The Quick Start PPC Guide for Pest Control Companies

In this article, we’ll walk you through the basics of what to know before you attempt PPC advertising for your pest control services. Whether you plan to take the self-taught approach or hire a digital marketing professional, this information is critical for you to know.

What is PPC?

PPC stands for Pay-Per-Click. As the marketer, you only pay for the ad when someone clicks on it. Hence the name.

You likely see PPC ads on a daily basis, even if you aren’t familiar with this type of marketing. Frequently, PPC ads appear right at the top of Google search results, giving them prime placement.

PPC ads are a good option for contractors to take advantage of because you can target your specific audience—both by location and the type of pest control service they’re seeking. However, you’ll only pay for your ads if/when someone actually clicks on them.

“PPC can pay off if you have the budget. It’s a guaranteed way of getting your ad the best placement …” — Forbes

Keyword

The keyword for your ad should be a specific word or phrase related to the pest control service you’re promoting.

Examples include: “pest extermination”, “rodent removal” or “safe pest control”.

You’ll want to identify several of these phrases depending on the types of pest control services you offer, use them as a set, and determine the maximum amount you’re willing to pay per click.

Finding the right keywords for a PPC campaign is a bit of an art. For that reason, many pest control businesses seek out marketing services who are familiar and experienced within the pest control industry. The goal is to maximize performance while minimizing cost.

Landing Page

Every PPC ad links to something. That “something” is almost always a landing page on the advertiser’s website.

While you could use your homepage (or any other existing page) for your PPC ad, we recommend against it. PPC ads perform best when the associated landing page includes copy that closely aligns with the message of the ad.

Your best bet is a custom landing page for each separate PPC ad you run.

SERP

SERP stands for “search engine results page.” It’s the list of results you see when you do a Google Search.

Google’s algorithm will analyze searches and determine if your ad is relevant. Relevance is based both on your keyword and on the content of the landing page your ad points to.

This is important. Strong keywords and well-crafted ads aren’t enough. You need relevant, compelling landing pages.

If Google determines that your ads and the linked landing page are a good match for the pest services search an online user is looking for and you’ve bid enough on the related keywords, your ad will display with organic search results.  

Ad Campaign

Your selected keywords, text ads, URLs, and landing pages are all included here.

The better the overall package, the higher the quality score Google will associate with your pest control ad.