By Hernan Charry
When homeowners look for roofing contractors, they turn to the internet, more specifically Google. Being in a competitive industry, it is important to place yourself in the best position possible to bring in potential customers. Using search engine optimization techniques benefits your company by moving you up the Google rankings, allowing you to reach a broader client base.
Many SEO strategies exist to boost your website’s Google ranking. Let’s look at 5 beneficial strategies to provide you with a better understanding of how these SEO techniques work.
Add service pages to your website
One common mistake roofing contractors make with their website is having a single service page laying out everything about the company. Having too few service pages on your website holds you back from ranking in Google. Instead, create individual pages for each service you offer, like asphalt shingle repair or roof replacement. If you have a dozen different problems that your business solves then write a dozen different service pages.
Write original content for your service pages. Don’t copy what someone else wrote on another web page. Original content will build topical authority for your website. The main benefit of this SEO tactic is every page will have a chance to rank for different search phrases. One service page will not rank for dozens of phrases, but having multiple pages may. Add these pages into your website’s main navigation so potential customers can find them.
Be in the right online directories
Online directories consist of websites like Yelp or Yellowpages.com. These websites provide visitors with information on businesses so they can find the right company for their needs. Google uses the information provided on these websites to get an accurate picture of your business and services.
Start building your online directories with Google Business Profile. Too many small roofing companies ignore this free service. Creating a Google Business Profile allows you to list your business in Google Maps and show up in local search results. If your business already has a Google Maps listing, you must go through the process to claim it. Make your listing as robust as you can by adding pictures, logo, services, hours of operation, website and contact information.
After your Google Maps listings are taken care of, start claiming or creating profiles in other online directories. Make sure your company name, address and phone number are consistent in all online directories. The more directories you claim the better as it will help Google recognize your business, but don’t go overboard. Be sure you are in the biggest directories in your area, and once you have about 20 to 25 that should be good enough.
Consistently get more reviews
Collecting reviews is important when it comes to your Google search rankings. Your Google Business Profile is the main place you want to get these reviews. Having more positive reviews doesn’t guarantee you will outrank your competition, but it helps.
Consistently getting reviews is what is important. So, if you are a smaller company, maybe you can only collect a one or two reviews a week. Larger companies might be able to get 10 a week. Find the right pace for your business and be consistent.
Small business owners often forget to focus on reviews, but this is a negative signal for Google.
Avoid this by consistently focusing on asking for reviews. You can also increase business reviews by using online programs like Birdeye or a CRM like Podium. Websites like these connect to your database and request reviews from satisfied clients. However, understand these programs have a relatively high cost. Score My Reviews is a more affordable option. The easiest way of getting more reviews is by asking the customer for a review at the end of every job.
Speed up your website
It is essential to optimize for mobile devices when designing your website. Google uses the mobile version of the website when ranking and indexing. If you’re working with a web developer, hopefully they have addressed this for you. However, business owners often overlook this as an important factor.
Check the speed of your website by running it through Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. Google incorporates the scores from this tool in its algorithm. Pay close attention to your mobile score. If your website has a low score, anything under 70, speak with the person who built the website about boosting its loading speed.
Position yourself as an expert
As an expert in the roofing industry, you are uniquely qualified to speak on every aspect of the business. One way to do this is by writing articles on roofing specific topics in industry publications or your local news outlets.
Contact editors to see if their publication accepts guest author articles. If not, try and position yourself as a source for their writers. Give them some idea of your qualifications and some topics you can speak to. Maybe give them some story ideas based on seasonality like protecting your roof during hurricane season or clearing your roof during winter.
If they do accept articles, speak to the editor, and see what stories they are looking for in the future. Choose a topic you have experience dealing with and write an article on that subject. When you send in your article include an author bio at the bottom of the story with your name, business name, and your experience in the industry. As Google crawls the internet it will recognize your company name in a publication associated with your industry and in turn will trust your website more.
This strategy only works if you create high-quality and valuable content for these publications. Avoid being self-promoting. Instead, teach other roofing contractors or homeowners something they do not know. If the editor allows a link your website, then provide it.
Creating a concise SEO plan is a great way to increase your business’ online visibility. It’s important that the SEO strategies you choose to use place you on the first page of Google searches. Being on the first page allows you to capture more leads to potential clients. You can handle many of these strategies yourself, but if you feel it is too technical or you just don’t have time, contact a search engine marketer to help create a plan for your business.
Hernan Charry is the Director of Marketing at Split One Technologies a search engine marketing firm in Phoenix Arizona. Split One Technologies has been creating unique SEO campaigns for contractors for the last 12 years.
