August Updates in Home Service Marketing

August is halfway done! Back to school season is ramping up across the country, the heat of summer is showing signs of breaking (or that is wishful thinking) and these are the updates that matter in marketing for home services that we are seeing in August.

Google Ads and Performance Max: Visibility & Volatility 

In home services, particularly roofing, Performance Max or PMax has a reputation of being a hit or miss option in Google Ads. With strong strategy and control it can increase lead volume but it can also lead to significantly more spam. 

What is Performance Max in Google Ads?

Performance Max is a type of campaign that uses Google’s AI to run your ads across all of Google’s channels such as Search, Maps, YouTube, etc.. The idea is that if you give all you give Google your goals, budget, ad creatives, and targeting, and it automatically decides where and when to show your ads to get the best results.

The drawback is that, especially in local businesses, it rarely knows best on where to place your ads to serve you best so you need a trained analyst at the helm to make it perform at its best.

What has changed in August for Performance Max?

Performance Max just got more control and visibility. Google rolled out new PMax controls (such as  negative-keyword lists), better asset insights, and clearer reporting. This update should be helpful for eliminating some of the spam and optimize your return.

What does that mean for your home service business?

According to Search Engine Land users that are seeing customer acquisition costs rise may find some relief with the new visibility and better audience targeting. This offers another layer of ad optimization.

Google Business Profile Launches a Status Tracker for Edits

While this update is not a life changing overhaul, Google Business Profile’s new status tracker for pending edits is a helpful tool for understanding needed changes when you are making changes in bulk. 

What is the Most Recent Change to Google Business Profile?

Now when you make edits to your profile, you can click here to find the status of your changes: 

You will be lead to a tool very similar to the suspension appeal tool:

Instagram Ups Their Engagement game 

For local home service businesses, Instagram is a great way to show off work and build community. The platform has been steadily adding features to make it easier for users to engage with content, and that is a theme that continues with the August update.

What has Changed in August for Instagram?

In August, Instagram rolled out a “Friends” tab that shows users what their connections are interacting with, along with easier reposting options. This makes it more likely your posts will be discovered by friends-of-followers and re-shared into new audiences.

What Does That Mean for Your Home Service Business?

According to Meta’s release notes, these changes aim to boost organic reach and encourage content sharing. For your business, that means posts showing completed projects, behind-the-scenes work, or short home tips have a higher chance of spreading beyond your immediate followers. It’s an opportunity to reach potential customers similarly to referral leads. 

The TL;DR:

• PMAX is getting more visibility that might help with the lead volatility

• Google Business Profile now has a way to check the status of your business edits

• Instagram has added a “friends” feature and the ability to repost content

Let us know what you are seeing in marketing this month!