Yellow Page Ads Have Gone The Way of The Dodo

Are you still paying for advertisement space in the yellow pages? Think for a moment, the last time you needed goods or services and need to find a business to obtain them; did you immediately pull open your coffee table drawer and start flipping through the phone book? Chances are the answer is a big no. You probably whipped out your smartphone or use your computer and searched online.

The fact of the matter is, most people do not use the yellow pages anymore to search for businesses anymore and if you’re still paying top dollar to advertise in Yellowbook or The Five Cities Phone Book, you might want to reexamine whether the ads are right for your business. Although there has been a major decline in usage, yellow page advertising still works for certain business niches.

Here are a few tips when buying yellow pages to keep your cost to a minimum while maximizing your ROI.

Choose Only Relevant Categories

Yellow pages sales agents will try to convince you to buy ad space in multiple categories to broaden your viability. They may show you stats on call volume or search in these particular categories in order to persuade you into buying, but advertising in these broader, more competitive categories can be pricier. You might think that this is a good idea because you could capture potential leads from customers looking for something else. This will definitely lead to a negative ROI.

Let’s say you own a window tinting business in Paso Robles. For sure you’re going to advertising in the Window Tinting category, but are also pitched in advertising in the Automotive Glass category. Of course the Automotive Glass category is going to have a higher call volume than Window Tinting, but the primary people looking at the Automotive Glass category are looking for replacement windshields or windshield repair, not tinting.

Use Google Insights to Choose the Best Category

Now let’s say you own a pest control business in San Luis Obispo and want to spend your advertising dollar effectively and choose the best category to advertise in. People tend to search online using the first words that come to mind on the subject they’re looking for. This can give insight to what category a person may look for first when searching in the yellow pages. Using Google Insights, you can research the search volume trends for keyword phrases which should give you a good idea on category call volume in the yellow pages. You have the choice of two different categories for your business: Pest Control and Exterminators. A quick Google Insights search reveals that far more people search for pest control. Using this data, you can wisely choose with category is best to maximize your ROI.

Say No to Online Advertising Packages

Many yellow pages companies offer cost per click advertising through Google Adwords. Yellowbook service is called Webreach, offering boring ads, poor keyword research, and high cost per click markup. Many times, their ad campaigns link to your business directory page on their website, throwing money away to advertise for their website, where potential customers can search and find your competitor’s listings. If you think that your company can benefit from PPC advertising, it’s better to try and do it yourself or hire a marketing firm that specializes in Google Adwords.

Haggle Your Price

Not every business pays the same price for their ads. Prices per category will vary depending on call volume, and categories with competitors translate in higher advertising cost. Of course a plumber is going to pay a higher cost for advertising than a pet groomer. Yellow pages agents work on commission and the prices are not set in stone. You can negotiate your price, as the agents would rather make a sale than lose their commission.

Directory Inclusion Works

Be sure to opt in to being included in their online local directory. The standard listing is fine, you don’t need any of the bells and whistles like video creation, and they add no real value. It’s usually free for the standard listing, which helps greatly with your citations on Google, which helps your local search engine rankings.

Don’t Use Call Tracking

It’s important to track the effectiveness of your advertising to gauge your ROI, but don’t use call tracking services offered by yellow pages providers. Using call tracking phone numbers can negatively affect your Google citations which will lower your search engine rankings. If you want to know how a customer found you, simply ask. It’s that simple. You don’t even have to ask every single customer, but just a sample, say 1 out of every 4 customers. This tracking may not be exact, but at least you’ll have a rough estimate on where your customers are find you. The sad fact is many business owners blindly buy yellow pages advertising year after year, not knowing it’s having a positive ROI.

Adverting in the yellow pages is becoming more challenging over the years. Many businesses can still benefit from yellow pages adverting. The trick is to do your research before buying. Advertise smart.

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