A look at 2 agencies in the UK, a medium-sized multi-brancher and a powerhouse with over 600 offices.
Reeds Rains
- 105 Branches
In September, Reeds Rains were found on 722 searches, most of which were organic, with only 1 paid search result.
By October, they had lost this paid result but otherwise things stayed relatively the same, across both months there was an even split between map, paid and organic search results.
In November 2020, when we were in the 2nd lockdown, all their PPC efforts were focused on house valuation keywords, these have a higher ROI than the local search terms, they show intent and have a clear goal.
More recently, organic searches have boomed in “estate agent near me”, early autumn is peak season for estate agencies and more than ever are people looking locally rather than going with known brands.
With many agencies across the country cutting back on their paid media campaigns, it’s vital you continue your marketing efforts if you are a mid-sized agency like Reeds Rains. With less competition comes less cost - if fewer agencies are bidding on the big keywords, the cost per click is likely to decrease, helping your ad spend go further, it also ensures you stay top of the SERPs, capturing those looking for an agency in your area. You are also in a much better position for exponential growth once the economy starts to pick up again.
Market Intelligence Pie Chart
Market Intel Data
Reeds Rains rely mostly on organic and local searches for their exposure, their local exposure is also furthered by prominent branches on high streets.
Savills
- 600 Branches
A close look over the last 2 months shows that Savills are following the current downward trend in number of searches, the sky high mortgage rates are keeping many potential buyers/ sellers from moving.
In September, they were found on the first page of Google for 2483 searches, with 6% being from paid search and almost 90% from organic search results. But just one month later in October, they appeared on only 1870 searches, again mostly organic with Paid search making up 7% of results and map listings following a similar trajectory.
Their current paid search campaign is focused primarily on valuation based search terms with a small paid exposure on the local listings, focusing on the London area (likely due to the high competition in the capital) and on targeted areas where they have a local branch.
In November 2020, their paid strategy was less focused and spread across all major search terms. Their exposure was highest in London, with the area covering almost 15% of their total exposure. Now while London is still their most active area it only covers 4% of total search exposure, showing a less targeted approach. They may be aiming to increase exposure in all areas in preparation for the predicted downturn in economic activity, which is a great way to future- proof their marketing efforts during a recession. Especially, being such a large agency they are able to swallow some budget on brand awareness campaigns to keep Savills front of mind and ward off any other agencies bidding on the brand name.
Market Intelligence PIE CHART
Market Intel Data
A large agency like Savills benefits from lots of brand recognition, so their organic search exposure is high, they supplement this with paid campaigns in high competition areas.