Transcript
Joe Troyer: … other traffic sources. What is there besides Google Ads? What is there besides Google Ads? We got … sorry about that, let me turn that on do not disturb. What other traffic sources obviously are there? Guys, we have been very, very big in Google Maps. In terms of longterm ROI from a traffic source, nothing has ever beaten it. Initial work to get it up and ranked, and it takes time, yes. I would only do this once I have a client or two, little hint there, client or two, in any given market, and they’ve been in there for a couple of months. I know that they’re going to stick around, then I’ll build out an asset like Google Maps, because it’s going to take time.
Joe Troyer: For those of you guys though, I want to be 100% clear, 100% clear, if you go set up Google Maps, you go through the verification process, you go build citations and everything else, you got to know, and I would think that this is obvious but somehow it’s not, you got to know that this is black hat. Why? I just accidentally made a copy of the presentation for some reason. Why is this black hat? Because Google’s Terms of Service says that you need to be an actual business, that your location for example, needs to have somebody there if somebody goes to visit it, that it’s an actual business, not a lead gen company. I just want you guys to know that. I’m not saying don’t do it. I’m not saying it’s not a great tactic. I just want you guys to know that. I mean, it seems like we should know that by now, but you got to know that.
Joe Troyer: Google organic plays really well with Maps as well. It will help bring you some calls, but it’s not going to be anything earth shattering. Maps is definitely going to bring a lot more volume than Google organic, so I’m just going to make a comment here, less volume than Maps. If you want to know what’s black and what’s gray, just go look at the Terms of Service for example, on Google Maps. Go read through it. Go spend 15 minutes and just skim through it. I’m assuming that 99% of you guys probably haven’t done that. You should know what is against their terms and what’s not.
Joe Troyer: Know that Google organic, if you’re building backlinks to rank on Google, you’re technically gray hat or black hat, and that’s against their terms of service. No matter how legitimately you do it. For me, it’s what spectrum of gray or black do you want to play on is really just what you have to decide. If you’re trying to rank in Google, technically it’s going to be gray or black. Not really black, but there’s way more black and aggressive techniques, so just to be clear. Google Maps, I’ve had sites that have made me three, four or five, even 10 grand a month. Am I saying this publicly? This is going live. All through Google Maps that were lead gen sites. Sorry Google. Google organic has done very well for me over time as well. But again the takeaway is not near as much volume as Google Maps.
Joe Troyer: Next up, and something that you probably wouldn’t guess, but Craigslist has absolutely crushed it for me over the years. In the last couple of years specifically. When Craigslist moved to the services sections and some other sections being paid, if I can spell, that helped. It helped the quality. People now understand that … Well, let me back up. Google changed a lot of categories and services, and areas that you post to, to being paid. You got to pay Craigslist to do it, again, to post on Craigslist.
Joe Troyer: When they did that, everybody was all up in arms. I was fucking beyond stoked. The reason is because the quality of the people posting ads, and the quality of the service for a long time was really shitty. You get in there though with a good ad, a good offer, and you could stay relevant and stay in the top listings without being spammed out, you would crush it on Craigslist, just because everybody else was kind of garbage. The provider level, that since it became paid has gotten a lot better. You’re not competing with near as many really cheap people. If the job value is a thousand bucks, people were doing it for a hundred bucks, just crazy shit like that. Unlicensed and just all kinds of crazy stuff.
Joe Troyer: Craigslist actually charging has actually helped tremendously. There are ways to scale Craigslist and do volume, but again, you need to understand Google’s Terms of Service, and what’s really allowed. Google doesn’t want you posting in 30 cities across the United States, five times a day, with the same ads. You’re going to have to change it up. You’re going to have to think it through. Again, read the Terms of Service. Craigslist has crushed it. I have clients that … One client I’m billing eight, nine, 10 grand a month, just from Craigslist.
Joe Troyer: These are three traffic source. Another one that I’ll talk about, and I’ll put it at the top because it’s quick, is Bing. If you are in an older demographic type of niche, Bing is great. Why? Because all these computers ship with Internet Explorer as the default search engine. Default search engine, default internet provider, and the default search engine is Bing. Man, that was difficult.
Joe Troyer: You buy a Windows computer, it comes pre-installed with Internet Explorer. The preset search engine forever, they’re changing it now [inaudible] or have changed it, but forever it was just Internet Explorer and Bing, so Bing is the only way to get that traffic. Everybody else installs new up to date browsers like Chrome, or Firefox, or Safari, or whatever, so if you’re trying to come at that older demographic, Bing can be really, really great. I find that it can be hit or miss. I have some niches that it does really well in, where it’s actually cheaper than Google and provides some okay volume. I have other niches that they bring in two qualified calls a month.
Joe Troyer: So here are four traffic source for you guys, that you guys can go after. Wahoo, two hours of paper call training in the books. Whew, is that enough energy? Is that enough excitement. Is that enough Joe Troyer for one day? Shit. “Does Bing do call only ads?” Basically they’re kind of version of it Scott. “Awesome dude,” Rick says. Thank you very much man. Austin says, “What about Facebook?” At the end of the day, the niches that I target, the niches that I go after, that I’ve went after in my agencies, that I’ve built, and sold, and exited, I’ve always went after … I’ve tried other things but then always moved back to really blue collar types of niches. That’s what has worked best for me.
Joe Troyer: I like to be able to get chest to chest with somebody. I like to be able to get ahold of people pretty easily. With white collar, that can be very difficult. So because of that, the niches that I’m hitting are a lot of times roofing, and all kinds of niches in that service industry. More blue collar, so display ads don’t really work very well. Can they work to build a brand, and build a customer base, and reactivate customers longterm? Yeah, but nothing is going to beat search traffic. Somebody has a problem, they need a solution right now. They go to Google. You show a good ad. They hit that call only ad. It converts like fucking gangbusters. You got them on the phone. You’re getting paid.
Joe Troyer: If you try to go after that stuff with Facebook, it’s display advertising, you got to interrupt them. You got to have a great offer. You got to get them to act on it immediately. Then even once they give you their info and say that they want whatever amazing offer that you got, you got to get them to actually fucking redeem the offer. That’s a whole other challenge.
Joe Troyer: For me, doing quote unquote call only, or I’m sorry, for me doing pay per call, I don’t think pay per call works really well with Facebook traditionally. I’m not saying that as a blanket statement, prove me wrong, but go hit some of these other traffic source first that are a little more tested and proven for pay per call.
