Using Google Adwords to Promote Your Lockout Locksmith Service

Negative Keywords and Negative Locations Positively Save You Money

If you have a successful lockout or locksmith business you are probably already using Google Adwords. If not, you should be. Adwords is Google's pay-per-click advertising (ads that show up at the top of their search screens). We started using Adwords (and stopped advertising in the yellow pages) about five years ago and never looked back. Phone books may still have some benefit for a full service locksmith company, but a mobile "lockout-only" service should consider it a waste of money. No one is looking for a phone book when they lock their keys in their car. They just aren't. They are grabbing the nearest computer, ipad or smart phone and Googling for assistance (or calling a friend to do one of the above).

We spend right around $1000 a month on our current campaigns. It used to be much higher but, through the years (and the many Google "enhancements"), you eventually learn a trick or two that can save you a bit of money over time. Sometimes quite a bit of money. And while you can learn a lot from the many (many) pages and wealth of online instructions for setting up a "successful advertising campaign", nothing gets you up to speed faster than the traditional "school of hard knocks".

Nothing gets your attention quicker than a $30 "click" for a call asking for help with something you don't even do (can you open my grandma's safe?). Get a few of those clicks in a day and you'll quickly realize why Google's stock price is currently over $1000 per share (GOOG $1036.24, yesterday's close). Very frustrating; been there and done that. But remember, it's all about your average cost per click (CPC) and, done properly, Adwords can provide a much higher return and pin-point control of your advertising dollars than any other form of advertising. Don't let the SEO/SEM salespeople fool you with their promises of "top billing". They may be able to help you get ahead organically, but nothing beats an ad at the top of the search page. And nothing gets you on top of the Google search page but Adwords. (Bing never made my phone ring).

One of the biggest "tips" we have implemented is the use of negative keywords and negative locations.
Don't want those calls asking you to unlock grandma's safe? Add "safe" and "unlock safe" to your list of negative keywords. This ensures that when someone searches Google for "unlock my safe", your ad does not appear. We currently have a (growing) list of negative keywords (over 100), including words like "how" (no more "how to unlock a car" calls) and "learn" (no more "learn to be a locksmith" calls). You get the picture.

Same goes with negative locations. Why show your ad in areas that you do not even cover, only to have a telemarketer click your ad to call and try to sell you something you don't need (like SEO/SEM plans)? Or a click-happy competitor? I have checked Google "search" while far away on vacation and was surprised to see pay-per-click ads for companies hundreds of miles away. Granted, some larger, full-service companies may see value in multiple location settings. But for a smaller, lockout-only service in a particular city, no good can come from it. Even though you may not have included these other locations in your settings, it is wise to "block" areas you do not want your ads to show. Yes, you may miss the very occasional "out-of-town search to help a friend" in your area, but those calls are few and far between and well worth missing to avoid the possibility of bad calls.
We list every state (other than our's, obviously :) as a negative location. Then include nearby cities within our state that we do not cover. This cut's down on errant calls from areas you do not service and, therefore, your advertising costs. Remember, it's not only about generating good clicks but also avoiding bad clicks that will help to maximize your bottom line.

Need help setting up a Google Adwords account for your lockout or locksmith service?
Check out our new book “Breaking Into Cars for a Living”, now available for kindle @ www.amazon.com/dp/B00FG8S1XE or visit us @ www.MrQuickPick.com.
www.QuickPick.net. www.QuickPickLockout.com. 

Locksmith Scam Artists and Google Adwords

Locked Out? Beware The "$19 Service Call" Bait and Switch

Here's the bait...

"We will come to you for only $19. No locksmith can give you a price over the phone. Seeing what is happening with your individual situation is a must. Some cars have more sophisticated security systems that may take longer to unlock and cost more as well."

Really? You really want to put that out there for real locksmiths to see? Let's break it down, line by line (or lie by lie)...

"We will come to you for only $19"  Yeah, I'm sure you will. I like to call this the EXTRA $19 charge, as it is in addition to what "they" determine the actual work will cost you. It's the old "bait and switch". 

$19 sounds cheap but it's basically what they are charging you just to come out and give a quote. It will be added to the total once the work is completed. Don't like the quote? They still expect you to pay that $19!!

"No locksmith can give you a price over the phone"   Really? A reputable one will, all day and every day. It's called a FREE quote and it's how most real businesses operate. We always give a flat rate "total" over the phone for any lockout service, never a "service call charge, plus labor"!

"Seeing what is happening with your individual situation is a must" There is not a make or model that we haven't "seen". Unlocking a car is like delivering a pizza. Most of the job is driving to the location. The actual work normally takes seconds, if you know what you're doing.

"Some cars have more sophisticated security systems that may take longer to unlock and cost more as well"  Really? Please tell me which one's take longer? And what exactly is a more sophisticated security system? ... "oh wait a minute now, you have one of them there sophisticated security systems that takes longer to unlock" ...whatever!

Reputable locksmiths and lockout professionals know how to do their jobs, how to run their businesses and, most importantly, how to provide honest customer service.

Need help setting up a Google Adwords account for your lockout or locksmith service?
Check out our new book “Breaking Into Cars for a Living”, now available for kindle @ www.amazon.com/dp/B00FG8S1XE or visit us @ www.MrQuickPick.com.
www.QuickPick.net. www.QuickPickLockout.com. 

Honest Locksmiths Competing With The Scam Artists

If You Can't Beat 'em, At Least Don't Join Them!

I've often expressed my gratitude for the internet in leveling the advertising playing field and allowing the smaller budgeted businesses to compete with the deeper pocketed conglomerates. Unfortunately, this situation has also proven quite lucrative for the scam artists in many professions, especially the cash heavy lockout locksmith service. No longer is there the need to commit to a phone book advertisement for 12 months at a time. The scammers can now come and go as they please, posing as local businesses with flashy websites and showing up at the top of most search engines. Masters of the “bait and switch”, they advertise a low “service fee” to attract your attention. But beware! Upon their arrival you will receive the “labor charge”, often 3 or 4 times higher than what would be considered normal. Don’t like the quote? You’re still on the hook for their “service fee”. Sounds like a racket to me!

Lockout and locksmith service is regulated in only a handful of states (Alabama, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington D.C.). But even with regulations, it can be a difficult industry to enforce. Most of these “companies” are not local; in fact, some are even in other countries. They have websites heavy laden with SEO design and utilize pay-per-click advertising, such as Google Adwords and Microsoft’s Bing.

By running an over-priced scam, they have larger budgets and can afford to stay at the top of the search listings with high keyword bids. They recruit “contractors” within their targeted cities (often other locksmiths) to actually perform the work. It can be difficult for a legitimate, “fair priced” business to compete and I personally know locksmiths who have resorted to working for these type of “shell” companies. They claim they are providing a legitimate service with legitimate leads but in reality they are nothing more than a middleman; a shadowy puppet-master driving up the service cost to the consumer and making the once-legit contractor do their dirty work for a percentage. The more they can get away with charging, the higher their cut.

What’s a legitimate company to do? The best way to compete with the locksmith scammers is to stay the course. Let your honest reputation speak for itself. Mention “free quotes” and “flat rate pricing” in your ads. Urge customers to call around and compare total prices! If you can’t afford to stay in the top pay-per-click positions, at least put yourself in the mix at third or fourth place to keep the bidding competitive. And if you can’t beat ‘em, at least don’t join them! Remember, they’re not locksmiths. They are website designers at best, taking business away from you and, upon scamming your customers, selling your business back to you in the form of leads. Yup, sounds like a racket to me!

Need help setting up a Google Adwords account for your lockout or locksmith service?
Check out our new book “Breaking Into Cars for a Living”, now available for kindle @ www.amazon.com/dp/B00FG8S1XE or visit us @ www.MrQuickPick.com.
www.QuickPick.net. www.QuickPickLockout.com. 

Invalid Clicks – The Dark Side of Google Adwords

Battling the Competition With Invalid Clicks!

As great of a marketing tool as Google Adwords is, putting your business out in front of the masses, it can also put your business at risk for fraudulent activity in the form of “invalid” clicks. These clicks can come from a number of sources, including telemarketers, robots, or your competition…okay, especially your competition. Unlike valid clicks, made by legitimate/potential customers, invalid clicks are blatant abuse, resulting in the actual theft of advertising dollars from an unsuspecting business.

Anyone who advertises using pay-per-click, such as Adwords, will undoubtedly check their ad placement on occasion. Some will monitor it daily, some hourly, some constantly. The whole objective is to get as high a position as possible on the first page of the search. There are two sure ways to get to the top of the page: You spend more (by bidding keywords higher) or “they” (your competition) spend less (or at least have less to spend). One way to accomplish the latter is to diminish a competitor’s budget by clicking their ads. I know my competitor’s click my ads (there are ways of knowing exactly who/where they are).  

No one has more to gain by clicking on your pay-per-click ad than your competitors. In fact, the whole process lends itself to perpetual fraud and abuse, as the recipient of an invalid click (or clickee) will soon become the “clicker”, looking to exact revenge on the guilty party. Not sure who it is? Click on everyone just to be sure (the others have probably clicked you at one time or another anyway). Only problem now is that you just started the whole process all over again, ten-fold. And this is not just an innocent prank or online version of “ring and run” (or doorbell ditch, depending on where you grew up). This is serious business with often serious financial consequences for those caught up in the fray.

More times than I care to remember I have checked my Adwords stats on any given day and watched my phone-specific clicks go from zero to 10, 20 or even more without the phone ringing a single time. Then the numbers may just as quickly retreat, as the Google fraud detection system kicks in and removes the bogus charges.  Did they catch them all? Maybe. Hopefully. Who really knows? You can call Google and ask them, but don’t expect a sympathetic response. They’ll explain the processes they have in place and may run an audit of sorts (just to make you feel good?) but don’t expect to get any kind of refund. The system supposedly gives you the benefit of the doubt if a click seems “questionable”. Sounds good, but even Google can’t really guarantee the validity of anything. And like it or not, through the years, I’m quite sure we’ve paid for many, many an invalid click. Chock it up to the cost of doing business.

In the end, the big winner will always be Google. I only wish I had bought stock in GOOG when it was around $100 per share (Monday’s close: GOOG $1031.55). Being a Google shareholder would at least make the invalid clicks seem less like a bad loss and more like a good investment!

Need help setting up a Google Adwords account for your lockout or locksmith service?
Check out our new book “Breaking Into Cars for a Living”, now available for kindle @ www.amazon.com/dp/B00FG8S1XE or visit us @ www.MrQuickPick.com.
www.QuickPick.net. www.QuickPickLockout.com. 

Attention All Lockout Locksmiths... Let's Put the Scam Artists Out of Business!

$39 TOTAL to Unlock ANY Car in America!

Attention All Lockout Locksmiths:

Are you losing major revenue to the “bait and switch” scam artists who advertise $15 and $19 service fees online? Tired of trying to compete with your own “pay-per-click” ads, only to realize first-hand the high expense and fraudulent activity that occurs in this realm? Ever wonder how the honest lockout locksmith is going to survive (never mind thrive) in this new age of scammers and high priced “pay-per-click” advertising?

My name is Jon Taylor, founder of MrQuickPick™ Lockout Locksmiths and author of “Breaking Into Cars for a Living!”. In this new age of smart phones and mobile advertising, it’s been tough for some businesses to keep up with this vital but ever-changing marketing technology. On the contrary, the scam artists are at the top of their game, especially in the high volume, fast-cash business of auto lockout service. These scammers are advertising everywhere, offering $19 service calls that quickly turn into much higher priced “bait and switch” scams by the time they are finished exploiting a vulnerable customer. As an honest business owner, I have tried taking the opposite approach by offering “Low Flat Rates” and “TOTAL Prices” in my advertising, with limited success. While I do get a good number of thankful customers, it still comes with the high priced “clicks” that significantly eat up profit margins.

What to do? So what is an honest lockout locksmith to do? How can we compete against these “bait and switch” scam artists so prevalent online? Here’s how I see it: Anyone experienced in unlocking cars knows two things, 1. It only takes a few minutes or less to unlock most vehicles, and 2. There is a lot of money that can be made for just a few minutes work. It’s not like we’re delivering pizzas for $10 apiece, with a storefront and overhead costs. If you’re good, you’re unlocking cars in under a minute and pocketing $30+ per job even after calculating gas and other expenses. $30+ per job is not a bad rate if it’s consistent. But in this business of unlocking cars, prices are all over the board! Even the largest companies are inconsistent when it comes to their pricing. So here is my proposal:

$39 TOTAL to Unlock ANY Car in America! 

39 Dollars — ONE Price — QUICK Service

That’s 1-800-391-QUICK

Here’s how it works: Customers calling the toll-free number will be given a flat rate of $39 for auto lockout service during normal business days/hours. The job information will then be forwarded (text or emailed) to the designated primary lockout locksmith for that territory. The lockout locksmith will provide the service and collect the $39 charge. There is only a $4 fee for each completed job, that’s it. The lockout locksmith nets $35 per job and also has a new local customer for any repeat or future services!

Benefits to the lockout locksmith:

Consistent / high volume: At $39, we should eventually get every auto lockout in America.

No “pay-per-click” charges: You’re only paying for jobs you actually complete. No other fees!

Future business: They’re now your customer. Give them your business card for repeat or other services.

I believe “$39 Total” is the best all around price point for this type of service. If you’re not already in that price range, chances are one of your competitors is (or will be). It’s very fair to the customer and the lockout locksmith, especially as job volume increases. “$39 Total” is for weekdays during normal hours and within the territory determined by the lockout locksmith during the application process. Nights, weekends and holidays shall have higher flat rates determined by lockout locksmith during the application process.

Now, I can already hear groans of “I don’t get out of bed for less than $75” among other choice words and that’s fine. This venture is not for everyone and I understand that. But I’m positive there is at least one lockout locksmith in most every city in America that would be willing to unlock cars for $35 net on a regular basis, with no other advertising costs, fees or obligations. Remember, we’re not making pizzas here, and you really have nothing to lose, except the scammers!

If you are interested in becoming the primary lockout locksmith for your area, please email me at info@mrquickpick.com or call 800-391-QUICK for further details and application. Thanks!

Jon Taylor

MrQuickPick™ Lockout Locksmiths USA

info@mrquickpick.com

800-391-QUICK

Need help setting up a Google Adwords account for your lockout or locksmith service?
Check out our new book “Breaking Into Cars for a Living!”, now available for kindle @ www.amazon.com/dp/B00FG8S1XE or visit us @ www.MrQuickPick.com.
www.QuickPick.net. www.QuickPickLockout.com.

How to Start an Auto Lockout Locksmith Business. Unlock Cars for a Living!

Our Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Your Own Lockout Service and Roadside Assistance Business.

Looking for a new business idea with very little start-up money required yet potentially huge returns? A job where you can truly "work from home" and set your own schedule?
Well look no further than an old business with some new ideas...
Roadside Assistance!
No, this is not the next "get rich quick" scheme. On the contrary, this is a real business with real work, real customers and very real income potential!

Right this very minute, someone, somewhere has locked their keys in their car. It happens every day, all day long and into the wee hours of the morning. And it’s not just keys locked inside a car. Drivers in every city and state across the nation (including yours), are constantly in need of jump starts, tire changes, gas delivery and lockout service. The demand is there and the skills required are minimal, so where are you? At your 9-5? In your suit and tie? Or maybe looking for a job, a better job or in between jobs?
Well if you've always wanted to be your own boss and you’re not scared of a little hard work, maybe it’s time to ditch the suit and tie, or put down the remote and the video games. Maybe, just maybe, lockout service and roadside assistance (or what we like to call “Lock and Road Service”) is the right choice for you!
Did you ever wonder what the person who just unlocked your car actually makes for a living? He just charged you $60, but surely he doesn't get to keep all of it, or does he?
He must have overhead, a storefront, expensive equipment and years of training? Maybe…or just maybe he works from home, out of his car, with a few hundred dollars worth of tools and advertises online, pocketing $200-$300+ per day. Maybe he’s knocking down six-figures a year, driving around town providing roadside services to other people who are trying to get to their "real" jobs (working for someone else).

Meet Jon Taylor, aka MrQuickPick™, founder of Quick Pick Lockout Service and MrQuickPick™ Lock and Road Service. While working as a hotel manager, Jon would often assist his guests with their automotive needs, calling on auto clubs to help with a tire change, dead battery or keys locked in a car. Sometimes it would take so long for help to arrive that he would simply grab some tools and do it himself. That’s when he realized he could put his own business savvy and strong work ethic into starting and running his own “lock & road” service. His company, Quick Pick Lockout Service, would gross over half a million dollars in it's first three years and, in the process, win AAA’s prestigious Member’s Choice Award for three consecutive years (2010,2011,2012). What started as a small business venture unlocking cars with a friend quickly turned into a multi-state enterprise! He has since taken this model for success and helped numerous others (including veterans, like himself) get into business for themselves as MrQuickPick™ licensees within their hometowns.

Now MrQuickPick™ take's you step-by-step through the entire process, covering everything from the tools and training to the successful marketing plan that enables this business model to thrive for practically anyone, anywhere. Did you know that you can sign up with the major auto clubs to do their light duty roadside services such as jump starting a car or delivering gas, right there in your hometown? We tell you what you need to do to become a service provider for these companies, right down to filling out the application. Not sure you could ever figure out how to unlock your own car, never mind someone else's? We provide the do's and don'ts to all of these "light duty" services, including links to the tools and helpful training videos. And for those who think they're just not cut out to do the work themselves, we'll help you start up the business and hire others to do the work for you. Whether you come from a mechanical background or just have business savvy and a strong work ethic, this may just be the opportunity you've been looking for!

Need help setting up a Google Adwords account for your lockout or locksmith service?
Check out our new book “Breaking Into Cars for a Living”, now available for kindle @ www.amazon.com/dp/B00FG8S1XE or visit us @ www.MrQuickPick.com.
www.QuickPick.net. www.QuickPickLockout.com. 

Locksmith Scam Artists Master Keywords - Using Google Adwords to Rip You Off!

Locked Out of Your Car? Beware The "$19 Service Call" Bait and Switch!

If you lock your keys in your car and search "locked out of car" on your smartphone, you're likely to find plenty of professional locksmiths offering their services for only $15 or $19. Sounds great! Problem is, these are most often neither locksmiths nor professional. Beware the "bait and switch" tactic likely to follow:

Here's the bait...

"We will come to you for only $19"!
"No locksmith can give you a price over the phone".
"Seeing what is happening with your individual situation is a must". "Some cars have more sophisticated security systems that may take longer to unlock and cost more as well."

Really? You really want to put that out there for the real lockout locksmiths to see? Well then, let's break it down, line by line (or lie by lie)...

"We will come to you for only $19" Yeah, I'm sure you will. I like to call this the EXTRA $19 charge, as it is in addition to what they determine the actual work will cost you. It's the old "bait and switch" and the scam artists have been known to rip unsuspecting customers off for hundreds of dollars, plus the nineteen!

$19 sounds cheap and attracts a lot of attention, but it's basically what they're going to charge you just to come out and give an estimate. $19 will be added to the total price once the work is completed. Don't like the quote? Oh well. They will still expect and demand that you pay the $19!!

"No locksmith can give you a price over the phone" 
Really? A reputable one will, all day and every day. It's called a FREE quote and it's how most real businesses operate. You should always get a flat rate "total" over the phone for any lockout locksmith service, never a "service call charge, plus labor"!

"Seeing what is happening with your individual situation is a must" 
There are not many makes or models that a professional hasn't seen. Unlocking a car is like delivering a pizza. Most of the "job" is simply driving to the location. The actual work normally takes under a minute, if you know what you're doing!

"Some cars have more sophisticated security systems that may take longer to unlock and cost more as well"  
Really? Please tell me which one's take longer? And what exactly is a more sophisticated security system? ... "oh wait a minute now, you have one of them there sophisticated security systems that takes longer to unlock" ...whatever!  A professional already knows what security system to expect and, once again, the actual work normally takes under a minute, if you know what you're doing!

The average price to unlock a car should be in the $40 to $60 range, TOTAL. This may be slightly higher after-hours or on the weekends but you should still always get a flat-rate price.
Reputable locksmiths and lockout professionals know how to do their jobs, how to run their businesses and, most importantly, how to provide honest customer service. Unfortunately, the scam artists know how to use Google Adwords better than most lockout locksmiths. Unfortunate for both the honest locksmith and the unsuspecting customer. 

Need help setting up a Google Adwords account for your lockout or locksmith service?
Check out our new book “Breaking Into Cars for a Living”, now available for kindle @Amazon.com: Breaking Into Cars for a Living!: Earn a Six-Figure Income Working From Home as a Roadside Services Provider eBook: Jon Taylor: Kindle Store or visit us @ www.MrQuickPick.com.
www.QuickPick.net.
www.QuickPickLockout.com.

MrQuickPick™ Lockout Locksmiths
$39 TOTAL to Unlock ANY Car in America! That's 39 Dollars - ONE Price - QUICK Service - Call 1-800-391-QUICK