Essential Guide to SEO for Contractors

Getting your contracting business showing up within the search engine result pages (SERPs) doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, earning a spot within the first page of Google search results is an accumulation of a robust search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. To get new leads and customers, SEO for contractors can help your website leverage every advantage.

Search engine optimization is the implementation and execution of multiple digital marketing techniques in order to increase your website’s rank within the search engine results pages for specific keywords. When homeowners near you conduct research about contracting services using a search engine, you want your company’s website to show up on page one.

While SEO is a wonderful digital marketing tool for any business owner to invest in, there is a need to tailor your contractor SEO process to your industry niche, as every business is different! This is true for general contractors, whether they are single proprietors or a larger company, as their livelihood depends on being discovered by new customers.

If you are a contractor looking to amp up your online visibility, go no further. Here’s a comprehensive guide to SEO for contractors.

What is the Importance of SEO?

Before launching into what exactly contractor SEO is, it’s important to understand why exactly so many small business owners are investing in this marketing strategy. With a life that takes place behind screens for everything from doctor’s appointments to online shopping, a contractor needs to have a custom contractor SEO strategy if they are going to stand out and earn new clients through Google.

Gone are the days of word of mouth, the yellow pages, and cold calling marketing being your bread and butter. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has found that half of all customers shop for products and services online. In addition, HubSpot found that 60% of all mobile phone users go ahead and contact a business that they found during a Google search. 

Most consumers rely on the Internet because it is convenient, fast, and reputable. As shown in a study by HubSpot Academy, 59% of shoppers say that the Internet makes their user journey and decision-making process much faster.

What about from a business owner’s standpoint? The same HubSpot survey reports that 86% of marketers rely on organic traffic (which is the result of their SEO efforts) as a primary lead generation tool. Plus, with SEO leads having about a 15% conversion rate, why wouldn’t a contracting business invest in multiple different engine optimization efforts?

What is Contractor SEO?

Contractor SEO is a marketing strategy that utilizes both on-page (the elements that live on your actual website) and off-page (links to your site on other websites) to your advantage when promoting your general contracting services. 

It is crucial to use a variety of different SEO techniques because search engines are run by algorithms. These algorithms dictate how the search engine finds your website, crawls the website copy and metadata, and indexes all of that content.

Generally speaking, there are four tenants of site SEO that any general contractor needs to focus on. They are:

Content

Creating content should be the first step in your contractor SEO strategy. Content is everything that has to do with how you promote your brand online. Content includes your home page, blog posts, landing page copy, social media posts, and more.

A business’s content strategy will be propelled by keyword research, which we will get to in just a little bit.

Local SEO

Search engine optimization as a whole works to ensure your brand is visible online, for any search term. Local SEO is the focus on promoting your brand within your local geographic area, which is especially beneficial for small business owners looking to outrank their competitors in the search results for their local marketplace.

For keyword searches that mention specific markets, Google will show a map with a list of local companies that provide those services. For example, see the Google Map pack for a keyword search “home builders bend or.”

If you’re a home builder working in this geographic area, you want your business to show up in this list. Local SEO strategies can help you get there.

Technical SEO

This is when you focus your efforts on making your website design and every web page technically sound. Technical SEO includes metrics like the speed of your website, Core Web Vitals, and usability on mobile devices.

Because many construction companies and contractors feature high resolution images on their website, it’s important that those images don’t slow down your website and deter users from exploring the different landing pages on your site or submitting a submission form.

Link Building

Having backlinks from other websites point to your site shows Google that your website has relevance and authority in your industry, and can be trusted. The goal of link building is to build a robust backlink profile of multiple different websites.

What kind of businesses can use SEO for contractors? Anyone that provides general contractor services! This includes plumbers, electricians, landscapers, remodelers, home builders, roofers, and more! 

Above anything else, SEO that is specific for contractors can suit any type of construction company, big or small. It is a fantastic way to not only stay relevant in a digital world but to reach your targeted audience right where they like to consume their information while staying on a budget.

Benefits of SEO for Contractors and Builders

Here’s why any general contractor and builder can benefit from investing in a robust SEO strategy.

Creates Industry Authority and Brand Awareness

Google’s goal is to crawl millions of websites and to provide helpful information to every searcher out there. Because of this, consumers tend to only look at the search results presented on the first page of Google. They rarely ever click to page 2. 

So if your website is not optimized properly and is not ranking well for relevant keywords that your audience is searching for, you will not show up. But on the other hand, if you have a huge presence on the first page for multiple industry-specific keywords, you will slowly but surely create brand awareness with new customers.

Drives Quality Organic Search Traffic

It is a proven fact that contractor SEO services will drive organic search traffic in droves to your website. But search engine optimization doesn’t drive leads overnight. It is a long game that requires patience. 

Generally speaking, you can expect about three months for the search engines to start crawling and indexing your content. If your content ranks for relevant searches and on the first page, you’ll see quality traffic start to convert. So if you do SEO the right way, it is worth the wait!

Saves Time and Money

Earning new leads from organic search actually has a lower cost-per-acquisition than paying for clicks in Google Ads campaigns. Also, targeting search intent is a better way to reach your target audience than contextual advertising. By investing in SEO, you can make sure you get your brand in front of the right audience.

Increases Your Competitive Advantage

Larger construction and contractor firms may have a larger marketing budget, making it easier for them to stand out amongst your local search audience. 

But a larger marketing budget doesn’t always mean they’re guaranteed to get the best results. Instead, a well-optimized, robust website, with an influx of consistent backlinks and fresh content can mean all the difference in increasing your competitive advantage.

Provides Solutions to Your Target Audience

One of your content marketing goals should be to answer your consumer’s questions before they have a chance to ask them. While the goal of your website is to increase conversions, you should also provide informational material to your audience. 

At the end of the day, consumers are looking for solutions to their problems. No matter what stage of the marketing funnel they are in, they are drawn to authoritative websites. When you can give consumers the contracting solutions and answers they are looking for, they are more likely to convert.

How to Do Contractor SEO Keyword Research

Keywords are the words and phrases a user types into Google’s search bar. They can be anything from short head terms, such as “builders” or longer phrases such as “general contractor in Charlotte, North Carolina.”

Discovering the right keywords to use in your content marketing strategy is one of the most important factors in increasing your organic search results.

Here are a few tips and tricks that will help you complete your contractor SEO keyword research properly.

Tips for Contractor SEO Keyword Research

• Create a list of keywords that reflect your products and services on offer. You’ll want to think like prospective customers, and brainstorm different words and phrases that your ideal customer will search. Create new landing pages for each of these keywords that you want to target.

• Add location-specific tags to each of your keywords. Examples include “general contractor in Rochester, NY” or “home renovations in Mephis Tennessee.”
• Use the Keyword Researcher tool in your Search Atlas dashboard to understand the competitive nature of your keywords and other essential metrics. If you haven’t created your account, sign up here.
• Take the keywords that were given to you by the Keyword Researcher. Split them up into two groups, those that represent buying intent, and those that show research intent. Buying intent indicates that the consumer is ready to make a purchase and intends to do so within the next couple of days. Research intent basically shows curiosity in your company, but is still shopping around. It is important for you to incorporate both categories of keyword. This helps you reach your entire target audience, no matter what stage they are in of the marketing funnel. Buying intent keywords should be featured on the homepage, and service pages of your website. In contrast, research intent phrases are useful for blog posts, social media posts, and even FAQ pages.

• Use our SEO Content Assistant. This is our free tool that does all the keyword research for you, with the goal of helping you to better optimize both new and existing content. Our platform allows you to focus your keyword research on five primary keywords, and it will provide additional related keywords to use when crafting your content. As a result of implementing all of these relevant phrases, you will notice your organic search traffic and keyword rankings grow exponentially.

Local SEO for Contractors

All contractors know how important it is to dominate their local market. This is not only because qualified customers tend to only be in your geographic area, it can be hard for contractors to rely on repeat customers. So to stand out amongst your competitors, here are some techniques to implement in your local SEO strategy.

4 Local SEO Tips for Contractors

• Regularly update your Google My Business profile. Your GMB profile is a free tool that pops up to the right side of a Google search. It lists out all of your company’s information, known as the “NAP.” NAP stands for Business Name, Address, and Phone number, and needs to stay updated at all times. Using up to date information is crucial in ensuring that you stay visible to both prospective and returning customers.

• Become Google verified. When your website is verified by Google, it gives your website a vote of confidence in the eyes of the consumer. It also makes it much easier for the Google web crawlers to find and index your web pages.
• Respond to reviews. Reviews are exceptionally important to the livelihood of any business. That’s because potential customers are more likely to go to a business with a high star rating. Also, reviews are essential to ranking in Google. They give you an opportunity to respond back to your local customers, whether or not their review is positive. Putting a face to your brand’s name via responding to reviews can bring you to the next level with your competitve advantage.

• Develop citations. Citations are listings in an online directory, like Yelp. Not only are citations helpful business tools for local SEO purposes, they are helpful to your consumer. They also boost your brand’s credibility.

Top 4 SEO Strategies for Builders and Contractors

Utilizing the following SEO strategies will work to improve your website’s ranking while boosting your online presence.

1. Ensure the Website is User Friendly

While most website visitors will click on the first website they find in a Google search, they will not stick along for too long if the website has a poor user experience. You’ll want to ensure your website has a fast site speed. The web design needs to be easy to follow and understand. Also, every single page should be responsive on mobile.

2. Produce Consistent Content

A content marketing strategy can only go so far if you don’t have a lot of content. From new clients to returning customers, you’ll need to produce consistent and quality content on a regular basis. This means setting up an editorial calendar for your blog, your social media posts, and any other content elements like podcasts, infographics, and videos. You will want to show your customers that you can be trusted to provide content for all of their needs. Being consistent is a great way to do so.

3. Use Off Page SEO

Google’s algorithm doesn’t look just at your website, it looks at your entire online reputation. This makes it much more important to focus your effort on creating consistency off page. Whether this is via creating a robust social media presence, or by creating citations in local listings, this will play a huge role in your website’s authority, and search rank. Plus, what’s best is that this can be very easy to do, and won’t take a lot of time to do so!

4. Track and Measure Your Performance

You won’t be able to have a great SEO strategy if you don’t track and measure your performance to see if what you are doing is working! There are plenty of free tools, like Google Analytics, that show you the ins and outs of your website. They give you insights to how your customers are interacting with your brand.

You’ll want to take a regular look at your analytics, about once every week to start, to monitor your SEO strategies and get a feel for what your normal website performance looks like. This includes your SEO performance in your GSC Insights dashboard. Then, make an effort to analyze your monthly performance and test new digital marketing techniques and see what happens!

Final Thoughts on SEO for Contractors

SEO is something that isn’t going away any time soon. So, make sure to hop on this digital marketing bandwagon and get your online presence flourishing! It is more important than ever for contractors to capitalize on what SEO can do for them. Whether you are looking for keyword research, increasing your number of backlinks, boosting your local SEO, or even improving your website’s technical prowess, our marketing team at LinkGraph is here for you.

Interested in learning how we can help you? Contact our team today to set up a consultation.