For contractors, small home improvement businesses, and trade professionals, having an online presence is essential to reach today’s digitally-savvy homeowners. Local SEO (search engine optimization) maximizes your visibility when potential customers in your service area search for contractors online. Implementing some key SEO strategies can help your local construction or contractor business attract more clients than competitors.
Optimizing Your Google Business Profile
One of the fastest ways to improve local SEO for contractors is to fully complete and optimize your free Google Business Profile. This profile prominently displays your business info in Google Maps and search results. Be sure to fill out these key fields:
- Business name, address, phone number, website
- Photos of your team and work
- Full description of all services offered
- Detailed list of cities and zip codes served
- Accurate business hours
- Customer reviews
Also work relevant keywords like “kitchen remodeling”, “roofing contractor”, or your location into the profile. Optimizing it helps homeowners find your business when searching for local contractors.
Building Local Citations
Citations refer to mentions of your business name, address, and phone number across various directories, review sites, and listing platforms. Having consistent citations signals search engines that your business is legitimate. This can improve local SEO rankings.
Manually create citations on directories like Yellow Pages, Yahoo Local, Yelp, Better Business Bureau, Thumbtack, Home Advisor, and industry-specific sites. Also claim and optimize listings on citation aggregators like Moz Local and Neustar Localeze to publish to hundreds more sites.
Getting Customer Reviews
Positive online customer reviews are hugely important for boosting your local authority and SEO. Reviews establish trust and social proof that you provide quality service. After completing projects, ask satisfied customers to leave a review.
Where to Get Reviews
At a minimum, request reviews on these high-value sites:
- Google – This factors directly into local search rankings.
- Facebook – You can easily share reviews to reach more potential customers.
- Industry review sites like HomeAdvisor or Houzz if listed.
- Any other citation/directory sites you claimed a listing on.
Asking for Reviews
Politely ask in person, email, or text happy clients to write an honest review describing their experience. Provide direct links to make leaving reviews quick and easy. Offer an incentive like a discount on their next service call.
Responding to Reviews
Monitoring and professionally responding to negative reviews also improves perceptions. Thank the customer, apologize for any disappointments, and describe how you’ll improve. Upstanding responses show you value feedback.
Avoiding Review Manipulation
Never offer incentives just for positive reviews. And refrain from publishing fake reviews under aliases. Search engines penalize shady practices and remove fake reviews. Focus on genuinely earning positive experiences.
Using Reviews in Marketing
Publish excerpts from positive customer reviews on your website. Link to them on social media. And embed Google reviews in your Google Business profile. Legitimate reviews built over time are powerful social proof during the buying decision process.
Soliciting honest reviews across multiple sites helps contractors rank higher in local search results. Reviews also reach new customers reading feedback on directory sites. This word-of-mouth marketing can grow your audience and attract more clients through search and referral traffic.
Optimizing Your Website
Your business website itself should also be fully optimized for organic search and conversions. This establishes you as a trusted and authoritative local source online.
Local Keywords
Include your most important service areas, city names, and relevant contractor keywords throughout your site’s pages. This helps match content to local searcher intent.
Site Speed
Fast page load times are favored by search engines. Optimize images, enable caching, and minimize redirects. Faster sites also boost visitor engagement.
Mobile Optimization
With over 60% of searches on mobile devices, an optimized mobile site is critical. Avoid tiny text, clumsy menus, and too many graphics. Streamline layouts for small screens.
External Links
Link out to your optimized Google My Business profile, citation listings, and review profiles. This signals authority.
Blog Content
Regularly publishing localized blog content keeps attracting new organic search traffic. Answer FAQs for homeowners and embed neighborhood-specific keywords.
Schema Markup
Add schema markup to display info like your address, hours, and services directly in search results. This rich snippet stands out.
Website Hosting
Choose a fast, reliable local web hosting company. Avoid huge nationwide hosts whose servers may be far away and slow.
Local Keywords
Matching your pages’ content to keywords searched by local homeowners ensures your contractor website gets found and outranks competitors.
An SEO-optimized website reinforces your brand as a leading contractor in your area. It demonstrates expertise that earns trust with site visitors who will become customers.
Paid Search Ads
While SEO focuses on earning organic rankings, paid ads like Google Ads let you instantly sponsor top spots for local searches. Target keywords like “affordable electrician Dallas” to get your ad in front of local homeowners ready to hire. Start small and scale up campaigns while monitoring performance.
Partnering With Similar Businesses
Consider partnering with complementary contractors and home service pros serving your community. Exchange links on websites, co-host local events, or develop referral programs. This cross-promotion exposes you to new audiences and builds a stronger local presence.
Using this mix of organic and paid strategies, contractors can establish trust and visibility with homeowners searching online. More potential customers turn to the internet first when hiring service pros. A sound approach for local SEO for contractors makes your business easier to find and looking like the best choice.
