SEO Strategies for General Contractors
There are many advantages to being a contractor. Career independence, project diversity, flexibility, skill development, personal satisfaction, business ownership, and networking opportunities are just to mention a few.
In the same vein, there are challenges that contractors are usually faced with. Some of them include navigating business expenses, industry & regulatory compliance issues, contract negotiation, unpredictable workload, and a host of others. For more information about the challenges of being a contractor, you can visit: https://networkthinktank.blog/.
It turns out that some of these challenges are more common and more of a concern than others. Client acquisition and industry competition are certainly high on this list. One major solution to both challenges is effective marketing.
Well, a well-structured SEO (Search Engine Optimization) campaign can get you the right results in this regard. This is provided that you understand the basics and you are open-minded enough to hire a reputable SEO agency for this purpose. Read on as more about these will be discussed here.
Dominating Local Searches with SEO Techniques Tailored For General Contractors
Knowledge of several marketing basics is required for launching a successful SEO campaign and getting the right results. One such is the concept of location. For instance, imagine you have a business stationed in Dallas Texas and you intend to market your business by using a signpost.
You would not have the signpost stationed in Austin or Houston, Texas. It has to be stationed in a good spot in Dallas, Texas. The reason is because this is where your target clients are.
In the same vein, your SEO campaign has to be locally driven. Having made this important fact clear, here are a few SEO strategies that general contractors need to dominate local online searches:
Keyword Research
Keywords are those words that your prospective clients input in the search engine’s search box when searching for products or services like yours. Keyword research ensures that your on-page SEO is well-informed.
This is by integrating all the required keywords in the various ways possible. There are special tools that aid keyword research. A few examples include:
- SEMrush
- Ahrefs
- YourTextGuru
- Surfer SEO
Some search engines even offer internal solutions for keyword research. Google is a typical example as it enables the use of its (Google) Keyword Planner for this purpose.
Some of these tools are better for keyword research than others. Furthermore, the possibility of using this kind of tool does not rule out the need for the services of a professional SEO agency.
Website Optimization
Keyword research is essential for optimizing your website. This is given how the results of this research should inform your meta titles, meta descriptions, header tags, and general website content.
However, there are other aspects of website optimization besides this. This is especially in terms of technical requirements such as information being presented with high-quality fonts and texts.
Furthermore, ensuring that your contact links are easily accessible is an important aspect of the optimization process.
Link Building
You increase your chances of being found out when you synergize with other local websites. This is by having what is known as backlinks on their web pages. The implication is that prospective clients can find you out indirectly from third-party sites.
It is a very effective way to market your business. This is especially true if you have backlinks with the right websites. Some of the several ways you can get backlinks include:
- Creating link-worthy content
- Guest posting
- Requesting for reviews
- Ensuring local citation on review sites, directories, and similar online platforms
- Internal linking
- Building relationships with bloggers, industry experts, and/or influencers for this purpose
These are just a few ways to go about getting backlinks for online marketing purposes. Some of those above are optional, while some are necessary for SEO success. For example, creating content that is link-worthy and internal linking is a necessity. The same cannot be said about building relationships with bloggers, industry experts, and influencers.
Mobile Optimization
Most people who access the internet do so using their mobile phones. In other words, websites that are not easily accessible using mobile phones are not likely to get you the right result. To this end, mobile optimization is an important part of SEO optimization and should be seen as such.
Social Media Marketing
Social media is a viable way to attract prospective clients. For starters, this is because many of your prospective clients use social media platforms. Secondly, most social media platforms have advanced to the point where (especially) sponsored marketing can be well-driven to attract the ideal kind of clients.
For example, specific features that help you target the ideal age bracket, location, and other details can be engaged when running Facebook or Google Ads. This is something that professional SEO agencies know too well.
Improving Visibility in Local Search Results
Thriving in a highly competitive market calls for a hands-on marketing approach. To get the right marketing results, general contractors need to implement SEO for general contractors to attract the ideal clients. This is also to enhance online presence for the long term.
To this end, there are tips to help general contractors improve their visibility in local online search results. A couple of them have been discussed early on. However, some of the other tips include the following:
Information Consistency
Information inconsistencies will do your business no good. This is especially true if these inconsistencies are featured online. So, take care to ensure that everything checks out. This is particularly true with your business’s name, address, and phone number.
Detailed Information
Search engines like Google, Bing, and several others allow general contractors to input certain important information. Make sure to input these details. For example, with Google, it is possible to:
- Choose a relevant business category
- Have an online business description that is well-optimized with relevant keywords
- Attach images – This could be images of your office, goods, and/or services
- Have previous or existing clients leave reviews
Inputting all of these details (including your business’s name, address, and phone number), increases your chances of being very visible in local online search results.
Conclusion
There is a lot to achieving local SEO success even though it is possible. This is why it is a smart move to hire an SEO agency. Just make sure to hire a reputable one with a positive track record. Furthermore, your choice should be experienced in rendering this service to general contractors like yourself.