for capturing leads and driving action, all the traffic in the world won’t help your business.

Your website is the foundation of your digital marketing strategy. It’s where motivated sellers will land after clicking your ad, and it’s your best chance to turn that interest into a real lead. But simply having a website isn’t enough—you need to ensure it’s set up to convert. That means clear messaging, an easy-to-navigate design, fast load times, and a seamless experience on mobile devices.

Set Up a High-Converting Real Estate Website

Your website is the backbone of your Google Ads campaign. Once you’ve paid to get motivated buyers and sellers to click on your ad, ensuring they convert into leads is essential. Here’s how to optimize your website for maximum conversions:

1. Clear, Compelling Messaging

Your website should immediately communicate what you offer and why it’s valuable. For real estate agents, this often means highlighting a fast, hassle-free selling experience. Use strong headlines that address seller pain points and key benefits, such as “Get a Cash Offer in 24 Hours” or “Sell Your House Fast Without a Realtor.” Clarity and directness build trust quickly.

2. Trust Signals

Motivated sellers often find themselves in tough situations and want reassurance that they’re working with a credible agent. To build trust, include testimonials from happy clients, positive reviews, and certifications. Visual trust badges, such as “BBB Accredited” or logos from well-known media outlets, add authority and increase confidence in your services.

3. Simple Lead Capture Forms

Make it as easy as possible for visitors to give you their information. Keep your forms simple—only ask for the essentials like name, phone number, and property address. The shorter and more straightforward the form, the more likely visitors will fill it out. Consider offering a small incentive, like a “Free Home Valuation,” to encourage them to take action.

4. Mobile-Friendly Design

More than half of real estate searches come from mobile devices. If your website isn’t mobile-optimized, you’re losing leads. Ensure your site looks great and functions smoothly on smartphones and tablets. Use responsive design and large buttons for easy navigation, and ensure forms are easy to fill out on smaller screens.

5. Fast-Loading Pages

Speed is a critical factor in keeping visitors on your site. If your website takes too long to load, people will leave before they can engage. Aim for a load time under 3 seconds. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you monitor your site’s performance and find areas for improvement.

By implementing these best practices, you’ll maximize your website’s potential and turn more visitors into qualified leads for your real estate business. A well-optimized site works hand in hand with your ads, helping you get the most out of your marketing budget.

Need a website that checks all these boxes? We’ve got you covered! Join Carrot today and get a high-converting site built to generate leads, rank on Google, and help grow your real estate business.

Setting Up Your Google Ads Account

Embarking on a successful real estate marketing journey with Google Ads begins with the meticulous setup of your account. Let’s walk through the essential steps, emphasizing the importance of each element in ensuring your campaigns are tailored for success.

1. Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Google Ads Account:

• Visit the Google Ads Website: Start by navigating the Google Ads website (ads.google.com) and click “Start Now” to begin the account creation process.
• Select Your Goals: Google Ads allows you to choose from various campaign goals, such as website visits, phone calls, or app downloads. For real estate, common goals include lead generation and website visits.
• Campaign Type: Choose the campaign type that aligns with your objectives. Options may include Search, Display, or Video campaigns. For real estate, a Search campaign might be ideal to capture users actively searching for properties.
• Define Your Location and Language Targeting: Specify the geographical areas you want your ads to appear in and the preferred language of your target audience.
• Create Your First Ad: Craft a compelling ad that aligns with your real estate offerings. Highlight key selling points, unique features, or special promotions to entice potential buyers.
• Set Your Budget: Determine your daily or monthly budget to control your advertising expenses. Google Ads provides flexibility, allowing you to adjust your budget based on performance.

2. Importance of Defining Campaign Goals and Target Audience:

• Clarity in Objectives: Clearly define your campaign goals—driving traffic to your website, generating leads, or promoting specific listings. This clarity ensures that every aspect of your campaign aligns with your overarching objectives.
• Understanding Your Audience: Identify your target audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Consider factors such as location, home preferences, and buyer demographics in the real estate context. Tailoring your campaigns to a specific audience enhances their relevance and effectiveness.

3. Choosing the Right Keywords for Real Estate Campaigns:

Research Relevant Keywords: Conduct thorough keyword research to identify terms potential buyers will likely use when searching for properties. Include location-specific keywords and terms related to property types, features, and amenities.

The different match types give you room when selecting your keywords. Match types tell Google whether you want to match a search query exactly or if your ad should be shown to anyone with a search query that’s somewhat related. There are three match types to choose from:

Broad
Phrase 
Exact

Broad match “may show on searches related to your keyword, including searches without keyword terms. This helps you attract more visitors to your website, spend less time building keyword lists, and focus your spending on keywords that work. Broad match is the default match type assigned to all your keywords so that you don’t have to specify another match type (exact match, phrase match, or a negative match type).”

The syntax for the broad match is to input the keyword. Below is an example of how a broad match keyword would work:

Phrase match “may show on searches that include the meaning of your keyword. The meaning of the keyword can be implied, and user searches can be a more specific form of the meaning. With phrase match, you can reach more searches than with exact match and fewer searches than with broad match, only showing your ads on the searches that include your product or service.”

The syntax for phrase match is to put quotes around your keyword. Below is an example of how a phrase match keyword would work:

Exact match “may appear on searches with the same meaning or intent as the keyword. Of the three keyword match options, exact match gives you the most control over who sees your ad but reaches fewer searches than both phrase and broad match.”

The syntax for an exact match is to use square brackets. Below is an example of how an exact match keyword would work:

If you’re starting and don’t know exactly how your market will be searching, move away from a broad match to a narrowed approach to see which searches yield the best results. You should monitor and modify your keywords closely as you gain new data.

Long-Tail Keywords: Incorporate long-tail keywords to capture more specific search queries. For example, “3-bedroom homes for sale in [location]” provides a more targeted approach than a generic term like “homes for sale.”

Negative Keywords: Exclude irrelevant terms through negative keywords to ensure your ads aren’t triggered by searches that don’t align with your offerings.

Negative keywords are one of the most underutilized tools PPC advertisers have at their fingertips. They can help you save a budget for the best quality searches when used correctly.

Let’s say you’re an agent creating your first Google Ads campaign. You’d like to appear on searches to sell your luxury properties targeting out-of-state buyers.

You may want to add terms such as “apartments” or “new house plans” as negative keywords.

As you’ll discover, from video games to furniture to spiritual statues, many search terms represent nothing to do with buying or selling a house.

Setting up your Google Ads account is not just a preliminary step; it’s the foundation for successful real estate campaigns.

By following these steps diligently and aligning your goals with the unique attributes of the real estate market, you set the stage for targeted, impactful, and cost-effective advertising.

As we delve deeper into the intricacies of Google Ads for real estate, the foundations established during setup will prove instrumental in creating campaigns that resonate with your audience and drive tangible results.

Keyword Examples

Example keywords for a “seller” campaign:

• best realtors in my area
• selling my home
• list my house
• home selling tips
• staging your home to sell
• how much is my house worth
• local real estate agents
• tips for selling my home
• finding a realtor
• find a real estate agent

Example keywords for a “buyer” campaign:

• house listings
• local homes for sale
• new homes for sale in
• find homes for sale in
• 2 story houses for sale in
• riverfront houses for sale in
• new listings in
• buy a house in
• homes for sale websites
• new real estate listings

Crafting Compelling Real Estate Ads

In the realm of real estate advertising, the art of crafting compelling ads is paramount. It’s not just about showcasing properties; it’s about captivating your audience, driving engagement, and enticing potential buyers to take the next step. Let’s delve into the key components of creating ads that leave a lasting impression.

1. Writing Effective Ad Copy for Real Estate Listings:

• Clarity and Conciseness: Craft ad copy that is clear, concise, and directly addresses the unique selling points of your real estate listings. Clearly communicate the value proposition and why potential buyers should explore further.
• Highlight Key Features: Identify and emphasize the key features of the property. Whether it’s a spacious backyard, state-of-the-art kitchen, or proximity to amenities, these details should be prominently featured in your ad copy.
• Create a Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA): Encourage immediate action with a compelling CTA. Whether it’s “Explore Now,” “Schedule a Viewing,” or “Learn More,” guide potential buyers on the next steps you want them to take.
• Incorporate Keywords: Infuse relevant keywords seamlessly into your ad copy. This improves ad relevance and enhances the chances of your ad appearing in searches for specific real estate terms.

2. Utilizing Ad Extensions to Provide Additional Information:

• Location Extensions: Enhance the local appeal of your real estate listings by incorporating location extensions. This feature displays your business address, making it convenient for users to find your properties.
• Callout Extensions: Use callout extensions to highlight additional benefits or features that make your listings stand out. Whether it’s “Waterfront Views” or “Family-Friendly Neighborhood,” these snippets provide valuable information.
• Sitelink Extensions: Direct users to specific pages on your website with sitelink extensions. This could include links to virtual tours, property galleries, or more detailed information about your real estate services.
• Structured Snippet Extensions: Showcase specific aspects of your real estate offerings with structured snippet extensions. This could include categories like property types, amenities, or neighborhood highlights.

3. Creating Visually Appealing Display Ads:

• High-Quality Imagery: Invest in high-quality images that showcase the best features of your properties. Clear, vibrant visuals capture attention and convey the appeal of the real estate listings.
• Consistent Branding: Maintain consistency in branding across your display ads. This includes using the same color schemes, fonts, and logos to reinforce your brand identity.
• Eye-Catching Design: Design visually appealing ads with attention-grabbing elements. Use contrasting colors, compelling headlines, and strategic placement of images to create an aesthetically pleasing composition.
• Responsive Design: Ensure your display ads are responsive and compatible across various devices. With many users browsing on mobile devices, a responsive design ensures a seamless viewing experience.

Crafting compelling real estate ads is an art that combines persuasive storytelling with strategic elements.

By focusing on impactful ad copy, utilizing extensions for additional information, and creating visually stunning displays, you elevate your real estate listings to new heights.

These principles will serve as your guide to creating ads that capture attention and drive engagement and conversions.

Targeting Strategies for Real Estate

In the expansive world of real estate, precision is key. Targeting the right audience with the right message at the right time can significantly elevate the success of your campaigns. Let’s explore targeted strategies designed specifically for real estate professionals to ensure your message reaches those most likely to become your clients.

1. Geo-Targeting: Reaching Potential Clients in Specific Locations:

• Localized Precision: Geo-targeting allows you to narrow your audience based on geographical location. For real estate professionals, this means reaching potential clients precisely where they want to buy or sell properties.
• Neighborhood-Specific Campaigns: Tailor your campaigns to specific neighborhoods or regions. If you specialize in certain areas, use geo-targeting to direct your ads to individuals actively interested in real estate in those locations.
• Adaptable Marketing: Adjust your messaging based on the unique characteristics of each location. Highlight nearby amenities, schools, or attractions to make your real estate offerings more appealing to the local audience.

2. Demographic Targeting Based on Buyer Profiles:

• Understanding Buyer Profiles: Identify and define your target buyer personas. Consider demographics such as age, income, occupation, and family status. For example, a family home may be marketed differently than a luxury condo.
• Tailored Content: Craft ad content that resonates with your target demographics. Speak directly to the needs and preferences of your audience to create a more personalized and impactful message.
• Customized Offers: Adjust your offers based on the demographics of your audience. For instance, first-time homebuyers might be interested in special financing options, while retirees may prioritize downsizing or retirement communities.

3. Using Remarketing to Engage with Previous Website Visitors:

• Staying Top-of-Mind: Implement remarketing strategies to reconnect with individuals who have previously visited your website. This keeps your real estate brand top-of-mind as they continue their property search.
• Showcasing New Listings: Showcase new listings or updates to capture the attention of those who have shown interest in the past. Utilize dynamic remarketing to display specific properties based on the user’s previous interactions.
• Encouraging Further Exploration: Include compelling calls-to-action in your remarketing ads, encouraging users to revisit your website, explore more listings, or contact you for personalized assistance.

Targeting strategies in real estate advertising go beyond casting a wide net; they involve a nuanced understanding of your audience and a strategic approach to reaching them where it matters most.

These targeting strategies will be the cornerstone of your campaigns, ensuring that your message reaches the right individuals at the right time, ultimately driving engagement and conversions.

Budgeting and Bidding Strategies for Real Estate Ads

Navigating the financial aspects of real estate advertising on Google Ads requires a careful balance between setting realistic budgets and implementing effective bidding strategies.

Let’s explore how to establish a budget, weigh the pros and cons of manual vs. automated bidding, and optimize bids to ensure a maximum return on investment (ROI) for your real estate campaigns.

1. Establishing a Realistic Budget for Real Estate Campaigns:

• Assessing Your Resources: Evaluate your financial resources and determine how much you can allocate to your Google Ads campaigns. Consider your marketing budget and allocate a portion specifically for real estate advertising.
• Cost-Per-Click (CPC) Considerations: Understand the average cost-per-click in the real estate industry, as it can vary based on factors such as location, property type, and competition. This knowledge helps you set a budget that aligns with the expected costs of reaching your target audience.
• Campaign Goals and Duration: Tailor your budget to the specific goals of each campaign and its intended duration. Short-term promotional campaigns may require a different budget allocation than ongoing lead generation efforts.

2. Understanding Bidding Strategies: Manual vs. Automated:

• Manual Bidding: With manual bidding, you have direct control over how much you’re willing to pay for clicks. This strategy provides a hands-on approach, allowing you to adjust bids based on performance, keywords, or specific ad groups.
• Automated Bidding: Automated bidding relies on machine learning algorithms to set bids based on your campaign goals. Google’s automated strategies include Target CPA (Cost-Per-Acquisition), Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), and Maximize Conversions. Automated bidding can be advantageous for those seeking efficiency and time savings.
• Hybrid Approaches: Consider a hybrid approach, combining manual bidding for high-priority keywords or ad groups with automated bidding for broader campaigns. This allows for greater flexibility and optimization based on performance data.

3. Tips for Optimizing Bids to Maximize ROI:

• Monitor and Analyze Performance: Regularly review the performance metrics of your real estate campaigns, including click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost per conversion. Identify high-performing keywords and allocate the budget accordingly.
• Adjust Bids Based on Performance: Leverage performance data to adjust bids for keywords or ad groups in manual bidding. Increase bids for top-performing elements to maximize visibility and decrease bids for underperforming areas to optimize budget allocation.
• Utilize Bid Adjustments: Take advantage of bid adjustments based on location, device type, or time of day. Adjusting bids for specific criteria allows you to tailor your real estate ads to the most receptive audiences.
• Test and Iterate: Implement A/B testing to assess the impact of different bidding strategies. Test variations in bid amounts, ad copy, or targeting parameters to identify the most effective combination for your real estate campaigns.

Establishing a budget and implementing bidding strategies in real estate advertising is a dynamic process that requires continuous monitoring and adjustment.

These budgeting and bidding strategies will be essential for optimizing your campaigns and achieving a maximum return on investment.

Monitoring and Analyzing Performance in Real Estate Advertising

The success of your real estate campaigns on Google Ads hinges on your ability to launch compelling ads and monitor and analyze performance continuously. Let’s delve into the significance of tracking key metrics, the role of Google Analytics in gaining insights, and the art of making data-driven adjustments to enhance your campaign’s overall performance.

1. Importance of Tracking Key Metrics: Click-Through Rate (CTR), Conversion Rate, and Cost Per Click (CPC):

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): CTR is a vital metric that reflects the percentage of users who click on your ad after seeing it. A high CTR indicates that your ad resonates with the audience, while a low CTR may signify a need for adjustments to the ad copy, targeting, or relevance.
• Conversion Rate: The conversion rate measures the percentage of users who completed a desired action, such as submitting a contact form or requesting more information. Monitoring conversion rates helps gauge the effectiveness of your real estate ads in driving valuable interactions.
• Cost Per Click (CPC): Understanding the cost per click is crucial for managing your budget effectively. It reflects the amount you pay each time a user clicks on your ad. Keeping a close eye on CPC helps ensure your advertising expenses align with your budgetary constraints.

2. Utilizing Google Analytics to Gain Insights into User Behavior:

• Integrated Data Sources: Integrate Google Analytics with your Google Ads account to comprehensively view user behavior. This integration enables you to connect advertising data with user interactions on your website.
• User Journey Tracking: Track the entire user journey, from clicking on the ad to navigating your website. Analyze which pages users visit, how much time they spend, and whether they take desired actions. This information informs your understanding of user intent and engagement.
• Segmentation and Audience Insights: Leverage Google Analytics to segment your audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. This segmentation provides valuable insights into the characteristics of users who engage most positively with your real estate offerings.

3. Making Data-Driven Adjustments to Improve Campaign Performance:

• Keyword Optimization: Analyze the performance of keywords and adjust bids or add negative keywords based on their impact. Focus budget allocation on high-performing keywords to maximize visibility.
• Ad Copy Refinement: Use performance data to refine your ad copy. Identify elements that resonate with your audience and incorporate these insights into future iterations. A/B testing different ad variations allows you to pinpoint the most effective messaging.
• Targeting Enhancements: Evaluate the performance of demographic and geographic targeting. Adjust parameters based on the data, refining your targeting strategy to reach the most receptive audience for your real estate ads.
• Budget Allocation: Allocate your budget strategically based on the performance of different campaigns, ad groups, or keywords. Shift resources to areas delivering the best results to optimize your return on investment.

Monitoring and analyzing performance in real estate advertising isn’t a one-time task; it’s an ongoing process that informs iterative improvements.

Mastering these performance analysis techniques will empower you to refine your campaigns, enhance user engagement, and achieve sustained success in the competitive real estate market.

Best Practices and Tips for Success in Real Estate Google Ads Campaigns

Running successful Google Ads campaigns in the dynamic realm of real estate requires a strategic approach, continuous refinement, and a keen understanding of industry best practices. Let’s explore a compilation of key strategies and tips to elevate your real estate advertising game and stay ahead of the competition.

1. Understand Your Target Audience:

• Buyer Personas: Develop detailed buyer personas to understand your target audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviors. Tailor your ad content to resonate with potential buyers’ needs and preferences.
• Leverage Audience Insights: Use analytics tools to gain insights into user behavior and demographics. This information helps you refine your targeting strategies and create more personalized and effective real estate ads.

2. Optimize Landing Pages for Conversions:

• Seamless User Experience: Ensure the landing pages linked to your ads provide a seamless and user-friendly experience. Optimize for mobile responsiveness, quick loading times, and clear calls-to-action to encourage conversions.
• Relevance to Ad Content: Align the content on your landing pages with the messaging in your ads. Consistency in information and visuals reinforces trust and increases the likelihood of users taking the desired actions.

3. Utilize Ad Extensions Strategically:

• Location Extensions: Enhance the local appeal of your real estate listings by incorporating location extensions. This provides users with additional information about your business’s physical location.
• Callout Extensions: Highlight unique selling points and benefits using callout extensions. These snippets offer an opportunity to showcase special features of your properties or services.

4. Leverage Negative Keywords:

• Refine Targeting: Regularly review and update your list of negative keywords to refine targeting. This ensures irrelevant searches do not trigger your ads, optimizing your budget for more qualified leads.

5. A/B Test Ad Variations:

• Continuous Improvement: Implement A/B testing to experiment with different ad variations. Test elements such as headlines, ad copy, and visuals to identify what resonates most with your audience. Use performance data to refine and optimize.

6. Stay Informed About Market Trends:

• Adapt to Market Changes: Real estate is a dynamic industry, and trends can shift rapidly. Stay informed about current trends, changes in buyer behavior, and emerging technologies. Adapt your strategies to align with the evolving landscape.

7. Regularly Review and Adjust Bids:

• Bid Optimization: Monitor the performance of your campaigns and adjust bids accordingly. Allocate more budget to high-performing keywords and make data-driven adjustments to maximize your return on investment.

8. Stay Ahead of Competition:

• Competitor Analysis: Regularly analyze the strategies of your competitors. Identify what works well for them and explore opportunities to differentiate your real estate offerings. Stay ahead by offering unique value propositions.

9. Embrace Seasonal Campaigns:

• Tailor Campaigns to Seasons: Real estate demand often fluctuates with seasons. Tailor your campaigns to align with seasonal trends, such as emphasizing cozy winter homes or summer outdoor spaces. This ensures relevance to current market interests.

10. Monitor and Respond to User Feedback:

• Online Reputation Management: Monitor user reviews and feedback online. Respond promptly and professionally to address concerns or inquiries. A positive online reputation can significantly impact your credibility in the real estate market.

Embracing these best practices and tips positions you for success in the competitive real estate advertising landscape on Google Ads.

These strategies will guide you to create impactful campaigns, engage your target audience, and achieve lasting success in the ever-evolving real estate market.

Future Trends and Innovations in Google Ads for Real Estate

As real estate advertising landscape evolves, staying ahead of emerging trends and innovations becomes pivotal for success. Let’s briefly explore the future of real estate advertising on Google Ads, highlighting technologies and features likely to reshape the industry.

1. Video Content Dominance: Video content is gaining prominence across digital platforms, and real estate is no exception. Expect a surge in video ads showcasing property walkthroughs, neighborhood highlights, and immersive virtual tours. Video content engages users effectively and provides a more comprehensive view of listed properties.

2. Augmented and Virtual Reality Integration: Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies are set to revolutionize the real estate advertising experience. Imagine users being able to virtually tour a property, customize interiors, or visualize potential renovations. AR and VR enhance user engagement and bring listings to life in unimaginable ways.

3. Enhanced Data Analytics and AI-driven Insights: The future of real estate advertising lies in advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). Expect AI algorithms to analyze user behavior, predict preferences, and optimize ad targeting. Enhanced data insights will empower real estate professionals to make more informed decisions, ensuring campaigns are tailored to the specific needs of their audience.

4. Voice Search Optimization: With the rise of voice-activated devices and smart assistants, optimizing real estate ads for voice search is becoming crucial. Future trends indicate a shift towards conversational and long-tail keyword strategies, ensuring that ads are effectively surfaced in voice-activated searches related to real estate.

5. Sustainable and Green Living Emphasis: As environmental consciousness grows, real estate advertising is likely to highlight sustainable and eco-friendly features of properties. Ads promoting energy-efficient homes, green spaces, and environmentally conscious designs will cater to a market increasingly prioritizing sustainable living.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the benefits of leveraging Google Ads for real estate are abundant and multifaceted. This powerful platform gives real estate professionals a dynamic tool to reach a targeted audience, showcase properties effectively, and drive meaningful engagement. As we’ve explored the intricacies of real estate advertising on Google Ads, we are encouraged to embrace this platform fully.

Recap of Benefits:

• Precision Targeting: Google Ads allows you to reach a highly targeted audience based on demographics, interests, and online behavior, ensuring your real estate ads are seen by those most likely to engage.
• Visual Engagement: Utilize the visual appeal of Google Ads to showcase property images, videos, and immersive content, providing potential buyers a captivating experience.
• Measurable ROI: The platform provides robust analytics, allowing you to track key performance metrics and make data-driven adjustments for optimal return on investment.
• Adaptability to Market Changes: With Google Ads, real estate professionals can adapt quickly to market changes, capitalize on emerging trends, and stay ahead of the competition.

Click here to get yourself a Carrot website risk-free for 30 days!

Encouragement:

Leveraging Google Ads for real estate is not just an option; it’s a strategic necessity. The platform offers a dynamic canvas for creativity, innovation, and effective online marketing. As you navigate the future of real estate advertising, embrace the power of Google Ads to elevate your campaigns, engage your audience, and achieve lasting success in this ever-evolving industry.

After spending over a million dollars on ads over 12 months and reviewing dozens and dozens of accounts, we’d like to share our findings on which platforms are giving investors the best bang for their buck.

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Demo Carrot: How many deals are you losing to your competitor’s website?

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At Carrot, we’ve helped tens of thousands of real estate investors generate millions of motivated seller leads — through evergreen marketing and our holistic lead generation hub. 

Brandon Bateman has done a scaled version of this but in the paid advertising realm. Specifically, he spent millions of dollars in Google and Facebook ad spend for his real estate investor clients over 2021 to generate leads and land deals. 

For this guide, our team collaborated with Brandon to comprehensively compare SEO vs. Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads for real estate investors trying to find motivated sellers. 

We’re going to look at the pros and cons of each channel. Then we will compare the average cost per lead, deal size, and conversion rate of each channel. And finally, we’ll give you the ultimate real estate investor marketing roadmap for creating synergy between all three marketing methods to scale your business systematically. 

Let’s dive in. 

Facebook Ads Pros & Cons

Facebook Ads are probably the most popular type of advertisement that real estate investors leverage. You can use Facebook Ads to either target a brand new audience or retarget people who’ve already visited your website. 

The most significant upside to Facebook Ads is that they’re pretty easy to set up, allowing you to access a broad audience. The biggest downside is that Facebook advertising is a form of interruption marketing, meaning that people are on the platform for something else when your ad interrupts them. That doesn’t mean it’s ineffective… but it’s something every advertiser needs to keep in mind. 

Pros:

Advertise Across Multiple Platforms

Facebook Ads allow you to target your ads to specific people on Facebook, Instagram, and Audience Network. and Messenger. So you have a very expansive reach and can show your ads wherever people prefer to hang out. 

Detailed Targeting & Retargeting

Facebook Ads also offer detailed targeting options. You can target people based on their interests, demographics, behaviors, and purchasing history. And you can also retarget people who have visited your website or engaged with your Facebook page.

Resources like FB Ads Library, allow advertisers to view and analyze other ads running on the platform. This feature enables them to gain insights into successful ad campaigns within their niche, helping them refine their own strategies for even greater effectiveness. So you can laser-focus your advertising to reach only the most relevant people.

User Friendly

Facebook Ads are very user-friendly. The creation process is simple, and you can get your ads up and running quickly.

Cons:

Lack of Knowledge Means Wasted Money

The biggest downside of Facebook Ads is that many real estate investors don’t know how to use them effectively, so they end up wasting a lot of money on ads that don’t reach their target audience.

Strict Facebook Advertising Policies

Facebook also has very strict advertising policies. If you violate their policies, your account can be shut down, and you end up in “Facebook jail” for quite some time before you can rerun ads. 

Some of Facebook’s advertising policies include…

• No Misrepresentation
• Ads must not contain false, deceptive, or misleading content, including deceptive claims, offers, or business practices.
• No Discrimination
• Ads must not discriminate against people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation.
• No Controversial Content
• Ads must not contain content that is inappropriate, offensive, or controversial. This includes ads for adult products or services, firearms, tobacco products, and political or religious content.

Of course, Facebook ultimately determines whether your ads are appropriate, which can be a bit problematic in its ambiguity. 

Facebook Ads Are Interruption Marketing

Facebook Ads is interruption marketing. People are in the middle of doing something else when your ad pops up and interrupts them. So there’s a high chance that they will ignore it. That’s just the nature of interruption marketing. 

Google Ads Pros & Cons

Google Ads is another powerful advertising platform for real estate investors. One of the best parts about Google advertising is that it’s not the same type of interruption marketing as Facebook Ads — because of the nature of the platform, people are searching for whatever your ad is promoting… so long as your keyword targeting is laser-focused. 

The most difficult part about Google Ads is getting the keyword targeting where you want it — this can take hours of research and testing. 

Pros

Google Ads Results Can Be Instant

When you create a Google ad, it goes live almost immediately. So you can start seeing results (or leads) very quickly. SEO takes much longer to see results.

Easy to Create Campaigns

Google Ads are also straightforward to create campaigns. The creation process is simple, and you can get your ads up and running quickly. Do keyword research, set your budget, and create a campaign.

Great Exposure in Search Results

Google Ads are also very effective at getting your business exposure on search engine results pages (SERPs). Your ad will appear as a sponsored link above the organic search results for your targeted keywords.

Google Ads Have Increased in Size

Google Ads have also been increasing in size over the past few years. So they’re taking up more real estate on the SERP… which means your ads can be more persuasive!

Testing & Optimization Options

Google Ads also offers a lot of testing and optimization options. You can test different ad copy, landing pages, bids, and other settings to see which combinations work best.

Budget Flexibility

Google Ads also offers a lot of budget flexibility. You can set your budget (big or small) to be per day, month, or click. So you can find a budget that works for you.

Cons

You Pay Per Click

One downside of Google Ads is that you pay per click. So even if someone doesn’t convert into a lead or sale, you still have to pay for that click.

Competitive Markets Have High Cost Per Click

If your market is competitive, the cost per click for your targeted keywords will be high. So you’ll need to have a larger budget to compete.

No Budget = No Leads

Another downside of Google Ads is that you need to have a budget to get leads. If you don’t have any money set aside for your marketing efforts, then you can’t use Google Ads. The same is true for Facebook Ads. When you stop the ads, traffic, and leads stop coming in. 

Need To Have Laser-Focused Keyword Targeting

Google Ads also require laser-focused keyword targeting. Your ads won’t be effective if you’re not targeting the right keywords.

Steep Learning Curve

Google Ads has a bit of a steep learning curve. It takes some time to learn how to use them effectively — it can be a big investment to learn enough to run effective Google Ads. 

Requires Excellent Landing Pages

Google Ads also require excellent landing pages. If your landing pages are not up to par, you will not see good results from your ads.

SEO Pros & Cons

For longevity, SEO is the most powerful marketing method available to real estate investors. Rather than depending on interruption marketing, you meet motivated sellers where they are — when they are looking for something in Google, you provide the answers. And as opposed to Google Ads, you do so organically without depending on a big marketing budget to put coal in the fire.

And once you’ve achieved high rankings for high-value keyword phrases in your market, you’ll likely stay in that position for years to come, creating a sustainable and predictable lead flow for your business. 

The downside to SEO is that it takes an upfront commitment to produce content and typically requires three months to 6 months to start seeing results. 

Pros

Sustainable Lead Flow

One of the biggest benefits of SEO is that it creates sustainable lead flow. Unlike methods like Google Ads, where you have to keep paying to get leads, with SEO, your leads will continue to come in as long as you rank in the search engines. 

Longevity

SEO is also the most long-term marketing method available. Once you’ve achieved high rankings for your targeted keywords, you’ll likely stay in that position for years to come, creating a consistent and predictable lead flow for your business. 

High-Quality Leads

SEO also generates high-quality leads. People who find you through organic search are already interested in what you have to offer — they’re farther down the sales funnel than people who come from other marketing methods.

Cons

Takes Time to Rank

One downside of SEO is that ranking in search engines takes time. It typically takes three to six months to start seeing results.

Requires Consistent Content Production

To rank in the search engines, you must consistently produce high-quality content. If you slack off on your content production, your rankings will drop.

Requires Good Website Tech Stack

To SEO effectively, you need a good website tech stack. This means your website needs to be well-coded, have a fast loading time, and be mobile-friendly.

Average Cost Per Lead By Channel

Here’s the average cost per lead for real estate investors on each channel — these stats are taken straight from Bateman’s research.

Facebook

Median Cost Per Lead: $132

Average Cost Per Lead: $103

Google

Median Cost Per Lead: $279

Average Cost Per Lead: $206

(We also pulled data from 30 different Google Ads accounts amounting to over $1.2 million in spending. Our accounts averaged a $196.25 cost per lead in 2021)

SEO

This is a bit different because you’re not directly paying to get SEO rankings. You could reasonably not pay a penny and get leads and deals through SEO. Or you might pay a little bit — like through Carrot — to help with your website tech stack, consistent content production, and search engine optimization and pay around $100 per month to end up generating 30-100 leads per month entirely through SEO, for which the average close rate is about 1 in 10 or 1 in 15. 

Average Deal Size by Channel

One metric that real estate investors forget to consider is the size of the deals they’re doing through each channel. Because believe it or not, different channels generate different quality of leads and, therefore, different quality of deals. 

Brandon says his clients typically do 10% to 40% bigger deals through digital marketing than physical marketing. 

Facebook: Facebook leads are less motivated but more likely to be exclusive, which often means they are the biggest deal size for our clients.

Google: Google leads are more motivated, but also more competitive. In heavy competition markets, deal sizes can be lower due to the various levels of negotiations.

SEO: SEO deal sizes generally follow the same trend as PPC in terms of deal size.

Average Lead Conversion By Channel

The average lead conversion rate is the percentage of leads that turn into deals. 

This number will differ for every real estate investor. Still, SEO almost always has a higher lead conversion rate than Google Ads or Facebook Ads because it’s entirely organic — that is, people, coming looking for you… so they’re more motivated. 

Google Ads typically have a higher conversion rate than Facebook Ads for the same reason — because you’re simply advertising to people who are typing specific keywords into Google. 

Here are some benchmarks…

• Facebook: 20-30 leads per deal. 
• Google: 10-15 leads per deal. 
• SEO: 10 leads per deal. 

But remember: 99% of your leads are NOT going to turn into deals after just a single point of contact — that’s why it’s so important to have an excellent follow-up process. You can learn more about how to follow up with leads effectively here.

The Ultimate Real Estate Investors Marketing Roadmap

Here’s a quick overview of what your real estate marketing mix should look like. 

First, understand that if you invest in it starting now, SEO can make growing your business 1000x easier and more sustainable. So work on your website’s SEO and optimization rate from the get-go. After six months to a year of optimization, you’ll see consistent results from your efforts. If you don’t know where to start, go here.

Second, while you’re building the SEO arm of your business, it’s important to use other advertising and marketing tactics to keep the lead-flow momentum going. This includes direct mail, Facebook advertising, Google advertising, door knocking, cold calling, and many other tactics. 

Do what you must to find leads while waiting to claim your SERP rankings. 

At some point, the evergreen marketing arm of your business will take over the advertising arm, and you’ll be well on your way to lead-flow freedom. 

We’ve seen many real estate investors achieve true freedom in their businesses by transitioning from what we call “Hamster Wheel Marketing” — the moment you get off the wheel leads stop flowing — to “Evergreen Marketing” — it keeps growing even when you’re not actively working on it. 

Go here to learn more about this marketing map.

Conclusion

So there you have it: A detailed comparison of SEO vs. Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads for real estate investors. As you can see, each has its benefits and drawbacks. And each should be used at different stages in the lead generation process. 

But if we had to pick the best method for real estate investors, it would be SEO. Why? Because once you rank for your target keywords, the leads will keep coming in month after month with little to no effort on your part. That’s the power of evergreen marketing. 

If you’re just getting started, though, focus on generating leads through all channels — Facebook Ads, Google Ads, direct mail, door knocking, cold calling, etc. — while working on your SEO.

And if you need help getting started, we have a free guide that will teach you everything you need about real estate marketing.

Thanks for reading!

No one likes to waste money! Negative keywords are one of the most underutilized tools PPC advertisers have at their fingertips. They can help you save a budget for the best quality searches when used correctly.

We want you to hit the ground running with your campaign quality, so we’ve added 100 negative keywords you can include in your PPC accounts. It will keep your keep ads from showing for words such as “gta” and “paint,” which are sure to accompany some keywords you’re bidding on.

⬇️ Grab a FREE Negative Keyword List for Motivated Sellers ⬇️

Let’s say you’re an investor who’s creating your first Google Ads campaign. You’d like to show up on searches to sell a house. Although, it can be a mistake to advertise for a broad term. Here’s what can happen:

Advertiser bids on “sell home” and a searcher comes along and types in “sell home furniture,” looking at the many options to sell their home furniture.

Your ad featuring an option to sell their home fast for cash shows.

The searcher accidentally clicks your ad, driving up your bill, without any intention of selling you their house.

This is a fairly common example. As you’ll discover, from video games to furniture to spiritual statues, lots of search terms represent something that has nothing to do with selling a house fast.

What Are Negative Keywords for Real Estate & How Do They Appear In Google Ads?

Negative keywords give you an opportunity to block search terms that you don’t want your ad to be shown for. Let’s take a look at the common types of negative keywords that can be added:

• no notation at all indicates a broad match
• [brackets] represent a keyword in exact match
• “quotations” represent a keyword in phrase match

You can add these negative keywords at the campaign level & ad group level. Campaign level negatives mean those will not appear within an ad group for any keyword. Ad group level means you can set a particular negative keyword for a singular ad group. For the real estate industry, it’s best practice to add negative keywords at the campaign level.

Let’s take a look at how negative keywords are often used.

More of the traditional use of negative keywords works well for the real estate industry.

For example, if you’re looking to capture leads where people are searching looking to sell their house fast without an agent; then you’ll want to block searches for “sell a house with an agent” and “find an agent to sell my house” by adding “agent” to your negative keyword list.

*Tip*  You should use Google’s search terms report to find new negative keywords. But, do beware that if you add keywords using this method, Google defaults them as an exact match.

How to Build a Strong Negative Keyword List

First, if you have a Google or Bing rep, they should be able to help you build lists of negative keywords they use for similar accounts. But you’ll need to ensure these Google or Bing created lists aren’t taking away from your important search phrases.

Remember, reps know their products but probably don’t know the industry.

The same might be true if you’re having someone manage your account.

Next, as with planning any keyword list, you can explore Google Ads Keyword Planner and/or use the Google Suggestion method to see related terms and understand what you might want to weed out.

You’ll need to have a Google Ads account to use their tool. For Google Suggestions, search and look at the suggestions below the organic rankings. Here’s an example,

Another tool that we use for keyword suggestions is Ubersuggest. This tool is similar to the Google Ads tool, but you don’t need to be logged into your AdWords account to use it. It’s a good tool because it lets you type in a keyword phrase and then groups variations on that keyword into organized segments, like this:

Sell house

As you can see, I’ve highlighted in orange some potential negative keywords for a business looking for motivated sellers.

Without using this tool, you might have known that “sell house tax” is a popular search. Now you can turn “tax” into a negative keyword to block any searches with the term “tax” within it.

Lastly, you should also use Google’s “related search” to id new negative keywords. This very effective method allows you to see what related search terms Google sees as popular. Then, you can remove the unrelated Here’s how it would look when performing a search for “sell my house fast”:

As you can see, you can add “market value” to your negative keyword list.

Using Negative Keywords With Microsoft (Bing) Ads

Bing Ads is a platform that we shouldn’t forget. We’ve researched to back up the effect that Bing can be a viable option for generating leads via PPC. So, negative keyword best practices should be included there too.

One difference between Microsoft (Bing) Ads and Google Ads is that you can only add phrase and exact match types for negative keywords.

If you’re importing a Google Ads account into Bing, just be aware that your broad match terms will be converted into phrase match.

As with Google Ads, you can add campaign and ad group level negative keywords. If you need further help, use Bing’s instructions on setting up negative keywords.

How to Add Negative Keywords

Add individual negative keywords to ad groups or campaigns

Step 1: Select Keywords and Targeting > Keywords, Negative.

Step 2: Click add negative keywords and select Ad group negative or Campaign negative keywords.

Step 3: If prompted, select the destination for the new negative keyword and click OK.

Step 4: Enter the negative keyword in the edit panel.

Add multiple negative keywords

It isn’t possible to add campaign and ad group negative keywords at the same time with the Make multiple changes tool. Choose to add either negative keywords or campaign negative keywords.

1. Select Keywords and Targeting > Keywords, Negative.
2. Click Make multiple changes.
3. Select My data includes columns for campaigns and/or ad groups or Use selected destinations.
   – If you select Use selected destinations, select Add as campaign-level negative keywords or Add as ad group-level negative keywords.
4. Type or paste your negative keywords in the grid.
5. Click Process.
6. The Make multiple changes tool will display the number of changes made. Click Finish and review changes.
7. Review your pending changes. To add the pending changes to your account, click Keep. To undo your changes, click Reject.

Conclusion

Bidding on the highest-converting keywords in your market is only part of the battle. A solid set of negative keywords you’re continuously expanding upon helps tally victories. Google does a pretty good job filing through millions of ads to serve the right one to the right searcher at the right time. But there is still plenty of room for mistakes, so keep up on your negative keywords!

If you don’t like wasting your hard-earned money, negative keywords are one of the best ways to ensure you spend money on the right searches.

Starter Negative Keywords for Real Estate List – 100 Words to Get You Started