Google Adwords and how you can totally screw over other home inspectors

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 02/12/2019 06:05 PM EST

It's about time we had a conversation in the home inspection industry about Google Adwords, because it's becoming a dirty game. One that I believe to be truly unethical, but maybe I'm old school. This post isn't a ruling or a regulation, but rather a starting point for a conversation. A conversation about what we can do, what we should do, and if we shouldn't do it who would regulate such a thing even if we could all agree?

I suppose in some regards, this is a conversation about who we are as an industry.

So let's get started on how to totally screw over your competition! See the attached photo. This is an example of what is called "Dynamic Keyword Insertion", and it's an advanced AdWord strategy. In the case of this example, someone searched "Cheap Airfare" and the link above the site that paid for the placement dynamically changes to exactly the words (the Google user) searched for...MAGIC!

Well, not exactly magic. It's a feature in Google Adwords that you have to know what to do with and decide to press. So it's not magic and it isn't automatic, but it is really cool and even appropriate for a lot of things. This "Cheap Airfare" ad is a prime example. It is something you can turn off once it's on and it is something that users of Google Adwords generally know they are doing.

Now let's put in in terms of home inspection marketing online:

A client goes to the internet and searches for your company. Let's say your company is "Dynamic Home Inspections". The first link that comes up says "Dynamic Home Inspections" right in it...so the client clicks and books a home inspection. Except it wasn't your company - it was one of your competitors not only targeting your company's name for search results but also then making their site appear to be your company's site.

I believe that most inspectors would take issue with this and find it unethical. Here's how I know: Out of the half a dozen inspectors we have found doing this, all but one were unaware they were doing it and all but one immediately ceased doing it. The only one that didn't cease immediately was out of line in ways you would have to believe were substance abuse driven, and even he eventually turned off this feature that was impersonating his competition.

So how does it happen?

A lot of inspectors hire Google Adwords managers. Their goal is to spend adwords money, spend it fast, and spend it well. To them, options like Dynamic Keyword Insertion make a lot of sense. In their minds, taking inspections from a local competitor even under what is at best a misrepresentation is par for the course. In the Adwords management business, they do it to each other even worse. The difference is they're kids playing on the internet that might live thousands of miles away from each other. The Inspectors on the other hand are more like two dudes that have known each other well for a decade and go to all the same conferences and know each other's families on occasion.

Okay so inspectors don't think this is right to market this way, but should it really offend?

That's the question and it's a big one. Google allows it, google has the capability, in other industries they do it to each other all day long like minions fighting over bananas.

Here's my take: I think it is deceptive and is absolutely actionable at times. I think it should be deemed unethical to do anything that would impersonate another company or deceive a consumer into thinking that you are someone you aren't and I think the associations should be the ones to make such a rule and enforce it too.

But that's just me. What say you?

Interesting. Thanks.

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I use this tactic in a different way. I do not ever use it to steal another companies business but I have a very famous tv personality in my direct market. I use the name in my background

seo stuff but not using dynamic keywords that would put that name to the forefront. It may have drawbacks and attach my business to his also, but I do get top rankings regularly in maps. Which i believe is where most will click from with easy access to phone number and websites as a clickable link.

I don't know if we are talking about the same thing or not. I am not too good with this internet age. Let's take Google Maps as an example:

I haven't posted anything for several months and I always show up #1, in my area.

Now imagine you search your own company name and above the map in the ads portion you see an ad that has your company name in it.

How do we find out if our name (HomePro) is being used in our competitors SEO?

homeprori wrote:How do we find out if our name (HomePro) is being used in our competitors SEO?

Pretty much have to do a search and hope to catch it at the right time and before its budget runs out that day. It sucks!

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 09/17/2021 11:59 AM EDT

There is a noted increase in companies w/in same market as each other using all sorts of tactics, blackhat and even outright copying social media design layouts, design for marketing materials and original copy. They even will create fake negative Google and Facebook reviews posing as a client/buyer.
It's a scarcity mindset that apparently drives people to think it's ok, but it is not.

It may be technically legal to do a dynamic switch but I do not think it's moral. Especially if your impersonating and targeting the exact name of another company.

Right now, 2 new accounts created here to birddog my nice post to an awesome inspector offering his creative content (articles) for free to all of the inspectors. Their comments have links to throw off the google crawl and the other one isn't even a sentence.

Intentional and of the scarcity mindset.

That is very interesting. thanks for sharing that info.

I'm of a different mindset I guess. They say "all is fair in love and war." Just because we don't like it doesn't mean anything, when they can legally do it. I use adwords, but do not partake in the things talked about in this post. But I have gotten calls for people thinking I'm a different company because I advertise and will show up on the list above organic searches. But I also get calls from people who think they are calling the local building departments, which I am not.

I think undercutting competition is completely screwing over other home inspectors. While briefly talked about, I don't see any deep discussions on it. I was recently talking to my wife about the cost of inspections. When My dad inspected in the late 90's and early 2000's, his pricing wasn't much less than what it is currently in my area. He said, he would be in the $200-$250 range, give or take, the man has brain cancer. Back to the actual conversation with my wife. She bought a home 13 years ago, at the time she paid $300 for her inspection. Fast-forward to today. I'm inspecting and my cost for that same house would be $350. A $50 increase over 13 years in a career where you are inspecting 6 figure investments for people on a regular basis?

I recently spoke with someone who said they just had a home inspection. It's winter time, and my fee would have been $425 for an inspection and wood destroying insect inspection. This person was charged $250 for both services!

So in short, I'd rather fight the google ads battle, but I really want to conquer the undercutting and low rates battle.

I'm of a different mindset I guess. They say "all is fair in love and war." Just because we don't like it doesn't mean anything, when they can legally do it. I use adwords, but do not partake in the things talked about in this post. But I have gotten calls for people thinking I'm a different company because I advertise and will show up on the list above organic searches. But I also get calls from people who think they are calling the local building departments, which I am not.

I think undercutting competition is completely screwing over other home inspectors. While briefly talked about, I don't see any deep discussions on it. I was recently talking to my wife about the cost of inspections. When My dad inspected in the late 90's and early 2000's, his pricing wasn't much less than what it is currently in my area. He said, he would be in the $200-$250 range, give or take, the man has brain cancer. Back to the actual conversation with my wife. She bought a home 13 years ago, at the time she paid $300 for her inspection. Fast-forward to today. I'm inspecting and my cost for that same house would be $350. A $50 increase over 13 years in a career where you are inspecting 6 figure investments for people on a regular basis?

I recently spoke with someone who said they just had a home inspection. It's winter time, and my fee would have been $425 for an inspection and wood destroying insect inspection. This person was charged $250 for both services!

So in short, I'd rather fight the google ads battle, but I really want to conquer the undercutting and low rates battle. Guys will brag about working their butt off, but don't stop to think if they raised their prices, they wouldn't have to work so hard and would make the same amount or more working less.

This message was edited 11 times. Last update was at 12/11/2022 08:53 PM EST

How can you find out if anyone is doing that to you? Are there tools out there that could tell if someone is doing this ? Thanks

Mike Marquis
https://marquishomeinspections.com/