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Any good advice re: Google Ad Words to get business?
Last few days I worked side-by-side with a stills pro who swears by GAW. He claims he only spends $100 a month and it brings in a LOT of biz, mainly listing keyword combos such as “Product Photographer Suburb Name”, “Industrial Photographer Suburb Name”. He chooses suburbs with large industrial parks and corporate offices.
Another photog I work with claimed to spend $2K a month and swore it was very successful. So my question is: since I am mainly a videographer, won’t all my clicks be used up by brides-to-be since those shooters are called “videographers”? Or is there a negative key word function where I could put in “Non-Weddings” or “No Weddings”? I also produce but I imagine “Video Production” is saturated.
I did a search of this forum re: GAW and it’s all old news so I thought I’d ask you guys if you have had success. I otherwise have excellent SEO, mainly because I have the longest running Chicago DP website. Thanks in advance for your advice.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
5 Replies
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Key words I’d consider would include “Industrial Video” and “Corporate Video”.
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I think you could optimize your site as well for keywords. We use the Title description to add keywords…Google loves the title in HTML.
Also, for as many clients as you have shot for, you really need some samples on your site. Since I started in this business I have not needed a resume. People did not want to see who I worked for, they wanted to see the work. Your calling card is the ability to frame a difficult shot, come up with interesting angles that capture the subject and hold focus throughout a challenging shot etc.
Slim down the site and show prospective clients a peek thru your lens…samples of your work. If it is great, that will get them to you. And use your Titles in your code to “hide” important keywords. Don’t forget to include video production because sometimes that’s what people search for to find videographers. Also DP and Director of Photography.
Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production, Post, Studio Sound Stage
Founder/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com -
Thanks Rich. I know, I know, I know….my website is very dated for several reasons, the first being my “web guy” is no longer around so I’d have to start from scratch. Might as well since we now have to optimize for mobile. It’s even difficult posting a new photo so I think I will teach myself. However, I have to weigh that against how much biz comes in through the web. I prefer repeat clients and referrals so the effort to work the web is minimal except when I hit a slow period and panic. That’s when I start the process of a new site but then I get busy again, for weeks or months, and that goes to the back burner.
As to searches, the whole reason I wanted to try the Adwords is the word or term “Videographer”, wow, it’s the realm of the wedding crowd now and there are so many of them. The DSLR revolution allowed a zillion of them to enter the biz so if you’re needing a Videographer you have to weed through pages of wedding shooters.
Smart folks in the biz will go to Production Hub, Mandy’s, IL Film Office, Chicago Creative Directory, etc. but if they search for a guy like me I am now very hard to find because of the wedding folks. As to samples on my website, I have proof that is detrimental, perhaps I will start a new thread to see if people believe me, but I prefer to field an inquiry and then send them EXACTLY what they have in mind. Works well. I can’t keep up with all my new work adding it plus many of my clients are proprietary or I don’t want my competitors to know who they are or they are TV shows and it’s impossible to get a great copy if they are willing to give any at all. So, I have found that they call or email asking to see examples and I send them something right on the money and I get the gig that way.
It’s more complicated than that but suffice it to say that over the years when I have had an Under Construction sign on the samples page, they contact me and that get’s me the opportunity of talking to them or emailing, thus the ability to “sell”, and I send the perfect example.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
Hmmmm…workflow is key. Must be easy to updated and change samples etc. We use Adobe Muse and so far so good…many don’t like its sloppy code, but for us the workflow wins.
Good luck!
Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production, Post, Studio Sound Stage
Founder/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com -
Well, I’m learning that Adwords is much more expensive than they tell you at the beginning! I’m finding that there are very deep pocket competitors who are bidding the clicks up to way past what they are worth. It reminds me of Ebay, when you bid on something at a good price but idiots who don’t know what it’s worth bid it up automatically past what is a good deal. Also, I just got this in today. It is a result of my brochure arriving in the mail after meeting Tom at a networking meeting of local PR pros. Very Old School:
Hello Ned:
My colleague Tom XXXX passed over your information to me to do possible video for us at our XXXX office. I was wondering if you had time to chat about filming some employee testimonials at our office there. There will be 3 individuals that will be doing a question and answer type testimonial. Just need to be filmed documentary style. No editing needed. Can you provide a cost estimate for that? I will also give you a call later today to discuss.
So after a month or so I think I will go back to Old School techniques. Adwords requires constant monitoring, tweaking and throwing money at it. If a student clicks your ad to send in their resume, that can cost $8.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com
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