Remember when Google wasn’t the biggest wellspring for contractor leads?

Those were the days, huh?

Back then, lead sources like the Yellow Pages, direct mail, and print ads did a lot of the heavy lifting.

That meant you could launch a new website, and then kick back and call it good.

You didn’t need Google (or Bing or Yahoo, for that matter) to get the amount of business you needed to grow.

You didn’t have to worry about title tags, meta descriptions, backlinks, consistently churning out compelling content on your blog, and three dozen and one other things just for a fighting chance at making page one.

But those simpler times are long gone.

Fast-forward to October 31st, 2017.

Now, Google and her search-engine siblings are THE main source for remodeling and home improvement leads. The competition’s not even close.

Sure, other marketing methods—direct mail, print ads, etc.—still work. But for any contractor who cares to grow business, those methods need to SUPPLEMENT a strong SEO strategy… not substitute for it.

Don’t believe me?

The latest statistics show that well over 90% of homeowners use search engines to find local contractors. So if you’re not ranking well on search engines like Google, you’re toast.

“You.”

What’s even more frustrating is that Google’s algorithms get pickier and more complex with every update. And do you honestly have the knowledge and experience to handle these convoluted procedures yourself? If not, can you set aside the hundreds of hours it would take to become proficient at the many, many SEO tasks required to rank well?

Probably not… but MYM can.

I can unreservedly say that our SEO team is comprised of the baddest mammer jammers both sides of the Mississippi.

Seriously…

They eat, sleep, breathe, drink, and bathe in SEO.

It’s their sustenance.

It’s their lifeblood.

It’s also why MYM turns the average contractor from “Google Dud” to “Google Stud.”

Contractor Website Before MYM.

Contractor Website After MYM. (Results are typical.)

To achieve such transformations, our SEO team always has a ton of projects going to improve our client websites’ rankings, performance, and conversion success.

Let me share a few of those projects with you…

1.  Link Disavowing

Link disavowing is an ongoing project in which we identify and eliminate toxic backlinks that are directed at our clients’ websites.

Over the past two weeks, we identified and disavowed 470 toxic backlinks. The majority of these came from our newer clients, but we also had a few older clients that added to our total as well. All were scoped out and appropriately disavowed, and will not negatively affect search rankings going forward.

2.  Client Website Audits

We’re meticulously crawling—page by page, line by line—our clients’ websites to ensure there are no errors that could compromise SEO rankings. This past week, we found and fixed some errors, which were mostly in our clients’ blogs. To ensure these errors don’t happen going forward, we’ve completely revamped our blog-creation process. (More on that in a future email.)

3.  Correcting Google Analytics Errors

One of our new clients had their Google Analytics code incorrectly implemented on their website.

To the naked eye, it looked like the Google Analytics code was working correctly, as there was traffic showing in the Google Analytics dashboard. It turns out, however, that no page other than the homepage was tracking page views.

This is something that’s easy to miss, but we discovered and corrected it. The client’s Google Analytics is now showing the statistics for the WHOLE website. As a result, there was over 2,300% more traffic and over a 2,100% increase in unique visitors once we fixed the problem. While that’s not an actual increase in traffic, the true data is now being displayed (which is obviously a good thing!).

4.  Site Review Project

The Site Review Project encompasses both SEO and design. We track dozens of items for our clients’ websites, including meta descriptions, backlinks, social media links, desktop and mobile site speed, and more. This goes to show that you can’t just slap up a new website and call it good; it needs constant “TLC” to maintain and grow.

5.  A Bunch Of Other Stuff

In addition to the projects above, our SEO team is plugging away at a ton of other tasks to ensure our clients’ websites are kicking butt on Google. They’ve been so busy that we’ve had to bring on new people to help with development, blog posting, and client support. MYM SEO is running at full speed 24/7, and we need all hands on deck.

Looking For This Level Of Service From An SEO Company?

If you’re a contractor who wants to thrive in today’s market, SEO is no longer optional—it’s MANDATORY. And it can be a heck of an uphill battle if you’re not an expert.

We are currently looking for a few contractors who are serious about growing their businesses… and understand that SEO (and internet marketing as a whole) is the proverbial Yellow Brick Road to get there.

If that’s you, give us a call at (817) 416-4333. Or hook yourself up with one of our no-cost, no-strings Lead Generation Audits. We’ll take a deep dive into your internet marketing efforts and reveal what aspects are working… and what aspects need some serious work.

We just launched another new website for a client. I’d like you to take a look at it.

Before I give you the link, let me tell you a few of the enhancements we’ve made from previous websites—we’re always improving and upgrading what we do:

1. This is one of the first websites we’ve built since switching to a WordPress website format. Using WordPress makes customization and optimizing for search engines much, much, MUCH easier.
2. For example, we were able to create big beautiful image boxes for the Services section on the homepage and insert eye-catching graphical elements throughout the website.
3. We implemented a “scrolling” testimonial section on multiple pages.
4. On the contact page is a map outlining the areas the client services. It’s a way-cool way to immediately show prospects if they are in the client’s service area.

When you take a look at the website, make sure you notice how the client’s IDENTITY is communicated with power, precision, and passion throughout the site.

Without further ado: https://simplicitybath.com/

Let us know if we can help with any of your internet marketing needs by calling (817) 416-4333. You can also visit our website and use the chat box to speak with someone right now.

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My dad was a real estate guy. And when I was young, he taught me the value of knowing your numbers.

When he dropped me off at BYU my freshman year, he gave me the calculator I still use to this day (I won’t say “over twenty-five years later,” because I’d be dating myself): the HP-12C Financial.

The thing is older than my oldest child, but it still works like a charm.

Since it’s a financial calculator, it calculates everything “backward,” which makes it confusing for the uninitiated. Seeing someone try to use it is like watching a caveman trying to operate an iPhone.

It’s pretty fun to witness.

Regardless of how you like to crunch your numbers, though, make no mistake—your calculator is your most important marketing tool.

By knowing your numbers, you can determine your marketing budget and how much advertising you can accomplish.

Let me show you a wild example.

An HVAC company wanted to target homeowners whose heat pumps were likely to fail within the next few years with a postcard campaign. The company had made a series of about six postcards they’d send every six weeks to a thousand homeowners who had heaters between 10 and 12 years old.

The goal was to get the homeowners to replace their heaters BEFORE they broke down. This would likely happen in the winter, which is a busy season for HVAC companies. Homeowners with broken heaters would have to suffer days in an ice-cold house while the HVAC company tried to fit them into their overloaded rotation.

As I reviewed this client’s marketing strategy, I had an overwhelming sense their campaign was going to fail.

Getting people to spend thousands of dollars on a problem they MIGHT have in the future can be a colossal feat. The client reasoned that “the longer you wait to replace your heat pump, the bigger the failure risk” would get people to take action.

I countered with “the longer a homeowner’s heat pump works, the more convinced they’ll become that it will never break.”

An ounce of prevention might be worth a pound of cure. But when we’re talking about people parting with their money, spending oodles of it on preventative measures isn’t something most folks are dying to do.

Think about it… do people buy treadmills BEFORE they get fat? Or those extended television warranties the cashier at Best Buy always tries to hock?

Nope.

But then the client told me something that changed the playing field.

He said it’s not a matter of “if” these heat pumps will fail—they WILL fail, guaranteed.

He said these heat pumps NEVER last longer than 13 years, so homeowners with a 10-year-old heating pump would without a doubt need one within the next 36 months. Period.

I asked him how sure he was the pumps would fail. I asked, “Would you bet your life that 100% of the pumps will fail by the time they’re 13?”

He said he’d bet his life that 90 percent of them would.

Time to bust out the ol’ HP-12C.

The client’s average sale was $8K with a gross profit of $3.5K. So 1,000 prospects on the client’s list is $3.5 million in potential gross over the next three years—$3.15 million if you exclude the 10% of heat pumps that might not fail.

Think about that—a guaranteed $3.1 million in gross profits over the next three years… just sitting there, ripe for the plucking.

Are you salivating yet?

A better question… how much cash would you be willing to spend to get that $3.1 million?

If it were me, I’d spend at least 10 percent of that number: $310K.

Why? So I could unleash the Wall Drug method (incessantly hammering prospects with your marketing message).

To start, I’d send one 6” x 11” inch postcard per week to each of the 1,000 prospects. That’s 52,000 postcards a year for three years, totaling roughly 150,000.

If every postcard costs 60 cents to send, the total cost for the 36-month campaign would be only $90K.

This is chump change compared to the anticipated gross profit, so let’s bump it up to two postcards per week—a little more than 100 per year per prospect. That’ll cost $180K, not including all the customers we’d remove from the list once they actually become customers and we quit mailing them. And we’ve still got $130K and change to spend.

Next, we’ll get a little old school. I’d hire a college-aged kid to knock on every one of those 1,000 doors every month.

If he knocked five days a week, he’d have to hit only 50 doors per day—easily done assuming all the homes are in a reasonably close proximity. After a couple months go by, the homeowners would immediately recognize my door knocker as the dude from the company that sends all the postcards that keeps coming by. If I paid that door knocker $3,000 per month, it would eat $108K out of my three-year budget—leaving me with just $72K remaining.

So let’s think of something fun to do with the remaining 70 grand. How about creating something for my door knocker to hand to people when he knocks their doors? Like fridge magnets. Or calendars. Or an ice cream scooper. Something—anything—for crying out loud.

At this point, you might be thinking, “Uh, Rich… so what message goes on all of these marketing touches?”

Here’s the thing: At the rate, we’re hitting prospects, it almost doesn’t matter what I put in the marketing message, as long as it’s something like “Hey, we can replace your freaking heat pump when it goes out?”

Seriously—this is more about what the calculator says than the messaging.

Now put yourself in your prospect’s shoes. Imagine receiving multiple postcards per week from an HVAC company warning you that your heat pump will most definitely fail within three years. How many weeks would it take before you started noticing the postcards? As in, “Hey, this company is sending me a crap load of mail!”? Around four or five weeks, probably.

Now think ahead 18 months. You’ve received two pieces of mail from the company every week for a year and a half, and the college kid has knocked on your door about 20 times. Is there any chance at all that you’re not aware of who this company is? Is there any conceivable way you DON’T know why this company is contacting you? No way, José.

This is what I call “Wall Drugging” potential customers. Hit them so often that they can’t help but recognize your name and brand.

Listen. I don’t want to hear, “But my company is different. We don’t sell heat pumps, and we don’t know exactly who our customers will be.” The moral of the story is to look at your numbers and determine how much you can spend to acquire a new sale.

How could you best spend that money? Use your calculator to find answers to these questions. You just might find a formula for success that you hadn’t expected.

Compliments of HP.

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Since No-Risk PPC Lead Generation is so innovative and different than any other PPC service out there, contractors naturally have questions about it.

In a nutshell, No-Risk PPC Lead Generation lets YOU set the number of monthly leads you want. We deliver those leads at no more than $200* per lead. You pay for the leads only AFTER we supply them.

For the nitty-gritty details, read this list below of the most common questions contractors have about the program. (Or, if you’d like to speak to someone directly, email us at noriskppc@mymonline.com.)

Q: So, how is No-Risk PPC Lead Generation different from the 742 other PPC services out there?

A: We focus on LEADS, not just clicks. You tell us the amount of leads you want every week. We deliver them to you at no more than $200 per lead. You pay for the leads (and ONLY the leads) once you receive and approve them. It’s completely no risk.

Q: How do you guarantee leads for $200 or less?

A: Because we’re dang good at what we do. Unlike other PPC companies that dabble in the remodeling industry, PPC for remodelers and contractors is the ONLY PPC we do. We use special technology that allows us to determine not only the amount of PPC leads you receive, but also the exact cost per PPC lead.

Q: What if the cost per lead comes in above $200?

A: Then you pay $200 per lead, and we cover the rest. So if your cost per lead comes in at $250, we pay the extra $50 per lead. Just know that we are very good at generating high quality PPC leads for less than $200—you should expect your leads to cost about $110 to $170, depending on your market.

Q: Are the leads high quality?

A: Yes! Our clients report that the closing ratios from their PPC leads are very similar to their other lead sources.

Q: How many leads can I get from you in a month?

A: As many as are available in the market. We will give you an estimate before we start. Naturally, the bigger the market, the more leads will be available. The range varies from about 30 on the low end to as many as 500 a month for some services in some markets.

Q: What do you consider a lead?

A: Anyone who contacts you expressing interest in your service. We don’t count service calls, hang-ups, repeat callers, and telemarketing calls as leads; the person must be looking for the kind of project(s) you provide.

Q: When do I have to pay for my leads?

A: We will invoice you every two weeks for your leads, and you will pay via automatic ACH from your checking account. If there is ever a dispute over an individual lead quality, we will compensate by giving you a free lead in the next cycle.

Q: What if I don’t like the quality of the leads you send me?

A: Discuss it with us. We can possibly adjust the campaign to fix the problem. Or you can simply quit the program. Both scenarios are extremely rare, but please know that we won’t deal with folks who nitpick every single lead (sorry!).

Q: How is this different than buying leads from Angie’s List, Home Advisor, etc.?

A: These are leads that are coming from YOUR website… so you are the only person who will get the lead. You won’t have to beat 5 or 10 other contractors to the punch. Also, since the prospect went to YOUR website, they will already know who you are, and why you are the best choice to buy from.

Q: Is there a monthly management fee?

A: Yes, we charge a $1,000 a month management fee… BUT we waive the fee for the first 3 months to prove to you that our program works.

Q: What are the requirements for participating in this program?

A: 1.) You must be able to handle at least 30 leads a month, both financially- and capacity-wise. 2.) You must pay promptly. 3.) You have to be good about answering your phone—we DO count missed calls generated by PPC as leads. If you meet these three simple criteria, you’ll likely be a good fit for the program.

Q: How long is the commitment?

A: There is no commitment, but please be aware that it does take 60 to 90 days to “optimize” your campaign. That means that during the first month or two, your lead costs will be higher (still never more than $200)… and you can expect the lead cost to fall over time.

Have more questions? Great! Due diligence is a quality I like.

Send us an email at noriskppc@mymonline.com. We’d be happy to discuss No-Risk PPC Lead Generation in more detail with you.

* In some instances the Guaranteed Cost Per Lead may need to be as high as $300.00. The increase is typically rare and usually due to things such as ultra-competitive geographic areas, out of the norm competitor efforts in the pay per click services arena or extreme seasonal competition. Fortunately these max lead cost increase is usually required for large metropolitan areas, however if this increase applies you will ALWAYS be notified in the initial discussions with us regarding your individual companies situation. In other words, if an increase is required we will let you know up front before any leads are generated.