SEO, or search engine optimization, is more than getting traffic to your website, it’s about getting the RIGHT traffic. For many industries, including construction, this means attracting qualified prospects from your area. If the folks finding your construction website are halfway across the country, it’s probably a waste of their time...and yours.
5 SEO Strategies to Drive Local Traffic to Your Website
1. Use Local Search Terms
The most effective way to reach locals is to find out what they’re searching for online. This is accomplished by researching the exact words and phrases local web users are using to search your industry. It’s crucial your website content contains phrases that specify your location, as this will result in better rankings in local search results and make it easier for clients near you to find you.
Examples: Ohio home remodelers, Cincinnati electrical contractors, best plumbers near Dayton.
2. Optimize Your Existing Content
Chances are, you already have an existing website for your construction company that describes your services and capabilities. Don’t neglect to revisit this content and optimize it with your local SEO keywords and phrases. However, make sure you’re not adding keywords where they don’t make sense. This is called keyword stuffing, and it will hurt rather than help you.
3. Name, Address, Phone Number, Website Address
Are these four things readily available to your prospects? If your answer is, “Yes, we have a ‘Contact Us’ page,” that’s great...but it’s not enough. Your basic information should be listed on every page of your website, but you can’t stop there. It should be listed on each of your social media pages, as well as in local and industry directories. The more authoritative citations your company has online, the higher its visibility will be in both local search results and Google Maps.
Here are some examples of online construction directories:
4. Have a Full Social Media Presence
Did you know your social media pages--Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+--should have nearly as much content as your website? Complete your profiles, add pictures, post articles—because the more verified your business is on social channels, the better it will rank in local search results. It’s especially important now to pay attention to Twitter since the partnership announcement with Google.
5. Earn Positive Reviews
Reviews are important when it comes to ranking in local search results. If you worked with a client who was extremely happy with your work, give them the opportunity to write up a brief review of their experience with your company. Often it’s just a matter of asking. One of the best places to publish reviews is on Google, since they will be at the forefront of search results when your business shows up.
What is your company doing to get the local business? Is your SEO strategy focused on reaching the right people? If it’s not--or if you don’t have a strategy in place whatsoever--don’t worry! We can help. One of the specialities of the inbound marketing experts at Marketing Essentials is SEO strategy and getting businesses just like yours found online. Call us at 419.629.0080 and talk to one of our Digital Strategists today!
