My wife and I run a small massage business, and we've been trading for about four months. Most of our customers currently come from Google search, with a smaller number from posts in local Facebook groups. We're fortunate to have a good number of repeat customers, but we still have the capacity to take on more.
To grow the business, I’ve been experimenting with Google Ads, but only for a day so far. However, today, I was contacted by a Google Partner Agency. They advised against using Google Ads and instead pitched a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) package focused on improving our position in local listings (e.g., the Google Maps "local pack"). They claimed that ads don’t appear for most of the top searches in our niche.
I have a few questions:
To grow the business, I’ve been experimenting with Google Ads, but only for a day so far. However, today, I was contacted by a Google Partner Agency. They advised against using Google Ads and instead pitched a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) package focused on improving our position in local listings (e.g., the Google Maps "local pack"). They claimed that ads don’t appear for most of the top searches in our niche.
I have a few questions:
- Is it true that Google doesn’t display ads for many top searches in the massage niche? If so, what happens to ads I might already be running?
- How can I measure the performance of an SEM package beyond just an increase in customers (since they could come from other sources)?
- How do SEM services typically improve local listing rankings? Are these strategies something I could implement myself?
- Has anyone had success using SEM or similar services for a small service-based business like mine? If so, what worked for you?
- Should I continue investing in Google Ads or focus my budget elsewhere?
