Category: PPC Marketing

Before you launch a real estate PPC campaign and even press “Start,” you want to give that campaign the best chance of success.

When it does launch, you want to collect clicks from motivated sellers or interested buyers, and you want your cost-per-click to stay within budget.

Easier said than done, of course. You might think that a campaign will convert like a million bucks, but then you launch it… and it doesn’t.

(You’ve been there, right?)

How can you possibly know what will convert well and what isn’t before you even launch the campaign? Well, ultimately, you can’t. But you can use a few simple copywriting tricks to increase the chance that your ad is a winner.

When it comes to platforms such as Google Ads, it’s just words on a page, no images or video allowed. So let me walk you through 8 ad copy for real estate PPC campaigns tips that will have you lowering your cost-per-click and increasing your conversion rate in no time.

But before we dive in, you need to be aware of the different ad platforms’ character limits. Character limits can make crafting ad copy a little difficult, so you’ll need to have an idea before writing.

Google Ads:

15 headlines with 30 characters for each headline.
4 description lines with 90 characters for each description.
Option to pin your headlines and descriptions in specific positions of your ads.
Set your display URL path.
Set your final URL like a normal expanded text ad.

Microsoft (Bing) Ads:

Titles 30 characters each, up to three ad titles
Ad text 90 characters each, up to two ad descriptions
Final URL 2048 characters, including prefix (e.g., “www.”), suffix (e.g., “.com”), and tracking templates

Facebook Ads:

Facebook ad specs for single-image ads are:

Text: 90 characters
Headline: 25 characters
Link Description: 30 characters

Limits change a bit for carousel ads:

Text: 90 characters
Headline: 40 characters
Description: 20 characters

8 Tips To Write High-Converting Ad Copy For Real Estate PPC Campaigns

Tip #1: Write 3 Ads And Choose The Best One

Writing three ads from the get-go rather than one can help get your creative juices flowing and give you more ideas for connecting with your audience and getting them to convert. I do this for many different ad copy, and I find that the last one I write is usually the best, because you start getting in your flow, and the ideas become more solid as you write them down.

Try this: write down three complete ads, headlines, and descriptions, and see which one you like the most. More than likely, one will stand out among the rest. This is a quick way to ensure you’re not running an ad just because it was the first thing that came to mind. Your brain needs to simmer a bit before it comes up with high-converting ad copy.

Let me give it a swing to show you what I mean…

Tip #2: Run Consistent A/B Tests

If you’re in the real estate business for the long run, which you are, then you will be doing a lot of marketing. And the more you learn about what makes motivated sellers and buyers tick, the better ads you can write.

Perhaps the best way to learn more about your target market — what makes them click and convert — is to A/B test pieces of your sales copy.

Do not, though, A/B test two totally different ads. While that can be interesting anecdotally, you can’t possibly pull any quantitative information from those tests since there are too many differing factors.

Instead, choose which part of an ad you want to test, and then create two identical ads, save for the one element that you want to test (headline, for instance).

Here’s an example of an A/B test where the marketer tested the description (pretty significant difference in results for such a small change).

(Image Source)

Tip #3: Spend 3 Times as Long On Your Title

If you’ve spent any time as a copywriter, then you’ve heard it a million times: the headline is the most important part of your ad. It’s what people see first; in the case of Google ads, it’s often the only thing they look at before they click.

If that doesn’t illustrate the importance of your headline, I don’t know what does.

Make sure you dedicate a little extra time to brainstorming a title that resonates with your target market.

First, you want to start with a basic ad headline.

Sell Your House Fast For Cash!

Then, you want to look for places to add specificity to the title (specificity is enticing, vagueness isn’t). Here’s an idea.

Get a Fair Cash Offer On Your House in Just 24 Hours!

That’s a little better. We can make it even more specific if we’re willing to do more targeted advertising.

Going Through a Divorce? Sell Your House Fast For Cash

Or…

Dealing With Foreclosure? Sell Your House For Cash Now!

You can see how each title gets better as I spend a little more time thinking about it. The same will be true when drafting headlines for your Google ads.

Google Ads Tips: Including your keyword within your title can help increase your Quality Score.

Tip #4: Try Using These Power Words

Different words trigger different thoughts and different emotions. Fortunately, most people are very similar, and certain words trigger similar emotions. Using words that evoke the right emotion can be extremely effective at making your copy more enticing.

What words should you use? Here’s a list of power words for any sales copy you write.

1. You/Your
2. Because
3. Introducing
4. Welcome
5. Unique
6. Announcing
7. Secret
8. Hidden
9. Truth
10. Temptation
11. Now
12. Discover
13. New
14. Win
15. Cheap
16. Free
17. Lazy
18. Humiliation
19. Alone
20. Reject
21. Stress

Here are a couple of examples of these and other similar power words in Google Ad campaigns:

Here are a couple of examples of these and other similar power words in Facebook Ads:

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If you’re a Carrot member, don’t miss the opportunity to learn from the industry’s top Facebook marketers. Check out the Facebook Leads Masterclass today!

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Tip #5: Touch On The Prospect’s Emotional Pain Or Desire

When you’re writing sales copy, you aim to connect with your prospect’s emotional pain or desire (depending on whether you’re trying to attract sellers or buyers). No one buys anything or commits to anything without first seeing a vision in their head — a vision for how that product or service might solve their problem or give them something they desire.

No one buys a car without first imagining owning it. No one buys a house without first walking around and imagining living in it. And no one will work with you unless they can see the tangible benefits of doing so.

Your copy should wise up to that and try to get the prospect to imagine what it’ll be like to work with your business.

For example…

Tip #6: Try Statistics or a Case Study

One of the best ways to make your Google Ads copy more enticing is to use statistics or a case study. This builds credibility for your business and makes your promise more believable.

Here are some examples of what I mean… notice how the data makes them far more enticing than some previous examples.

Tip #7: Respond To Common Objections

If you know what objections people will have when they read your ad, why not deal with them right from the beginning? Maybe not in your headline… but definitely in your description.

Here are some of people’s most common objections about working with real estate pros…

• Can I trust you? — First and foremost, people want to know that they can trust you and your business. Real estate is a big transaction, the biggest transaction that most people will ever deal with, and it’s for that reason that people so carefully try to vet who they’re going to work with to ensure that they’re the real deal.
• Can I buy or sell fast? — Speed is important if you’re dealing with motivated buyers or sellers. No one wants to wait forever to get their pain or desire fulfilled.
• Will it be difficult? — People want to know that you will do all the legwork. They don’t want to have to do anything difficult themselves.
• How much will it cost me? — No one wants to be nickel and dime’d. Tell people how much it’ll cost them and move on with it.
• What’s the catch? — Most people think that everyone is trying to manipulate them, especially marketers, so indicating that there are “no strings attached” can be a helpful sales strategy.

Tip #8: Study Your Competition

A great way to get ideas for your own Google Ads campaign is to spy on the competition and see what top agents and investors in your market are doing. Then you can either copy them, try to do better than them, or do something completely different. Either way, you can make more informed decisions when you know what the competition is doing.

You can use a tool like ChatGPT to do competitive keyword research. Or you can keep it simple and type your target keyword phrase into Google and see what ads come up.

Conclusion

You can’t know whether an un-launched ad will perform as you want it to. Only once you hit the big red button can you measure your ad campaign’s cost-per-click and ROI.

But these eight PPC Ads copywriting tips will give your ads a far better chance of winning the click and the day. Give them a try, and let us know how it turns out!

We’ve already written about why Bing ads can be crazy profitable for real estate investors and agents. But how do you set up a Bing Ads account? Well here’s how…

But first, we need to clear something up. In early 2019, Bing Ads was rebranded as Microsoft Advertising. In this article, we’re going to reference Bing Ads.

Real estate investors can be very busy and sometimes don’t have the necessary time to research and create marketing campaigns, especially when it comes to pay-per-click advertising.

We understand the requirement to streamline some of this process. That’s why we created this simple step-by-step guide to creating your own Bing Ads account. It’s for short-on-time investors needing to expand their online marketing.

In a previous post, we covered why Bing Ads for real estate isn’t a waste of your time and should be considered as a viable advertising resource. But, just don’t take our word for it, check out this post from another highly regarded PPC company 25 Reasons to Use Bing Ads Now.

Create A Bing Ads For Real Estate Account In 15 Minutes

First, go to the  Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads) sign up page.

You’ll be given 2 options: Use an existing email address or create a new email address.

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Option 1: Use An Existing Email Address To Create An Account

Go to the Bing Ads sign up page and enter an existing email address. Click Check availability to check if your email address is available to use.

Image: Bing

If you have an email address you already use to sign in to Microsoft products (like Skype or Xbox LIVE), all you need to do is sign in and the transition will be complete. If you’ve never used this email to sign into a Microsoft product, you’ll be able to sign up for a new account.

1. Click Next
2. Sign into Bing Ads
3. Enter Bing Ads account info
4. Click Create Account.

After you’ve created your Bing Ads account, you can set up your campaign by importing from Google AdWords (see below) or by creating a new campaign. You can also skip this step and click Continue. Enter your billing and payment information and click Next. You can also skip this step and enter your billing and payment information later by clicking Skip.

Option 2: Create A New Email Address And Then Create An Account

Go to the Bing Ads sign up page

Image: Bing

Select Create a new email address and click Next.

Image: Bing

A Microsoft account is an email address and password you use to sign in to Microsoft services or devices. If you use an email address and password to sign in to services like Skype, Xbox LIVE, or Outlook.com, you already have a Microsoft account.

1. Enter information for the new account
2. Click Create account
3. You’ll be taken to the Bing Ads Create Account page directly after creating your new Microsoft account and will already be signed in with your new account
4. Enter Bing Ads account info

Image: Bing

1. Click Create Account
2. Check your email inbox to verify your email address

Image: Bing

After you verify your email you’ll be Ready to go!

Image: Bing

You’ll be taken to the Bing Ads Create Account page directly after creating your new Microsoft account and will already be signed in with your new account.

Image: Bing

After you’ve created your Bing Ads account, you can set up your campaign by importing from Google AdWords or by creating a new campaign. You can also Choose Option 3 to skip this step. Once you choose your desired option click Continue.

Image: Bing

Enter your billing and payment information and click Next. You can also skip this step and enter your billing and payment information later by clicking Skip.

Image: Bing

You’ll be directed to billing.

Image: Bing

Setting Up Your Billing Information

When you’re ready to go live with your Bing Ads campaigns, you’ll need to set up your billing information.

Image: Bing

Import Your Existing AdWords Account

In Bing Ads, click Import Campaigns, and then click Import from Google AdWords.

If you have imported from Google AdWords in the past 90 days, you will see a table that tells you the data and AdWords account that was imported along with:

Image: Bing

1. Click Sign into Google
2. Enter your Google sign-in information, click Sign in and then Accept
3. Select the Google campaigns you want to import, then click Continue

Under Choose Bing Ads account & import options, do the following:

1. Choose the Bing Ads account you want to import to
2. Choose the appropriate time zone
3. Choose the appropriate options for “What to import”
4. Choose the options you want for bids and budgets
5. Click Import

All this PPC advertising stuff can seem complicated, but that’s what we’re here for. The initial setup of your first campaign is not nearly as important as the long-term optimization of your account. Hopefully, this piece will help you create your Bing Ads account with as little pain and suffering as possible.

The small amount of effort it requires to create a Bing Ads for real estate account is small in comparison to the long-term benefits that Bing Ads advertising can offer in addition to AdWords as part of a comprehensive, sustainable, and above all, profitable, online marketing strategy. So what are you waiting for? Create a Bing Ads account, and let’s get to work!

Create Your First Campaign

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Have You Had Success With PPC Advertising?

Facebook, AdWords, Bing, Craigslist… Shoot those success stories through the comments box below. We’d love to hear!

Also… be sure to dive into our Carrot blog to get insights on attracting and converting more inbound leads for your real estate investing business.

Are you dismissing Bing PPC for real estate investors because that “guy” in the online forums said it’s not worth using it? Is your Google Ads campaign killing your marketing budget?

What if I told you Bing might help you attract extra leads at a lower cost (if you do it right)?

“For me, Bing Ads is too expensive. The conversion rates just suck…” via Reddit

“Bing Ads are s*** compared to Google Ads in my experience”. via Reddit

We see these kinds of comments about Bing PPC for real estate investors all of the time. You probably do as well.

We’re often asked, “Is Bing PPC worth it as an additional source for real estate investor advertising?”

So, we wanted to find out… and we started testing, which we dive into below.   Also, we’ll show some of the advantages Bing can have over AdWords.

Don’t Assume That Google Ads Is The Only Game In Town For PPC Marketing

When prospects search online for a real estate professional (this applies to investors and agents), you want to be on the first page.

Because if you are, people will click on your result, they’ll visit your website, and there’s a darn good chance they’ll even become a lead (at the very least, you can tag them once they visit your website and retarget them with Facebook ads — learn more over here).

And leads from search engines are typically much higher quality than direct mail leads, bandit sign leads, or even door knocking or cold calling leads.

Because they came looking for you.

However, in the world of search engines and PPC, Google Ads reign supreme. Google, after all, dominates nearly 95% of all search engine traffic.

(Image Source)

But in this article, we’re not talking about Google Ads. We’re talking about Microsoft Advertising (the advertising platform behind Bing, a search engine mockingly acronym as “But It’s Not Google”), which holds about 2.39% of the world’s search engine market share.

That begs the question: why are we discussing Microsoft Advertising?

Well, there are a few advantages you should be aware of.

Should You Use Microsoft Advertising?

While holding 2.20% of the world’s search engine market share seems small and insignificant, those two percentage points still amount to 12 billion searches per month. Everyone searches online. Most people do it daily, so owning a few percentage points of the world’s search engine share is more powerful than it seems.

And here’s the other thing: most people only use one search engine.

If you’re a Google user (and you probably are), when is the last time you searched using Bing, Yahoo, or DuckDuckGo?

Yeah… don’t even remember. Neither do I. And neither do most people.

Most online searchers use a single search engine and rarely stray.

This means that the people who search using Bing… you’ll seldom reach those same searchers with Google Ads. Conversely, you’ll rarely reach Google Ads users when using Microsoft Advertising.

Searchers don’t cross platforms. This means to reach all of your prospects, your business should.

But look — I’m not going to tell you that you have to advertise on Bing; it’s your call. I want to point out that running a Microsoft Advertising campaign in addition to your Google Ads campaign can give you a competitive edge in your market: you’ll reach the people who your competitors aren’t probably even advertising to.

Because since Google is the biggest, most visible search engine, everyone knows about it, including your competitors. And they’re advertising on it.

Bing? Maybe not. Using Microsoft Advertising could help you snag leads that your competition outright ignores.

Is Bing PPC for real estate investors worth it?  Here’s What We Found…

Carrot Member Google Ads Campaign

With that success with Google Ads, we wanted to see if we could “stack” on more leads by adding Bing PPC to the picture. As you can see, he invested $1,910 in ad costs during those 30 days in Google Ads and collected ten confirmed online opt-in leads… and many other phone call leads. Counting the phone call leads brings his cost per lead down to under $100 per lead.

Same Carrot Member Bing PPC Campaign

Now let’s compare them both apples to apples across the board.

Clicks:

• Google Ads: 377
• Bing: 338

Google Ads had 11.5% more clicks by volume

Impressions:

• Google Ads: 41335
• Bing: 24660

Google Ads had 68% more impressions by volume

Click Through Rate:

• Google Ads: .91%
• Bing: 1.37%

Bing had a 50% greater click-through rate by a percentage

Cost Per Click:

• Google Ads: $5.07
• Bing: $3.32

Google Ads cost per click was 53% higher than Bing

Conversions:

• Google Ads: 10
• Bing: 6

Google Ads (for this specific market) only had 4 more online leads in total (doesn’t count phone call leads).

Total Invested:

• Google Ads: $1910.34
• Bing: $1123.65

Google Ads overall spending was 70% higher than Bing and yielded 40% more leads.

Just one thing to remember from this test… the cost per lead in this campaign is higher than our typical cost per lead on PPC.  The client wanted us to test a set of 6,000 broad match keywords he received from a mentor… vs. our more targeted approach to PPC management.

The cost per lead on that broad match keyword group is 5x higher than on our targeted group… for the same number of leads. But the client is ok with that higher cost per lead because his margins on deals are so high that it ensures he’s not missing any leads.

Bing delivers lower search volume but a more attractive cost per lead. 

Of course, you’ll get more impressions and clicks on Google Ads, but you’ll usually pay more per click for those visitors.

It’s not that one is better than the other… this post is mainly to lay out the argument that Bing is a very valid PPC marketing platform that, in this month-long test, pulled leads that cost us less than we pay for leads from Google.

More… Quick Microsoft Advertising Stats

Here are some stats about Bing and Microsoft Advertising to keep your mind churning and informed.

• Bing has about 1.3 billion, unique monthly visitors.
• Bing has about 500 million monthly search volume from the United States.
• Microsoft Advertising generally has a lower cost-per-click than Google.
• Google Ads’ click-through rate has been neck-and-neck with Microsoft Advertising click-through rate, around 2.5%.
• Bing offers better support to advertisers with lower budgets.

7 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Bing PPC For Real Estate Leads…

1. Bing PPC offers cheaper CPCs (costs per click) and potentially higher ROI 

This is primarily because fewer investors use Bing over Google Ads. Bing Ads generally has lower competition than Google Ads, especially in the real estate industry. With fewer advertisers competing for the same keywords and targeting options, the cost per click (CPC) on Bing Ads tends to be lower. Real estate investors can use this lower competition to secure motivated seller leads at a more cost-effective rate.

Here are some additional reasons by CPCs are lower on Bing:

1. Cost-Effective Advertising: Lower CPCs on Bing Ads translate to lower advertising costs for real estate investors. By paying less per click, investors can stretch their advertising budget further, enabling them to reach more motivated sellers within their allocated budget. This cost-effectiveness can lead to a higher return on investment (ROI) for investors, as they can generate more leads and conversions for a lower cost compared to other advertising platforms.
2. Targeting Specific Audience: Bing Ads allows precise targeting options, including demographics, location, and search intent. Real estate investors seeking motivated seller leads can leverage these targeting options to reach their desired audience more effectively. By narrowing down their target audience and focusing on specific geographic areas or relevant search terms, investors can ensure their ads are shown to users actively looking for real estate information or intending to sell their properties. This focused targeting can result in higher conversion rates and an improved ROI.
3. Unique User Base: Bing has a distinct user base that often differs from Google’s audience. Bing users tend to be older, more affluent, and more likely to be homeowners. These characteristics align well with the target audience of real estate investors seeking motivated sellers. By advertising on Bing Ads, investors have the opportunity to connect with this specific user base and potentially find motivated sellers who are more likely to engage with their ads and pursue a real estate transaction.

Considering these factors, Bing Ads can offer real estate investors seeking motivated seller leads a cost-effective advertising solution with cheaper CPCs and potentially higher ROI. By leveraging the lower competition, cost-effectiveness, precise targeting options, and unique user base of Bing Ads, investors can maximize their ad spend, generate more leads, and increase their chances of finding motivated sellers interested in their real estate offerings.

2. The Expanding Reach of Bing PPC

Bing PPC has experienced remarkable growth, solidifying its position as a formidable advertising platform. With the integration of Microsoft Advertising and Bing, its reach has expanded significantly, capturing a substantial share of search queries.

In fact, Bing now powers over 30% of all search queries in the United States. Ignoring Bing PPC could mean missing out on a sizable portion of potential leads and lucrative real estate investment opportunities.

3. Bing Ads offers new ad features!

Since 2022, Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads) has introduced several changes to its ad structure to enhance the advertising experience for marketers. Here are some notable updates:

1. Expanded Text Ads: Microsoft Advertising introduced Expanded Text Ads, allowing advertisers to create more compelling and informative ads. Expanded Text Ads feature additional headline and description fields, providing more space for advertisers to highlight their products or services. This update allows for more creative and engaging ad copy, improving click-through and conversion rates.
2. Image Extensions: To make ads more visually appealing, Microsoft Advertising introduced Image Extensions. This feature enables advertisers to add relevant images to their ads, helping them capture the attention of potential customers. By incorporating visual elements into their ads, advertisers can effectively convey their brand messages and increase ad engagement.
3. Callout Extensions: Callout Extensions allow advertisers to include additional text to highlight unique selling points, key benefits, or special features of their products or services. This update gives advertisers more flexibility to communicate essential information to potential customers and differentiate themselves from competitors. By leveraging Callout Extensions, advertisers can increase the relevance and impact of their ads.
4. Dynamic Search Ads: Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) were improved to provide more accurate and relevant ad targeting. This feature enables advertisers to automatically generate ads based on the content and keywords on their websites. Microsoft Advertising’s DSA now offers improved page coverage and refined targeting options, ensuring that ads are shown to users actively searching for related products or services.

These updates to the ad structure in Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads) offer advertisers more versatility, improved visibility, and better opportunities to engage with their target audience. By leveraging these features, marketers can create more impactful and effective ad campaigns on the platform.

4. Syndication across the Microsoft Advertising Network

Bing PPC allows real estate investors to syndicate their ads across the expansive Microsoft Advertising Network. This network includes popular platforms such as MSN, Outlook, and Microsoft Edge, ensuring broader exposure and increased visibility for investment opportunities.

By leveraging the Microsoft Advertising Network, investors can reach a wider audience, attracting qualified traffic to their websites or landing pages and expanding their potential for successful real estate transactions.

5. Bing PPC offers flexibility!

The differences in Bing Ads ad groups can benefit real estate investors seeking motivated seller leads. Here’s how these differences can be advantageous:

1. More Descriptive Ad Group Naming: With a higher character limit for ad group naming in Bing Ads, real estate investors can use more descriptive and detailed names. This allows investors to organize their ad groups to align closely with their real estate investment strategies.
   
   Using descriptive names, investors can easily identify and manage ad groups targeting specific geographic areas, property types, or other relevant criteria. This level of organization can streamline campaign management and make tracking the performance of individual ad groups easier.
2. Inclusion of Search Partners by Default: Bing Ads includes search partners as part of the ad group targeting by default. Real estate investors using Bing Ads can extend their reach beyond Bing’s search engine to include partner websites such as Yahoo and other affiliated search networks.
   
   By default, investors can potentially reach a wider audience and increase the exposure of their motivated seller ads. This expanded reach can lead to more opportunities to connect with motivated sellers searching for real estate information on partner websites.
3. Default Ad Distribution on Bing Ads: Bing Ads has a default ad distribution setting of “All” within an ad group. Real estate investors’ ads are automatically eligible to appear on Bing, Yahoo, and search partner sites without additional configuration.
   
   This broader ad distribution can increase the visibility of ads and generate more impressions, potentially reaching a larger pool of motivated sellers. Investors using Bing Ads can leverage this default setting to expand their ad reach and increase the likelihood of connecting with motivated seller leads.
4. Ad Extensions at the Ad Group Level: Bing Ads allows real estate investors to set ad extensions at the ad group level. This gives investors greater control and flexibility in associating ad extensions with specific ad groups. Real estate investors can utilize ad extensions such as call extensions, site link extensions, or location extensions at the ad group level to enhance the visibility and relevance of their ads.
   
   By customizing and optimizing ad extensions at the ad group level, investors can provide additional information and relevant contact details to potential motivated sellers, increasing the chances of engagement and lead generation.

Real estate investors can benefit from enhanced organization, broader ad distribution, and more control over ad extensions by taking advantage of these specific features in Bing Ads ad groups. These benefits can help investors effectively target motivated seller leads, increase ad visibility, and drive better engagement, ultimately maximizing their chances of connecting with potential motivated sellers and securing profitable real estate transactions.

6. Bing Ads have better device targeting options. 

Device targeting options in Bing Ads can benefit real estate investors seeking motivated seller leads. Here’s how real estate investors can leverage these options effectively:

1. Mobile Device Targeting: Since many users now rely heavily on mobile devices for their online activities, targeting mobile devices can be a strategic move for real estate investors. Mobile targeting allows investors to reach potentially motivated sellers searching for information on their smartphones or tablets.
   
   By tailoring campaigns specifically for mobile users, investors can capture the attention of on-the-go sellers, increasing the likelihood of engaging with motivated leads.
2. Location-Based Targeting: Bing Ads provides location targeting options, allowing real estate investors to focus on specific geographic areas known for motivated seller activity. By combining location and device targeting, investors can effectively reach potential sellers in their desired locations using mobile devices to search for real estate information. This precise targeting ensures that investors connect with motivated sellers in their target market, maximizing the chances of generating high-quality leads.
3. All Device Targeting: Real estate investors can opt for all device targeting to ensure maximum campaign exposure and reach. By targeting all devices, including desktops, mobile devices, and tablets, investors can cover a broader audience and increase the chances of capturing motivated seller leads across various devices.
   
   This comprehensive approach allows investors to reach potential sellers regardless of their preferred device, ensuring a higher chance of engagement and lead generation.
4. Bid Adjustments for Device Performance: Bing Ads allows investors to adjust bids based on device performance. By closely monitoring the performance of their campaigns on different devices, investors can identify which devices are driving the most conversions and adjust their bids accordingly.
   
   For example, if mobile devices show higher conversion rates, investors can increase their bids for mobile targeting to allocate a larger portion of their budget to the most effective device. This optimization strategy helps investors maximize their return on investment and generate more motivated seller leads.

Real estate investors can utilize device targeting options in Bing Ads to connect with motivated seller leads. By targeting mobile devices, focusing on specific locations, using all device targeting for maximum exposure, and adjusting bids based on device performance, investors can enhance their campaigns’ effectiveness, increase engagement, and generate more quality leads from motivated sellers.

7. Bing Ads platform is ideal for companies with a small budget!

While Google Ads remains a popular choice, Bing PPC often offers a cost-effective alternative for real estate investors. In some instances, Bing PPC can provide a lower cost-per-click (CPC) compared to Google Ads, enabling investors to stretch their advertising budget further and achieve a higher return on investment (ROI).

By optimizing campaigns and implementing strategic bidding, investors can maximize their ad spend on Bing PPC, attracting motivated prospects without breaking the bank.

Is Bing PPC Right For Your Real Estate Investing Business?

It can help you tap into new leads you’d never otherwise reach on Google. That’s for sure.

If just maybe… especially if you need to start on a smaller budget to test the waters.

If your advertising campaign is limited to a small geographic area, Google Ads might be the platform where you’ll gain significant search volume, depending on your keywords and match types. Higher search volume means more potential customers for your business.

Yes, Google Ads is still the “empire” for paid search, with most of the market share. For that reason, Bing Ads is often an afterthought that doesn’t get much attention. But Bing has some unique capabilities that most folks do not use. If you optimize for these Bing Ads only features, you’re sure to increase performance significantly.

There isn’t a right or wrong answer to advertising on Google Ads vs. Bing Ads.

They’re both great platforms with their advantages and disadvantages. But the analyst inside of all great advertisers should prefer to test both.  See if you can stack on additional leads for motivated house sellers, cash buyers, and tenants… you name it… by adding Bing to the mix.

You’ll see, in time, which performs better for your market and budget.

Read this post if you want more great tips on effective PPC marketing.

The Pros and Cons of Microsoft Advertising

Let’s keep this simple and break down the pros and cons of Microsoft Advertising.

Pros

• Bing is the second-most-popular search engine. So if you want to put money somewhere other than Google, Bing is the place to do it.
• Since Bing has less search traffic than Google, it also has less competition and a lower cost-per-click usually, so it can be less expensive to advertise.
• Bing gives you more characters for your ad than Google, allowing you more room to convince people to click your result.
• Bing shows more of its ads at the top of the page than Google does, which is helpful for the click-through rate since people don’t have to scroll down the page.
• Almost 75% of Bing users are over 35, so Microsoft Advertising can be good for reaching an older audience.

Cons

• Bing can have lower search engine traffic (compared to Google), so potentially fewer leads.

My recommendation? Start with Google Ads, and if you have the budget to spare and need a competitive edge, supplement your efforts with Microsoft Advertising.

Still Have Questions?

Still not sure if Microsoft Advertising is right for your business? That’s okay — it’s not always easy to know the right path to take when it comes to marketing. But the good news is that you don’t have to decide now.

Why not try it out for yourself?

You can create a Microsoft Advertising account over here and start driving traffic to your site immediately (and if you need a high-converting site out-of-the-box, sign up with Carrot).

Who knows? Bing might give your business the competitive edge you’ve been looking for.

Are you ready to take the next step in your online real estate marketing? That step is creating a Google Ads account.

Real estate investors face several challenges when it comes to generating leads. Traditional methods, such as direct mail and cold calling, can be time-consuming and yield low results. Even with a strong online presence, attracting qualified leads to your website can be tough.

This is where Google Ads comes in.

According to data, Google Ads can be a highly effective lead source for real estate investors. Without it, investors may struggle to compete in today’s crowded digital landscape. With Google Ads, investors can reach potential sellers and buyers actively searching for real estate solutions, resulting in a higher likelihood of conversion.

Furthermore, without a strong online advertising strategy, investors may miss out on valuable leads. The data shows that 97% of consumers search for businesses online before making a decision. If real estate investors are not visible in these search results, they may be losing out on potential leads to their competitors.

In addition to missing out on potential leads, not having a strong online presence can damage an investor’s credibility. With 78% of consumers saying they research a business before engaging with them, it’s crucial for investors to have a professional and user-friendly website. By using Google Ads to drive traffic to their website, investors can showcase their credibility and expertise to potential leads.

Overall, real estate investors who neglect to utilize Google Ads may miss out on valuable leads, damaging their credibility and struggling to compete in today’s digital landscape.

In preparation for creating a Google Ads account, there are a few important steps. While setting up the account itself is relatively straightforward, running effective Google Ads campaigns requires some groundwork.

Before You Create a Google Ads Account

First and foremost, ensuring that your website is relevant, user-friendly, and adds credibility is crucial. Your Google Ads account will drive traffic to your site, but once visitors arrive, it’s up to you to convince them to take action.

To do so, you’ll need landing pages designed to motivate and engage visitors.

Your advertising efforts will likely be wasted if your landing pages are disorganized, lack relevant information, or are otherwise not conducive to conversions.

For guidance on creating effective landing pages that maximize the return on your PPC campaigns, we recommend checking out our land page best practices.

Before Starting a Google Ads Account, You Need to Consider

1. Planning. You need to have your real estate website dialed in with some personalization and credibility.

Your Google Ads account (formerly known as AdWords) can help you to bring qualified visitors to your real estate website. Once they’ve made it to your website, it’s YOUR duty to convince them to convert.

To make this happen, you must create pages that will compel your visitors to take action. If your pages are cluttered or lack relevant, credible information, you will have a leaky bucket and will likely be wasting money.

Take the time to focus on customizing your website a bit, especially your “Testimonials” and “Our Company” pages. Check why these two pages are so important. Also, be sure your real estate website is mobile-optimized. All Carrot websites are mobile-friendly. Therefore you’re maximizing the potential of your Google ads account.

2. Commitment. You must be willing to build Google Ads into your long-term financial and time plan.

It’s practically impossible to see the full potential of your Google Ads account from the start. It’s essential to recognize that PPC is not a short-term venture. Establishing a strong structure, expanding your keyword lists, identifying negative keywords, and testing ads and landing pages takes time.

Plus, you will likely start constantly changing keyword bids to fit your budget and keeping your ads in relevant, high-performing ad positions. Getting the first phase dialed in typically takes 1-3 months.

3. Dedication. You must be willing to spend time or outsource your account.

Your account is now up and running… you can sit back and relax. WRONG! There is still plenty of heavy lifting.

If you haven’t managed a PPC account before, I recommend taking serious time to learn. You must be comfortable with the Google Ads dashboard and educated enough to make good decisions. Making the wrong choices can cost you money and cause your account to take a step back in productive data.

Once you are comfortable to embark on the challenge, you must monitor your performance thoroughly. That hard work will well pay off in the end.

Take time developing your strategy, identifying your goals, and calculating your cost per lead/deal. You must know how much you will spend on Google ads to close a deal. As we know, all market profits aren’t created equal. An investor in New York might need to spend more to get one deal closed over someone in Memphis. You must know your market.

After you know your budget, you’ll need to have a solid keyword strategy in place. It’s a good idea, especially if you’re new to Google Ads, to start with highly targeted keywords and expand into broader terms as you get more comfortable.

Creating a New Google Ads Account for Real Estate

Step 1

Head to www.ads.google.com to set up an account. When creating an account, you can create it under your existing Gmail account or set up a new one. I like to set up a new Gmail account ahead of time, which I use specifically for Google Ads management. This way, my personal email isn’t bombarded with emails from Google Ads.

Step 2

Now that your account has been established, you must complete a few housekeeping items, such as entering your business name.

Step 3

Enter your website URL.

Step 4

Review your website visual on mobile and desktop devices.

Step 5

Choose your main goal. For most real estate professionals, the goal will be to generate more leads.

Step 6

Google offers the opportunity to connect your Google Analytics account. If you do not have a GA account, you can choose to “skip for now.”

Step 7

Time to create an ad. Choose three headlines and two descriptions, and enter your phone number.

Step 8

Google will present different keywords based on a theme. You can always adjust your keywords later.

Step 9

Next, you’ll be asked to add your target locations.

Step 10

Set your daily or monthly budget.

Step 11

Review your campaign.

Step 12

Finally, you are prompted to set up billing information.

Congratulations

You are now ready to start creating your Google Ads campaigns for real estate.  We wish you the best of luck!

Be sure to hit us up with questions in the comments section below. Also, if you’re a Carrot member, join us on our weekly Coaching Calls, where we cover many PPC topics, SEO, lead generation, website design, and much more!

Not a Carrot member? What are you waiting for!? Check out our plans and get started today!

In 2018, PPC was the second highest lead generation medium for our members.

Trying to rank on page one of Google can be a daunting task for some. It takes time and resources to invest in a full, all-out SEO strategy. Even then it could take months to notice.

What can you do in the meantime?

Well, many of our members make use of both PPC and SEO — using the former to generate short-term traffic and the latter to generate longterm traffic.

In this intro to PPC for Real Estate, we run down what you need to understand if you’re considering this route. Including:

• What is PPC for Real Estate?
• How does PPC work?
• What are the benefits of using PPC advertising for Real Estate?
• Who should use PPC?
• How to get started with PPC?

Introduction To PPC For Real Estate

What Is PPC For Real Estate?

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PPC is a broad term used for various cost-per-click platforms real estate professionals use to get in front of their target audience. These include Google Ads (AdWords), Bing Ads, Facebook Ads, and numerous retargeting options.

Overall, PPC is a digital marketing strategy in which you advertise within a search engine’s sponsored results by bidding for the keywords, ad sets, and/or retargeting list connected to your real estate niche.

Pay-per-click is exactly that… you pay each time your ad is clicked. Although, there are times you can be charged for impressions (number of times your ads are shown).

Google Ads (Adwords) still reigns as PPC king for generating motivated seller leads. Facebook ads can also be an effective way to generate motivated sellers as well as buyer leads.

Facebook cost-per-click is also considered a lesser amount compared to AdWords. It’s important that you understand where your leads are coming from and the value of your cost per lead to fully understand which platform works best for you.

How Does PPC Work?

Starting with the basics. When a motivated seller types a search query into Google, the search engines provide two sets of results: pay-per-click ads (sponsored) and organic results.

As seen in the picture below, the first three results on top are sponsored ads (indicated by the green square around the word “Ad”).

The other results below the ads are organic results. More than likely, the organic website results have climbed the rankings by executing a solid SEO strategy.

With PPC, when the searcher clicks on one of the ads, you (the advertiser) is charged for that click.

The price of that click will vary per the competition for that specific keyword as well as your target location(s).

You can use specific tools to find keyword traffic estimates as well as the competition and cost-per-click estimates. Tools such as:

• Google Ads Keyword Planner
• Ubersuggest
• SEMRush (free or paid)

What Are The Benefits Of Real Estate PPC?

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Advertising with PPC ads can have many benefits. Here are some of the top reasons you should consider using PPC as part of your online marketing strategy.

1. You Have the Opportunity to Control Your Position on Page One of the Search Results

PPC advertising allows you to gain the most valuable ad space on whichever PPC platform you choose to use. If that’s Google, then you have the ability to get on top of the first-page search results without having to dedicate the time and resources for SEO.

Claiming ad space where most eyes will see them will increase your odds of getting solid lead generation and return on your investment.

2. Place Your Ads in Front of YOUR Audience

This is two-fold.

First, you can use specific keywords in your PPC ads. This will allow you to reach a specific target audience based on your location. For example, using keywords such as…

• “Sell my house fast in Baltimore”
• “Sell my house in Chicago”
• “We buy houses fast in Boston”

This allows you to reach the local audience by choosing keywords that are targeting your audience location.

Second, you have the ability to use geo-targeting to limit who can see your ads based on locations. For example, if you are searching for motivated sellers in Baltimore, it wouldn’t be smart to allow searchers in D.C to see your ads.

You’d be would wasting your budget to allow searches from outside of your target areas to see and click on your ads.

3. Control Your Budget

Adverting with PPC ads offers you ultimate control of your money. You set your desired ad spend. If your budget runs low, platforms such as Google Ads will notify you that your budget is limited. This allows you to reassess your current PPC strategy and make the necessary adjustments to optimize your accounts.

As mentioned above, the majority of your PPC campaigns will follow the model that you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.

4. PPC is Immediate

There’s no wait time! Unlike SEO, PPC is live the moment you decide to turn your campaigns live. If increasing your buyer list for your real estate website is your goal, PPC ads allow you to get in front of your target audience NOW rather than waiting the span of time it takes for an SEO campaign.

5. Testing

PPC ads are an excellent way to split test your website, ad copy, or images that resonate with your target audience.

Using the A/B testing approach, you can test your ads and landing pages to see what form, color scheme, design… etc., are generating the best results. Once you gather enough date, you can use this information to make strategic moves to your campaigns to maximize your PPC ROI.

6. Track Your Results to Maximize ROI

Proving ROI is a major part of being a marketer today. Luckily, PPC ads allow you to track every aspect of your ad campaign to connect your efforts to your results.

You can see how each keyword is performing. You can see how each ad is performing. And, you can see exactly where and when your leads are reaching you.

You want to prove the worth of your PPC campaign. You’ll want to be sure your conversion tracking is linked to your website and for most of you, you’ll also want to be sure your lead source is relaying to your CRM.

Then you’ll be able to track from click to deal to see your profits that have come from your PPC strategy.

Who Should Use PPC?

Google has more than 5 billion searches per day.

Imagine how much traffic you’re missing out on!

Plus, PPC website visitors are 50% more likely to purchase something than organic visitors (i.e. they’re more motivated).

So, who should use PPC? Those who have the ability to plan, have patience, and are willing to spend money to get results.

If you make well-informed decisions from the time you launch a PPC campaign, you will be able to increase traffic and leads to your website.

However, PPC usually isn’t best suited for those who are looking to dabble. You need to have a mindset that provides enough strategy to sustain months and sometimes years. Those who have similar “go-get-em” attitudes have fared especially well with PPC advertising.

Real estate also has a bigger advantage over other industries who utilize PPC. Profit margins can more than justify the costs associated with PPC.

How To Get Started With PPC Advertising

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If you are looking for a simplified answer of how to get started with PPC advertising, it can be summed up into a relatively easy process.

Here’s a simple look at how to plan your own PPC for real estate strategy:

1. Conduct a competitor analysis.

Identify the competitors who might be outranking you in your market. Analyze their search terms and search volumes using tools such as Google Keyword Planner and Ubersuggest as listed above.

2. Choose the real estate keywords you want to advertise for.

Conduct keyword research to learn how your target audience is searching for your real estate niche. If you’re looking for buyers for your agent website, then use such terms as, “new homes for sale” or “homes for sale in”.

3. Create ads based on thorough research.

Develop ad copy that will resonate with your target audience. Looking for motivated sellers? Use ad copy such as “We Buy House in Any Condition” or “Sell Your House As-Is Fast”.

4. Split test ad copy and/or landing pages to compare how different aspects of your PPC campaigns perform.

For ad copy testing, track metrics like click-through rate and cost per click. For landing page testing, track metrics such as conversion rates to determine the success of your PPC campaign.

You’ll also need to continuously manage keyword bids based your results. This will help you get the most ROI from your efforts.

5. Optimizing beyond your ads.

Real estate PPC campaigns are created from many parts beyond keyword bids and the ad copy. It’s important to think beyond the landing page and start to think about optimizing other pages that will help build credibility and connection with the searchers.

Three important pages to consider optimizing are your “Our company”, “Testimonials”, and the “How it works” pages.

This heat map from specific PPC traffic, confirms the need to optimize these pages. PPC traffic is looking for confirmation.

Conclusion

Don’t feel overwhelmed by this PPC intro. By having a sound strategy, educating yourself and putting in some time, you’ll be off and running with a successful PPC account. Or, consider hiring a third-party to consult or manage your account.

Overall, PPC can provide immediate results and be a lucrative piece of your online real estate marketing strategy.

Be sure to hit us up with questions in the comments section below. Also, if you’re a Carrot member, join us on our weekly Coaching Calls where we cover many PPC topics as well as SEO, lead generation, website design, and much, much more!

Not a Carrot member? Whatcha waiting for! Check out our plans and get started today!