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Introduction

This in-depth white paper, spearheaded by TracTru, a Google Premier Partner, delves into the evolving digital landscape of researching and purchasing Construction Equipment. This paper provides actionable insights for businesses and marketers within the construction industry by examining the customer journey – from research to purchase, with particular attention on their online search habits. 

Methodology

As a Google Premier Partner, Google provides TracTru with exclusive data that gives us the following insights. First, let’s define the key performance metrics extracted from Google’s search index: 

1. Queries: Total searches conducted by users related ONLY to Construction Equipment.
2. Ad Depth: The number of ads shown per search query.
3. Impressions: The frequency of ad displays in response to these queries.
4. Clicks: The number of times users engaged with ads or organic search results.

All data provided is pulled from the Construction Equipment targeting segment. It is also a Year-Over-Year (YoY) analysis showcasing how the customer journey changed in just 12 months. 

Findings and Analysis

Search Query Trends

Search Growth: In 2023, research and purchase decisions were primarily made on mobile devices. Mobile searches accounted for 69% of all search activity for equipment.

• Since 2016, mobile has predominantly been this industry’s gateway to search activity. In 2023, we saw yet another 8% increase.
• For the first time in the last few years, search activity on computers increased by 14% but only made up 29% of the total volume of searches YoY
• The number of searches decreased by 6% and only made up 2% of the total volume of searches YoY

The total number of searches for Construction Equipment increased by 9% in 2023 compared to 2022. Within the customer journey, queries go from broad to precise terms. 

Ad Depth and Market Competition

Competition decreased by 2% YoY inside the customer journey within Google, but it is still fierce. 

• Competition Intensity on Mobile: Mobile searches faced 12.2 competitors, more than tablet and computer searches, emphasizing the competitive digital environment for Construction Equipment.
  • Even though there are much fewer searches on tablets, we did see the Ad Depth stay steady YOY, resulting in the customer viewing 11.1 competitors within their customer journey on tablets
  • Computers saw a decrease in the number of advertisers by 10%, resulting in only 9.3 competitors within their customer journey on computers.
• Understanding the Ad Depth and Market Competition increases the need for relevant ad copy and destination pages. It also underscores the importance of delivering the right message to this audience on their first query while researching products. In 2023, we saw higher click-through rates for competitive pricing and the value to their needs. 
• Decreasing Ad Depth but still Competitive: Ad depth (number of competitors) has declined 2% YoY including an average of 11.4 competitors in the customer journey

Not all competitors are actual competitors. For example, Google cannot see the difference between manufacturers and regional and local advertising from the same brand. They are all competitors in Google’s eyes, which increases the Ad Depth and cost-per-click. 

Clicks and Engagement Patterns

Clicks on paid and organic searches increased by 14% on mobile YoY. This indicates that more research is being conducted within the customer journey. An increase of 9% in total queries but an increase of total clicks across devices of 12% indicates an increase in the length and depth of the customer journey process, clicking on more links within the search page after a query is made.

• Early-Year Click Surge: February – June 2023 experienced higher click rates, suggesting a solid consumer intent in researching equipment. The click surge did top out in April.
• Over the last four years, October – December showcased another peak in click-through rates on paid and organic searches. We know end-of-the-year sales with equipment have existed at the physical store level for decades, but that has now translated to online research and shopping. 

The overall click growth was 12%. Mobile was up 14%, encompassing 76% of all queries and where leads are generated, making it the most critical metric. Tablet had a decrease of 2%. 

Seasonal Patterns

Knowing a seasonal pattern in researching equipment online is a basic understanding of all equipment manufacturers. This still holds and becomes even more prominent as every equipment brand is tasked to increase its market share. 

• Queries began to increase in March and peaked in March 2023. It only slightly decreased in August, steadily inclining through December 2023. January had the lowest number of queries throughout the entire year. December remained 15 points higher than January.
• For the first time in the history of these reports, ad depth has become more aligned with the customer journey. Mobile Ad Depth peaked at 14 competitors compared to 12.5 in May 2022. It peaked again in September 2023 and then steadily increased throughout the end of 2023.
• Impressions on advertising for Construction Equipment followed the same pattern as queries from February to June and then increased again from September to December. The most significant number of impressions were delivered from March to June 2023. Opportunities will be uncluttered from September to December, as impressions were low compared to the activity you see in queries. 
• Clicks on paid and organic search results aligned with the query data but did showcase a higher click-through rate in February – June 2023 and November 2023, differing from Query and Impression data. This showcases an additional intent for the number of queries vs clicks.

Organic search focus and paid search should always stay on for this audience, regardless of the number of queries. The implications of not focusing on search throughout the year are just the sheer number of ad-depth. 

Implications for Marketing Strategies

• For the first time in the history of these reports, there is alignment between ad depth and customer journey. Construction manufacturers and dealers are starting to understand better when and frequency levels to capture this desired audience. 
• Capitalizing on Seasonal Highs: Marketing campaigns should be intensified during high-engagement periods, especially from February to June, but do not discount the high intent of clicks from October – December. Fewer queries but more intent via clicks.
• Campaigns are always on: Due to the number of Ad Competitors, you must be on with your marketing campaigns 12 months out of the year. Budget fluctuations will be needed as seasonal highs will need 2-4x the amount in paid search vs. January to reach the same share of voice.
• Navigating the VERY Competitive Digital Arena: Understanding ad depth and competition can assist businesses in creating distinctive strategies to emerge prominently in a competitive market.
• Strategic Focus on Mobile Platforms: Given the significant reliance on mobile devices, businesses must develop mobile-centric platforms and marketing strategies.
• Ecommerce: This audience must purchase products and services via mobile on business websites that meet their needs. Yes, that does include Commercial Equipment. There is a market for ecommerce purchasing. 

Recommendations for Future Strategy

• Ensure your copy for paid search and organic meta tags relate to the potential customer; you are surrounded by competitors who might be messaging better with incentives, tractor packages, or value propositions. 
• Adaptive Content Strategy: Develop content and advertising strategies that resonate with the observed seasonal trends, ensuring relevance and engagement.
• Do not discount October to December from a customer journey perspective for equipment. They are shopping online. Marketing initiatives are necessary to capture this audience, as it was only sometimes crucial before 2020. 
• Ad Depth between Manufacturers, Regional Incentives, and Local Dealer Advertising is competing against each other in Google’s eyes. Understand what each layer is doing inside of Google search to help:
  • dominate SERP (search engine results page) with your brand.
  • understand what search absolute top impression rate you are each trying to achieve
  • which keywords are being focused on to bid with or against 
• Paid Search Recommendations: Better ads mean better Ad Rank
  • Every time someone does a search that triggers an ad that’s competing in an auction, Google calculates an Ad Rank. This calculation incorporates your bid and auction-time measurements of expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience, among other factors. To determine the auction-time quality components, Google weighs a number of different factors. By improving the following factors, we can help improve the quality components of your Ad Rank:
    • Your ad’s expected clickthrough rate: This is partly based on your ad’s historical clicks and impressions (adjusting for factors such as assets and other formats that may have affected the visibility of an ad that someone previously clicked)
    • Your ad’s relevance to the search: How relevant your ad is to what a person searches for
    • The quality of your landing page: How relevant, transparent, and easy to navigate your page is
• Why ad quality matters
  • The quality components of Ad Rank are used in several different ways and can affect the following things:
    • Ad auction eligibility: Google’s measures of ad quality help determine the Ad Rank thresholds for your ad and whether your ad is qualified to appear at all.
    • Your actual cost-per-click (CPC): Higher-quality ads often lead to lower CPCs. That means you pay less per click when your ads are of higher quality.
    • Eligibility for ad assets and other ad formats: Ad Rank determines whether or not your ad is eligible to be displayed with ad assets and other ad formats, such as site links.
    • Overall, higher-quality ads typically lead to lower costs and more advertising success. The Google Ads system works best for everybody when the ads shown are relevant and closely match what customers are searching for.

Conclusion

The digital journey of Construction Equipment consumers is increasingly shaped by their interactions with online platforms, mainly through mobile devices. For businesses selling Construction Equipment, adapting to these digital trends is crucial. Emphasizing mobile optimization, strategic ad placements, and seasonally targeted marketing efforts are essential to effectively reaching and engaging your target audience. This comprehensive analysis highlights the necessity of leveraging digital analytics to inform and refine marketing strategies in the construction industry.

About TracTru

TracTru is a team of innovators, educators, developers, strategists and designers working to disrupt the equipment industry. We provide websites and full-scale marketing services with B2C and B2B solutions to help your dealership stand out against your competition. Our services include but certainly aren’t limited to, web design, website management, digital marketing, and advertising services for construction and construction dealers worldwide. Each piece of equipment sold plays a role in the world we’re building together. Your vision is our vision. Your goals are our goals.

In all we do, we’re Here for You.