People don't need home services — until they do! A plumbing problem, a leak, pests, electrical, etc. Home issues arise quickly, and many homeowners don't know anyone to fix their urgent matters.
Most people (97%) search online for local businesses, with 21% doing it daily. You won't be located if you aren't online when they're looking for home service solutions. This is why it's so important to have a strong online presence.
To level up your home services marketing SEO strategy, here are our top tips on how to get found online and some local SEO tactics for your home services business.
Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to the process of making specific improvements like backlinking, optimizing keywords, fixing load times and errors, etc., to your site to boost visibility based on relevant search inquiries on search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. In the simplest terms, you're optimizing your site to rank on the first page of search engines so your audience sees you when looking for solutions.
It consists of a strategic mix of organic and paid search. Organic SEO refers to the methods you take to rank that are free and often include taking the proper steps to appeal to search engine algorithms, like improving:
On the other hand, you could pay search engines like Google to rank in one of the top three spots for solutions related to your home services businesses.
No matter how great your services or products are, you will not increase your reach and sales if people don't know you exist. Since more and more people rely on the internet to find local businesses, an employee standing out front and waving signs around will no longer suffice.
You need to allocate more time to an online presence. More specifically, home service businesses need SEO for the following reasons:
If you want to be online, Google My Business (GMB) is almost as important as a well-polished website. It's Google's way of introducing your business to searchers and providing them with all the information they would need to contact your organization or make a purchase.
According to Publer, Google My Business boosts calls by 61% (accounting for 90% of local business calls), and 56% of GMB actions lead to increased website visits. This means that most searchers on Google's engine will take action either by phone or on your website (maybe both!) after finding your home service business on Google My Business.
Even better, it's free! So, there's no good reason not to have one.
Additional advantages of Google My Business are that it's easy to create, shows your expertise, provides contact info (hours, phone, etc.), and can be optimized for better visibility with:
Understand Keywords Related to Your Business
To optimize your website, you need to understand keywords. These will be what will connect you with high-quality leads searching for your products/services right now.
Start by imagining the things people search for when they need your company. People are likely to search for things like:
Using knowledge from these insights you gain from what you know about the industry and what your tools update you with, sprinkle these keywords into your website. Google will boost your website after it's been optimized with the right keywords.
Yes, you need a website to get found! And if you haven't already built one, it's better late than never to get started or optimize it with a much-needed update. This is especially important since research shows that most (75%) people judge companies by the quality of their website (design, in particular), and almost half (46%) base the credibility of a company on the aesthetics and appeal of its website.
We recommend doing the following to build your website and boost SEO traffic:
This can seem overwhelming if you're not fully equipped to take on SEO strategies and execute them flawlessly. McClatchy's capabilities for SEO campaigns, online visibility, brand awareness, etc., can help take your home services business and website to the next level for better visibility and traffic. Collaborating with a multimedia partner gives you the perks of combining strategies, making campaigns even stronger. We recommend using SEO in conjunction with search engine marketing (SEM), which will integrate paid ads, helping your company get found by the people who need you.
Our teams have the expertise and experience you will need to create winning SEO and SEM strategies and reach the right audience with your message.