SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization. And for general contractors, SEO is the near-science of getting your website to rank at the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Make Your Website More Productive for Leads & Sales
While there are many search engines that people use, Google, Bing and Yahoo are the top three most used today. In fact, Google is the only one that really matters, accounting for nearly 85% of the global search market. So if you want your website to sell your remodeling services, your goal is to get to the first page of the Google search results. Studies show that, in general, internet users generally click only the results shown on the first page.
Key Factors for Improving Contractor SEO
Search engines actually have different algorithms for generating results. However, in actual SEO practice, improving the results for one actually helps improve results for others. But no matter which search engine you focus on, the following are key factors to keep in mind when implementing SEO services for contractors and remodeling companies.
Focus on Keywords for Contractors
Choosing the most relevant keywords for your contractor website is critical to your SEO strategy. Keywords and content should focus on the keywords that highlight your contracting, renovation and remodeling services. Example terms like kitchen remodeling, bathroom renovations, basement refinishing and other similar terms are starting points. Accordingly, keyword research will determine the best keywords for your business and local search area.
Review Keyword Density
Keyword rankings are a result of your website’s relevance for your chosen keywords. Part of this relevance is determined by keyword density, which is the percentage of the number of times your focus keyword is found in the total content of a web page. A website and page audit can help you determine how well your website content is optimized for a keyword.
Be Creative with Website Content
Websites are made for a human user, and not exclusively for search bots. While choosing focus keywords and optimizing content are important, creating site copy that is informative and entertaining is critical for user experience. Review your analytics reports for measures like “bounce rate” and “time on site.” Bounce is the measure of how well visitors react to your content. High bounce rates mean your content and website design may need work.
Review Technical SEO
Technical aspects of your website are also critical to the success of your contractor SEO efforts. Use an on-page seo audit to review website loading speed, mobile friendliness and website metadata. The results of the audit determine how well your website performs against others in your industry and location.
Develop a Link Building Process
Link building is all about generating links from other websites back to your site. This activity will boost the “authority” and online presence of your site, giving it a better chance for higher keyword rankings.
One of the easiest ways to build links is through social syndication. Syndicating your website and blog content to social media, local directories and other bookmarking sites will increase the distribution of your message. This should, in turn, drive more traffic to your website.
Monitor Visitor Traffic and New Leads
Increased website traffic is the product of all the work completed in the steps above. To increase your ranking in the search results, take action to drive visitors to your site. Choose the proper keywords, optimize content, and build links – these are critical action steps for implementing contractor SEO. Case studies show that the end result should be higher keyword rankings, increased site traffic and more leads for your contracting and remodeling services.
Put Contractor SEO to Work for Your Business
SEO is a great technique to promote your business, or services. Implement these methods to attract new customers to your website, to make a phone call or to visit your store.
> Start with an SEO Audit