Angi Leads vs Google PPC Ads – Which is Better for Home Service Businesses?

Angi Leads vs Google PPC Ads

Angi Leads vs Google PPC ads. Which is the best? Which lead generation strategies are the best option for home services businesses?

Home service businesses require consistent leads and lead generation in order to survive and grow. Home services such as plumbers, roofers, HVAC specialists, and landscapers need to find reliable ways of attracting new customers. If the pipeline is fluctuating, it might be time to look into dedicated lead generation services that leverage data-driven advertising to keep the calendar full.

Two popular lead generation methods are Angi Leads and Google PPC Ads. These two lead generation methods are very different in every way. The only common factor is that you pay for your leads.

Both platforms can deliver new business. Even though they operate differently, have different cost structures, and suit different goals, they can help your business grow.

In this post, we will help you decide which method is the best for your business.

What is Angi Leads?

Angi Leads is a lead generation platform designed to connect homeowners with home service professionals in their area. Angi Leads is formerly known as Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor.

Angi Leads operates on a pay-per-lead basis, meaning you are charged every time you receive a lead from them. You are also charged whether you win the job contract or not. These leads are typically shared amongst several contractors (often 3 to 5 contractors). This creates a highly competitive environment where the faster you are to quote and follow up, will get the job. You may find that you also need to be the cheapest.

How it works

Homeowners submit a service request through the platform. Angi will match the request with multiple businesses that fit the project requirements. For example, a bathroom remodeling job will be sent to bathroom remodeling companies.

Angi Leads Pros

• High volumes of leads, quickly
• Targeted leads
• Customer reviews

Angi Leads Cons

• Leads aren’t exclusive
• High amounts of competition
• High costs associated
• Early termination fees
• Potential for low-quality leads

What are Google PPC Ads?

Google PPC (or Pay-Per-Click) Ads are a form of online advertising on the Google Search Engine. How a PPC model works is by charging you every time someone clicks on your ad. These ads are typically displayed at the top of Google’s organic search results. These ads are typically displayed when someone searches for a specific keyword or query. An example is “emergency plumber near me” or “kitchen remodel phoenix az”.

When someone clicks on the ad, they are taken straight to your website or a dedicated PPC landing page you have created. In other words, there is a direct connection between the potential customer and your business. 

The biggest advantage of Google PPC is that it targets users who are searching Google for the service you provide. This leads to higher-quality leads, and the business also has full control over the ad spend, targeting, and messaging.

Running a successful PPC ad campaign has its challenges and requires either a learning curve or professional management by a dedicated PPC advertising agency. The main reason for needing a dedicated agency or learning about Google PPC is due to the fact that there is a lot of competition with home services businesses, making the cost-per-click or CPC quite high. If you don’t know what you are doing, you will overpay, burn through your budget, and have a bad return on your ad spend.

Having said that, PPC Ads can offer a strong return on investment and help build your brand.

Google’s Local Service Area Ads

Local Service Area ads are a kind of Google PPC ad campaign that is set up with your Google Business Profile. In the maps section of Google, you can create a sponsored ad at the top of the maps section of Google. This works similarly to the normal ads, and realistically, a home service company can benefit from both.

How Does Google PPC Work?

Google PPC allows advertisers to display ads on Google and pay when someone clicks on their ad. Advertisers begin by creating ads that target commercial and local intent keywords. For example, “home remodeling Phoenix AZ”. They will create the ads with headlines, descriptions, and add the target URL to the ad. They will also set the maximum ad bid for each keyword and the maximum budget for the campaign.

When somebody searches a query, Google runs a real-time auction to decide which ad will appear on Google, Factors include the bid amount and the “Quality Score”. The Quality score is a scoring by Google to measure the Ad Relevance, the expected Click-Through Rate, and the landing page experience. 

If the ad wins, it appears at the top of Google under the sponsored section.

Google PPC Pros

• Delivers Fast Results
• Can Target Your Audience
• Cost-Effective Online Marketing
• Improves Brand Recognition
• You Can Control Your Budget

Google PPC Cons

• High CPC Cost Is Possible
• If You Have No Budget, You Have No Ads
• Possibility Of Click Fraud
• Underfunding Of Campaigns Are Possible

Get an advertising agency in Phoenix to help you today.

Lead Quality and Competition

The lead quality and competition of each platform offer very different experiences as to what you can expect from each.

Angi Leads

Angi Leads are leads that are shared amongst multiple contractors. You will be immediately competing with several other businesses for the same customer. This means to close the lead, you need to be the fastest, most persuasive, and possibly the cheapest in order to get the job.

Angi Leads tend to have a low conversion rate, and you may need to follow up multiple times to get the job.

Google PPC

With Google PPC, you get the leads coming directly to your website. The potential customer sees your ad, clicks on it, and is directed to your home page or landing page. Every lead you get is your lead. 

PPC customers also tend to have higher levels of intent. They usually will search for what they need. You can target those commercial and transactional keywords and convert them into clients. You will also find that you will have stronger conversion rates and develop a direct relationship with the prospective buyers.

While both platforms can generate leads, the quality and competitiveness are the major variables between the platforms.

Ease of Use and Setup

Angi Leads is quick and straightforward to set up. By signing up for an Angi Pro account, businesses will list their services, the service area they are in, and start receiving leads almost immediately. The platform itself is user-friendly, and the dashboard allows for the easy management of all inbound leads, company reviews, and business profiles.

The simplicity behind this makes it appealing for businesses looking to generate leads without the steep learning curve. Having said that, you still are required to compete with other companies, have prompt follow ups and effectively “sell” your service in order to close the deal.

Google PPC Ads involve a more complex setup process. To create effective campaigns, you need to target the appropriate keywords and queries, write compelling ad copy, and design an optimized landing page. In addition to this, you need a comprehensive understanding of bidding strategies and the ability to analyze the performance of the campaign so that you can further tweak and improve all necessary aspects of it. This is critical to a successful campaign.

Even though the setup requires more thought and time, as well as expertise, it offers greater control over the budget and targeting. As mentioned, in some cases, you may need to find a specialist agency to assist you.

Google Ads can lead to higher-quality traffic and better brand visibility.

Long-Term Value and Brand Building

Comparing Angi Leads and Google PPC in terms of long-term value and brand building, there are significant differences between the two.

With Angi Leads, businesses become dependent on third-party lead generation platforms for a steady flow of inbound customers. This isn’t particularly optimal. Whilst Angi Leads can deliver quick leads to your business, it tends to promote its brand more than your company’s brand. Your company will end up with less brand recognition and fewer opportunities to build lasting client relationships.

An expected outcome of this may be that, even if your work is outstanding, customers may rather remember finding someone great on Angi Leads and not remember your company name.

Google PPC, on the other hand, offers greater potential for brand growth and the ability to scale your business. Users interact directly with your website, the ad campaign you created, and your messaging. You control the entire experience and outcome of the campaign.

This direct connection between the customer and your company helps build brand recognition and trust within the community you serve. This will also assist with repeat business, generate referrals from happy clients, and help scale your business sustainably in the future.

Investing in Google PPC not only drives immediate inbound leads but also lays a stronger foundation for growing an independent, recognizable brand within your community.

So, Which is Better for Your Business?

When it comes to choosing between the two platforms, our experience is that if you are in the “repairs business,” Angi Leads is a great idea. The reason for this is that when a client needs a qualified emergency plumber, they don’t really care who it is, as long as they can get the job done quickly. 

On the other hand, if you are in the “project business”, Google PPC is a great choice. This is because you can spend time with the client and nurture the lead, and ensure they get exactly what they are looking for. A great example is if someone is looking for a comprehensive bathroom remodel with plumbing, electrical, custom interior design, bespoke material sourcing, etc, then using PPC to get that lead and nurture that client is the best way to go.

At the end of the day, the choice is yours, and you may benefit from testing both out to see which best fits your business.

Conclusion

Both Angi Leads and Google PPC are great options for home services businesses. They both have their pros and cons. After reading this post, which do you think is best suited for your needs? Let us know.

If you need help with your marketing or would like to learn about our Digital Marketing Services, contact us today.