In the vast world that is the internet, making your audience smaller has become a challenge for small businesses. This is especially true when marketing for home contractors, where providing local service is a necessity.
If you are like other contractors, you have tried responding to this challenge by shifting your focus towards local SEO. At least, that is what you’ve been told you should do; but as with SEO in general, understanding how to perform specific local SEO hacks for contractors can be quite frustrating.
Yes, we know that SEO of all kinds is difficult, but implementing local SEO techniques doesn’t have to leave you pulling out your hair. To prove it, we are going to give you four easy areas to focus on to help you hack the seemingly impossible system.
The 5 Ultimate Local SEO Hacks for Contractors
1) Utilize Google My Business
Every local business wants to see their website show up on the first page of Google search results. While climbing to the top of Google results organically takes an in-depth knowledge of the SEO process, there is a faster way to make your business show up first in a homeowner’s search; list your business directly with Google.
Google My Business allows you to show potential buyers the highlights of your business, key information about when and how to contact you, and what current and past clients love about your work. It is quite possibly the most impactful free resource available to contractors who need a boost in local SEO.
Set Up Your Google My Business Account
Setting up a Google My Business account is easy and can be done through a personal Google account (your own Gmail address). To get the most SEO value out of it though, you must show it the same kind of love you may give to your other social media accounts. For starters, you must verify your listing by allowing Google to send a postcard to your address. This process is painless and needs to be done for your general contracting business to show up in local search results.
The amount of engagement received on Google My Business listings is by far the best reason to take advantage of the platform. On average, Google My Business listings receive 33 clicks per month. Roughly 56% of actions on the listings are website visits, with 24% of actions resulting in calls to the business. You can track all the actions taken on your listing to see how much traffic it brings to your site, as well as how many actions are taken on the listing.
Google also sends a report each month to show your performance. This is all must-have information to have effective marketing for home contractors.
Google My Business Trust Factors
Why are engagements so high on these listings? That can easily be explained by the fact that 91% of users regularly read the reviews on Google listings, with 84% of those users trusting the reviews enough to make a decision quickly. For contractors looking to become a trusted business in their local area, Google My Business can serve as an essential form of reputation management and dictate their level of success.
2) Create Review Incentives
We can’t have a conversation about Google My Business without mentioning the need to solicit customers for reviews. Google reviews are not only essential to your local SEO efforts, but they are also key to motivating new prospects to action. According to BrightLocal research, 68% of consumers decide on a product or service after reading between 1 and 6 online reviews. Yet, many home improvement contractors are unable to leverage the power of online reviews because they simply do not ask for them.
Take A Proactive Approach to Get More Reviews
Asking for reviews doesn’t have to be complicated or awkward, but it also isn’t as simple as putting a link to your Google listing in an email. Providing current and past clients with an incentive for reviewing your contracting services is a great way to entice them into acting. Incentives can come in a variety of forms; a discount on future services, a store gift card, or a chance to win a free item.
Make sure you choose a reward that will excite your customers enough to compel them to participate. Getting as many reviews as possible is necessary early on in your business to encourage conversions. The likelihood of high-priced services getting purchased increases by 270% after about five reviews, according to the Spiegel Research Center.
Though Google reviews command significant trust from people, it is far from the only platform you should be soliciting reviews on. Contractors using lead generation tools like Angie’s List and Thumbtack direct their clients to those platforms to leave reviews. You may even find it valuable to offer multiple incentives for each platform for which your clients post a review. All of these reviews contribute to the value of your local SEO and can even factor into your organic rankings.
3) Online Directories Drive Local SEO for Contractors
Online business directories used to be the primary way to get your business in the eyes of as many people as possible. Although social media has forced many of those directories into the background, they are still powerful tools when you want to build a strong digital presence in a specific location.
The most appealing thing about using online business directories is that they are largely free. Sites like Yelp, Foursquare, and YellowPages give you the ability to create a basic listing or choose to have your listing promoted with paid options. Typically, these directories allow you to provide your business name, phone number, address, and website along with a short blurb about your products and services.
Outsource Your Online Business Directory Management
Listing your contractor services in online business directories may seem overwhelming at first because there are so many of them. Additionally, you must be diligent about making sure the information in all your listings stay up to date as changes are made in your business. Luckily, most companies who offer digital marketing for local contractors will create these listings and maintain them for you.
It should also be noted that online directories can include those provided by your local chamber of commerce. A number of chambers have begun offering lower memberships for businesses that only want online listings. Since local chambers are generally trusted by their community, listing your home improvement business with them can be a worthwhile investment.
4) Create Locally Relevant Content
A common mistake local businesses make when creating their website content is making it too general. Creating content that deals directly with issues or stories related to your local area do a lot to improve both your local and organic SEO, while also reiterating your commitment to your local community.
To make your website more relevant to a local audience, you must create location-specific web pages. For example, if you run a drywall business, you may create a webpage called “Drywall Finishing Long Beach” instead of just “Drywall Finishing.” You can even use county names if you service a region instead of a specific city or town. Additionally, the content within that page should speak to the services that are relevant to those in the specific area.
You would not want to write a whole section on installing drywall in basements in an area where basements are not common.
Utilize Keyword Research Tools
Using local keywords in your content also has a large impact on how well you will show up in local searches. Keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner can help you narrow down the specific words and phrases being used to search for services in your area. Once you have those terms, be sure to replicate them on your web pages. This can also include using location or region-specific landmarks that people may use in their searches.
A prospect may search for “electricians near the Santa Monica Pier” instead of “electricians near me.” The more specific you can be, the more likely you will attract prospects with high buyer intent.
Relevant content is not just important for web pages, blogs and videos should all contain topics and information related to the area you serve. Blog posts can mention local charities or organizations you work with. Videos can be used to comment on local news stories that impact your business or industry. All your content should work in conjunction with each other to convey the same message; you’re invested in your local community.
No matter where you are in building your local online presence, focusing on these four areas will help launch you to a new level of traffic growth. As with any SEO strategy, the key is to ensure that you are consistent in your efforts, tracking your progress, and adjusting based on the results you see.
5) Finding A Trusted SEO Agency for Contractors
Finally, you can’t (and probably shouldn’t) do it all on your own. Keeping up with Google’s ongoing algorithm updates can be a daunting and often time-consuming task.
We know that time is a hot commodity for you, and often in short supply. Our focus is on providing you with the tools you need to grow and being there for you to maintain the growth as you focus on running your business. If you want expert-level advice on how to best implement these tips or other tools into your SEO strategy, we’re here to help. Learn more about our SEO and digital marketing services specifically designed for local contractors by visiting us here.
(Also read this: 4 Impactful Internet Marketing Techniques Every Business Must Implement After COVID-19 Shutdown)
