Google has decided to take on the current heavyweights in home improvement lead generation. The new program, Google Home Services, will feature select contractors on the top of the search engine results page. Instead of clicking on a website, homeowners can browse and contact providers right then and there.
I introduced you to this new lead generation service in a September blog when Keyword Connects was just putting the pieces together. To learn more, I went knee-deep in the trenches (a.k.a. Google’s offices) to learn more, and the findings were interesting.
How Google Home Services Intends to Win the Day
While there are far too many details to get into specifically (that will come later) Google’s goal is to deliver “Google-verified” services to homeowners and dependable leads to contractors. To do this, they’ve developed a rating system or algorithm that calculates a ranking based on a company’s 2 key metrics:
1. Responsiveness: While I can’t write about specifics on this yet, Google Home Services is placing tremendous importance on a home improvement company’s responsiveness.This falls very clearly in line with homeowner surveys that say non-earth-shattering things like “I want my provider to pick up the phone when I call” and “I just want someone to get back to me
Google has developed some pretty slick technology to assess responsiveness on the home improvement company’s part, both by phone and web form. Speed and responsiveness are both elements that homeowners want, and both also answer the common question that Google always asks internally “What is best for the user?”
2. Reviews: The more positive reviews you have, the higher your rating will be in Google Home Services. It appears that Google will be using a home improvement company’s existing reviews, as well as a new set of reviews generated strictly through Google home Services.
Again, I can’t get into details here, as it’s just too big of a topic, but suffice it to say that Google will be helping home improvement companies to generate their own reviews through the new service – but also expects you to do so on your own.
Who Will be Crowned King of Lead Generation?
Google Home Services is still in beta testing, which means it is only available to a select number of home improvement providers. But once they work out the kinks, you can expect this program to be a real ground-shaker.
The king of lead gen will be crowned in the next few years, but will it be Google? Join us for a webinar on October 25th at noon ET to find out who I think will take the throne.
About Keyword Connects
We're a performance marketing company serving home improvement companies. In short, we connect our clients to homeowners searching online for products and services they sell. Connections to homeowners that typically set into in-home sales appointments at 60-80%.
Call us: 781-899-3675 or visit us: www.KeywordConnects.com