From the early days of advertising our family’s holiday house on the Helford, to conversations with the large rental agencies we now work with – the questions remain the same. How does a local business compete on search advertising with international brands bidding on the same keywords?

The good news is that keyword targeting is no longer the only tool for search marketing. Backing up an intelligent selection of keywords, with the right audience targeting makes sure that you only spend money on the clicks that are most likely to convert into business.

For example, Business A, which has a few holiday homes in Penzance but doesn’t really know what it is doing, bids on “holiday cottage Cornwall”, does some simple location settings and fnds it is paying around £3.50 a click, sometimes to people who know for
a fact they want to be near Padstow, not Penzance. Its budget drains fast, and has little to show for it.

Business B has things better planned. Its agency has helped identify more specific keywords. It doesn’t compete with Air B’n’B and the like, who rarely bid on terms focussed on anything other than major locations. It has added audience targeting to the mix, meaning that higher bids are only paid when someone sees the ad who is already “warm” to their brand. This might be people who have visited its website recently, are on its email list, or have started a booking before – all far more likely to become customers.

Our clients include a host of businesses who were sceptical about Adwords. Maybe it cost them a lot in the past with little value to show, maybe they’ve just heard rumours about trying to outshout the multinationals being a waste of cash. After a few weeks, we quickly show the benefit – lower costs per click, more conversions and more business. Get in touch and we will help you compete.