42% of all online shopping searches begin on Google or similar platforms—and for self storage, that number is likely even higher. When someone needs a unit, their first move is often a search.
But digital marketing can feel overwhelming. SEM, PPC, SEO—what do they all mean? And more importantly, where should you focus your time and budget?
We’ve got you. In this post, we’ll break down these marketing terms and show you how each one can drive more rentals for your facility.
Search engine marketing is the practice of promoting your business through Google, Bing, and other search engines. These services are the invisible highways of the internet, connecting people to the most relevant information regarding their queries.
SEM is a broad term, referring to any type of marketing done through search engines. In a tactical sense, SEM encompasses two main marketing methods:
Both are important for self storage, so let’s break down what each of them mean.
PPC marketing is the practice of paying a search engine, like Google or Microsoft’s Bing, to display your ads on search engine results pages (SERPS).
To ensure you’re reaching a relevant audience, you can designate which search terms trigger your ads to appear. Ads then appear on the SERP, often at the top. For example, when I search “self storage new orleans,” the top results are all PPC ads.
As these ads highlight, you can target searches within a geographic area using specific area codes or a radius around a business address.
PPC is fundamental for most self storage businesses because it can promote your business at the top of the search page. This approach also engages your audience at a critical moment: when they’re searching for self storage.
There is no better time to promote your business than when someone is looking for exactly what you provide.
Using pay per click marketing is an excellent way to
Another important point about PPC: your competition is probably running ads in your market. Without a PPC campaign of your own, your facility is at a significant disadvantage.
For every campaign you launch, you need to set a budget that Google uses to bid on a keyword. Every time there’s a search for a particular keyword, an auction occurs where Google chooses which ads display based on budget, ad relevancy, website strength, and a set of other criteria.
Budgeting and targeting for PPC can get technical, which is why it’s usually better to hire experts to handle your self storage marketing.
(Learn more about how to build a self storage marketing budget here.)
Luckily, you only pay when your ad wins an auction and someone clicks on it. You aren’t charged if no one clicks on your ad.
Search engine optimization refers to the process of constructing your website to rank for search terms in Google, Bing, and other search engines.
Unlike PPC, SEO is organic. You don’t pay Google a fee. Instead Google uses its algorithm to determine how relevant your site is for a search term and then displays a page on your site that it judges best meets what people are searching for.
For example, if you search “how does access control work for self storage” a number of educational resources will appear.
Every time someone types a query into Google, its RankBrain algorithm (yes, it’s really called that) uses a myriad of factors to determine the most relevant content for that search. Sometimes the content is educational, and other times it’s transactional, like when someone is shopping.
Some of the factors that influence rankings include:
Website Content
Search engines match websites to search queries based on relevance. Google uses the keywords on your site to match what people are looking for.
Website Infrastructure
Having a well-constructed site matters. The better your site is built, the faster it loads for users, which Google cares about.
Website Design
Google prioritizes how well your site caters to the needs of users. If your site is well-designed, people will stay on it longer, because they’re able to find what they’re looking for.
User Behavior
Search engines can calculate how long people spend on your site and how they move their mouse around each page. The easier your site is for people to use, the better Google will rank it.
It’s important to remember that SEO takes time. For new websites it can take months to see results, but it’s worth it in the long run.
Within SEO, there’s a subcategory called Local SEO. Like the name suggests, Local SEO boosts rankings for search queries within the geographical location around your facility.
Nearly all of your tenants will come from a several mile radius around your facility, Local SEO is critical for self storage facilities. Here are local results for “self storage new orleans”:
While Local SEO still accounts for the content, infrastructure, and design of your website, there are several additional factors that exert more influence over local SERPs:
Google Business Profile
Google information about local businesses directly from their Google Business Profile. This information is the cornerstone of local SEO and includes details like your business’s name, phone number, and operating hours.
Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are an essential part of Local SEO. Google sometimes displays them directly in SERPs and uses them as a ranking factor for local businesses.
Which approach is best for your facility? At White Label Storage, we recommend both.
Launch a PPC campaign to drive immediate results and increase occupancy. Optimize it over time to improve conversion rates. Meanwhile, update your website with SEO-focused content that will help your business rake in new tenants from organic search over the long term.
At White Label Storage, we're helping facilities across the US grow with search engine marketing. Schedule a free demo to discover how we can help your business.
