If you want your construction business website to rank on the first page of Google in 2022, local SEO – or search engine optimization – is crucial.
Local SEO focuses on local organic searches based on the users’ geographical location. That means, as a business owner, you want clients to find you when they look for a ‘general contractor near me’ or ‘construction contracting company in my area.’
To effectively improve your local SEO potential and learn how to implement it in your marketing strategy, we’ll give you the basics of local SEO and teach you some proven techniques to gain more customers online.
What is local SEO, and why is it so important?
Local SEO is an SEO strategy that allows businesses to rank higher and improve their local visibility on search engines.
What does ‘local’ really mean? This term is related to the region or area from where people search for a topic on Google. For example, if you run a construction company in Chicago, your goal should be to rank higher than your competitors in the city.
Since future clients will be looking for the perfect fit through their Google searches, ranking higher means more eyes will be on your work – and hopefully, more dollars will be in your pocket.
3 local SEO elements to focus on
To start ranking higher, focus on three key elements of your digital presence: keywords, reviews and content.
1. Keywords
Use an SEO tool to check what keywords your business ranks for and what terms people use to search for your services. Then, implement them strategically in your content and on your website.
2. Reviews
72% of people use Google reviews to find a company. Clients’ reviews are valuable social proof for your business and a way of landing new business. Think of some strategies to encourage your former clients to leave some good reviews, and watch the timeless power of word-of-mouth do its thing.
3. Content
Website content is always an essential factor for search engine algorithms. Create content relevant to your local audience, following best SEO practices. This might look like a blog, a webpage or even a YouTube channel or podcast all about your business.
You may consider using an SEO data tracking service to monitor keywords and get specific search engine results pages for a city or a specific GPS address. This way, you’ll be able to analyze Google SERPs in-depth and gain insights into long-tail keywords and competition metrics.
This is only a start of the world of SEO. Read on for more tips in promoting your construction business.
How to invest in local SEO: 4 tips to boost traffic and leads
Local SEO is a concept and a strategy to practice and improve upon, just like any other skill. Here are a few tips to help you boost your construction company’s website traffic and turn those Google searches into paying clients.
1. Optimize your Google Business Profile listing
Google Business Profile is a feature that Google offers businesses to improve their visibility in the search engine.
With GBP, you can add and manage basic information about your company, such as:
- Business name
- Location
- Opening hours
- Contact information
- Photo gallery
- Reviews
- Business category
- Website link
Think about a time you searched for a restaurant in your area to see what time it would open. GBP most likely created a handy widget on your screen with all this necessary information to help you find what you needed.
You want the same for your business, right?
Formerly known as Google My Business, GBP is a free online resource that can help you get a top Google ranking for your construction business. GBP is connected to other Google tools like Maps, so you must update your address and other relevant data to enhance your searchability.
64% of buyers have used GBP to find businesses’ contact information. Make sure you complete your profile data, use relevant keywords to the residential building industry and interact with your clients’ messages and reviews.
2. Use reputation management software
Client reviews have the power to convince and influence prospective buyers’ decisions. A positive comment can bring more visitors to your website, but a negative opinion can damage your brand’s image forever.
Use reputation management software to monitor and answer your online client reviews promptly. This technology helps you understand what your clients think about your company and how you can deliver a better home building experience.
These are the main features of reputation management software:
Review monitoring
Get alerts and notifications every time a user posts a review on a consumer review website. You can then respond quickly and strategically to negative reviews or express gratitude for the good ones.
Social media monitoring
Interact with your clients on social media and answer their messages 24/7. These days, leads are likely to message a business on social media before calling or searching for answers online. In some instances, you are their direct link to accurate information.
Analytics
Access advanced reports and analyze how your brand is perceived on consumer review websites and social media channels. Tracking these reports is key to charting your growth.
With this tool, you can better listen to your clients, address their issues and build a solid online reputation for your construction business.
3. Build a mobile-friendly website
Users will click on your construction business website if it’s on the first page of Google, but they’ll only stay on it if you offer them a seamless experience.
There are many ways to enhance your site’s usability. Optimize your page speed, use multimedia elements or fix 404 errors. These are all good practices, and you should keep an eye on them, but nothing matters the most on today’s internet than having a responsive and mobile-friendly website design.
Numbers don’t lie: mobile internet users are expected to grow to 287.1 million by 2023 in the U.S. This means that around 87% of the U.S. population will be using a mobile phone to access online content.
Google is now penalizing webpages that aren’t investing time and effort in improving usability on portable electronic devices. That’s why your site should look clean and be accessible – not only from a desktop screen – but also from a tablet and smartphone. Your local SEO score depends on it.
4. Create a case studies page on your website
A case studies page inspires confidence. It shows potential clients that your business is trusted – and indicates to Google your product has value. If Google sees you as a reliable authority on all things home building, it can boost your SEO ranking.
A case study gives social proof to your construction services. Use the following steps to design an outstanding case studies page on your site:
Highlight your best projects
To show off great results, choose the construction projects you’re most proud of. Be strategic to select those that are most relevant to your prospective clients.
Use images and videos
The ‘before and after’ formula works very well in the construction industry. Post images and videos to show the coveted transformation of a job well done.
Add testimonials
Ask your clients to say a few words about your business. Prepare a script or a list of prompts, and allow them to express gratitude for your service. Add their opinions to your case study as introductory quotes or place them inside the text.
Add the location
With local SEO, location is key. Don’t forget to add the city or region of the featured project to arouse interest from prospective clients in the area.
Update your case studies regularly to include new stats and services. This way, your site will always look fresh, and you’ll have the chance to target new customers.
A summary of local SEO strategy for construction companies
To get more clicks, calls and customers for your construction business, you need to optimize your site with the latest local SEO trends.
Boosting your SEO performance includes the following tasks:
- Create and complete the basic information in your Google Business Profile listing
- Install a reputation management software to track and answer client reviews
- Build a responsive and mobile-friendly website
- Add a case studies page to your site
In a nutshell, when you invest time, energy and cash into upgrading your local SEO strategy, you’ll drive online traffic looking for contractors to your business. The power to use local SEO to boost your construction business is in your hands – and your keywords.
