Search engine optimization (SEO) offers a unique advantage for local service businesses. Just like the phone book of yesteryear, SEO allows the small business owner to intercept the customer at the bottom of the sales funnel, right when the customer is ready to buy.
In this article, I’m going to walk you through how plumbers can improve their SEO and take advantage of this constant stream of customers.
Build A Site With A Clear Call To Action
We constantly see websites where the phone number is below the fold of the website. This means that the user has to scroll down in order to see the phone number or contact the business.
Make sure that you have a phone number at the very top of the site. Ideally, it should be clickable so that mobile users can easily call you with one click. Some customers will prefer to email you. You should provide a contact form that collects their email and phone number, allowing you to call them back quickly.
Finally, your unique selling proposition (USP) should be provided in clear, bold letters, making it easy to understand why customers should come to you instead of the competition. What makes your business different? Is it the level of experience? The quality of your customer service? Make sure your clients know why your company is the best.
Create A Page For Every Problem You Solve
Single-page websites are a thing of the past. Both your customers and Google want to see a website that demonstrates authority and depth in the niche.
One of the insider tricks we use is creating a page for every service you provide and for every problem you solve. For example, you might provide a video inspection service of the customer’s sewer system. This deserves a page. You also need a page about “backed-up sewers.”
Why? Because some customers might be searching for a video inspection service, and others might be searching for how to solve a problem. You will want a page for each. This method not only helps you better match your customer’s intent but also helps you optimize your site for plumbing-related keywords.
Make sure that you provide at least 500 words of informative content on each page and present your business as the ultimate, easy solution to your client’s needs.
Put Your City Name In The Page Title
Every plumber we have done SEO for wants to target every city they can. That can be done, but it must be done properly, or it can slow the ranking process.
As you begin, focus on the one city where your map address (see below) will be located. Make sure that the title of your home page includes that city name and the word “plumber.” All your inner pages should also include that city name as well.
After you have secured first-page visibility in the search engines for your main city, you can look to expand to other cities as well.
Get Into The Maps
Google Maps is one of the biggest revenue drivers for local plumbers. Make sure to set up a local Google My Business profile with multiple images and a strong description. Then, do the same for Bing and Apple Maps. While the customer won’t be coming to your location, these geographic data points make all the difference in anchoring your business locally.
Once you get your maps set up, make a point of asking every customer to review your business. Reviews are everything in the online world, and you want as many positive ones as you can possibly get.
While you won’t appear at the top of the maps immediately, you have to set up these listings in order to have a chance. As you walk through the other promotional steps, this maps ranking will also improve.
Establish Yelp And Other Online Profiles
Yelp, Yellow Pages and HomeAdvisor provide varying levels of success for small businesses when it comes to lead generation. However, in your local market, these business pages may rank highly on the first page of Google.
We normally recommend setting up free business accounts on Yelp, YellowPages.com, HomeAdvisor.com, Porch.com and Angie’s List. If your local TV or radio stations offer any free directories, it makes sense to list your business there as well.
These local directories aren’t likely to send you much business, but they help create those local relevance signals.
Join Your Chamber Of Commerce
Hopefully, you will be too busy to frequent your local Chamber of Commerce meetings. However, this is another relevance signal that sets your business up as a leading local business.
Most small business owners won’t take the step of investing in their local Chamber. By doing so, you are setting your website apart and giving it a major advantage.
Sponsor Good Causes
We’ve noticed that sites that invest in their local communities tend to perform better in the search engines. The local presence translates directly into a stronger online presence.
One of the best things you can do is to invest in local ball teams and the arts, where the campaign will give you online exposure. So the next time the Little League team comes knocking, ask them if your business will be featured on their website. If they can make that happen, it will likely be worth your investment.
Constantly Promote
Using these systems for our own plumber clients, we were able to rank a plumbing site within four months in the Maps section and No. 3 organically on Google. However, the above steps can help any business owner intent on bootstrapping the process with a solid plan of action. Rinse and repeat as many times necessary until you get the level of business you are seeking.