What You'll Learn
- What Type Of Contractor Marketing Is Best For You?
- What is SEO
- How Would SEO Work For Me?
- You Need To Be Ahead Of The Curve
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Contractor Marketing Services That Will Drive Long-Lasting Business Growth
Search. Engine. Optimization. That’s what has entirely taken over in marketing during the days of the digital revolution.
Over the past decade-plus, SEO has been the driving force in companies with an online presence. Through expertly leveraged optimization tactics, marketers have successfully and organically attracted millions of customers to their websites, product/service pages, blogs, landing pages, and more.
While we aren’t about to write you a scholarly paper on the topic of contractor SEO, we are going to appeal to your business sense, of which you’ve got plenty.
The fact is, as a contractor, search engine optimization–and your ability to leverage it–can bolster your company from modestly successful to an outright dominant force. Or, if you’re already nearing or inhabiting the top of the food chain, SEO will be what helps you increase the gap between you and your fledgling competition.
Whether you’re expanding in your local landscape or scaling up to a statewide or even national level this year, your answer is to invest in contractor marketing services and contractor SEO. As you continue to read on, you’ll come to realize the previous statement as a straight truth instead of a well-made argument.
Specifically, investing in contractor marketing services and SEO will take you to the top of search engine results pages on relevant queries. And you’ll generate leads and conversions like never before, generating general growth and an expanded client base like you never imagined.
What is SEO?
Before delving deeper into contractor SEO and contractor marketing services, we’ll describe search engine optimization more explicitly, starting with a definition.
Search engine optimization is the method that makes your website more visible when people seek out related products and services on search engines like Google and Bing. You’re meant to improve your site according to those search engines’ preferences and best practices.
The better your page ranks in search results, the more consumers visit your website, generating more leads and sales.
Regarding the importance of a high search page results ranking, 3-quarters of all searchers don’t ever click past the first page.
While that broader statistic doesn’t speak directly to contractor SEO and contractor marketing services, it begins painting a very clear picture of the universal habits of online shoppers.
The General Nuts and Bolts of SEO
As a company considering contractor SEO and contractor marketing services, you probably want to know about the inner workings of search engine optimization. After all, you’re no stranger to nuts and bolts. And you aren’t one to make an uninformed investment decision.
So, here’s a detailed breakdown of how it all works:
Appealing to Search Engine Crawlers
Search engines such as Bing and Google have bots that crawl web pages all over the internet, traveling across all websites.
During this wide-scale web scouring, crawlers collect relevant information about the pages and place them in an index. A good comparison or metaphor for an index is viewing it as a vast library. And the librarian can gather a book (aka web page) to locate what online users are seeking.
Enter the Algorithms
Once the crawlers index a page, the algorithms do their part and analyze them.
During this process, the algorithms weigh hundreds upon hundreds of signals or ranking factors, deciding the order in which pages appear during specific search results for related queries.
Going back to the library analogy, the librarian–in this instance–reads all the books in supply, tells you which applies to your specifications, and answers your questions.
SEO Typically Revolves Around the User Experience
Some of the core principles of contractor marketing services and contractor SEO are the same as other industries, especially for broader best practices.
One of those hard and fast rules is focusing on the user experience. The more conducive a visit to your website and its many pages are to the most seamless user experience, the more favorably you’ll be ranked.
With that said, the SEO best practices continue to change by the day. Only the highest-level experts in the field know how to keep up with this everlasting state of flux.
SEO is Free, and it Generates Results
There are paid ads (or pay-per-click) on search engines. Basically, you throw a certain amount of money per click-through at Google, and it puts the specific web page at the top of the results page.
Now, this isn’t a takedown of paid ads. They are very much a part of almost any successful online marketing strategy, including a contractor marketing strategy. But PPC strategies aren’t enough on their own if you intend to strive for the most growth possible.
SEO’s distinct advantage over PPC is that you aren’t paying for search results. Provided you can successfully launch a contractor SEO campaign, it’ll be entirely organic.
Similarly, look at other marketing methods–like sending out direct mail or putting up a billboard. These methods have a heightened upfront financial burden when compared to an SEO campaign, which generates results free of those immediate expenses.
Yes–for the most part, you’ll end up paying someone else to execute your contractor SEO campaign on your behalf (or at least you should). But the organic nature of the services means it’s the most financially sound option that generates the most substantial return on investment. For instance, you don’t have to worry about the high production costs of TV, radio, or print ads.
And with PPC, you literally have to dish out funds any time someone clicks on your paid search result. Many companies have experienced success with these campaigns. But they present quite the gamble compared to the low cost of SEO.
Again, we’ll stress that PPC can be extremely effective. All the same, 70% of marketers view SEO as superior to PPC ads in regards to closing sales. The belief is that organic search generates higher click-through rates and more time on the page, resulting in higher lead generation.
The Hesitation Over Investing in Contractor SEO
Running a contracting business means you’re an expert in about a million different things. It could be sourcing the best tools, building materials, or equipment. You’re probably a highly skilled craftsman, and we’re willing to bet your customer service capabilities aren’t to be trifled with either. Never mind grasping the various bureaucratic rules and regulations involved in contracting.
And we’re not even scratching the surface. Doing what you do is commendable, and it’s a lot of work.
Unfortunately, all those forms of mastery don’t leave you much room to gain expertise in all that much more. So–you can’t really spend time learning and mastering SEO and digital marketing on top of everything else you do. It’s just not practical.
Here’s the thing–for many companies across other industries, they’d immediately go to outsourcing. But contractors tend to take the DIY approach to much of their business…including their marketing. What’s more, the self-starting spirit has guided your many successes up until now, making it an even tougher habit to break.
SEO Will Strengthen Your Current Marketing Efforts
Whether you know it or not, you’re already a marketer in some shape or form.
And it doesn’t take a fully fleshed marketing campaign to put forth marketing efforts (although that’s what generates the most successful marketing).
Every interaction with clients–prospective and paying–is marketing. You’re offering your unique branded experience when you’re providing your services. It’s reflected in the way you or your team members speak with customers, the tools you all use, how everybody dresses, and so forth.
Provided you’ve been around for an extended amount of time, you’ve likely enjoyed some victories with your marketing. That still rings true if you weren’t consciously or purposefully marketing.
Traditionally, contractors have been able to rely on approaches outside the digital realm. After all, it’s a person-to-person and nose-to-grindstone business where you can depend on old-fashioned referrals to drive your business.
It makes sense why many contractors still live in the 90s. You work in or on one person’s home, and they recommend you to a neighbor or family member, and suddenly you’ve monopolized a town.
But, as we pointed out earlier, we’re amidst the digital revolution. Even if the old ways still work, what’s new and more functional (i.e., contractor SEO) can only strengthen traditional branding and marketing methods.
You Can’t Overlook SEO Any Longer
Things are changing faster than you can blink. A phenomenon known as accelerated change is improving technology at unprecedented rates. The wide-sweeping impact this rapid change has on buyer behaviors has broad-scale effects across all industries. Included in that list are the contractor marketing and contractor SEO sectors.
While still conducive to some success, the tried and true methods of old aren’t enough on their own. Your potential customers are looking for your services through search engines like Google and Bing. Neglecting that fact is ignoring reality as we know it. As a savvy, informed business owner, such a notion couldn’t possibly sit well with you.
Specifically, 97% of consumers go online to search for local services–construction being included in that list.
What’s more, 9 out of 10 buyers use the internet for all their home building solutions, such as for new design-build projects. And over half of all buyers begin their search online via the Googles and Bings of the world.
You might get enough referrals the old-fashioned way. But the above numbers tell you you’re missing out big time if you haven’t yet dived head-first into the digital–and SEO–revolutions.
Investing in Tactics Such as SEO Allow Contracting Business Owners to Be Better Leaders.
Are the above reasons not enough to convince you to invest in contractor SEO and contractor marketing services?
Then allow us to speak to your inner captain-of-industry.
So often, we hear of contractors claiming they’re doing well. But if you’re a business owner, ask yourself about your day-to-day duties.
Too often, leaders like yourself end up as employees for their own business, doing the tough, sweat-inducing labor.
Don’t get us wrong, in the early stages of your business, the scenario highlighted above is a necessity. But the longer your company is in business, you need to become more of an owner and less of a worker, requiring a change in mindset.
You’re supposed to grow your business to the point where you’re paying others to do the physical work on your behalf. All while you get to focus on high-level tasks such as brand development and set your own hours, going on vacation when you please.
Investing in contractor SEO allows you to achieve that kind of growth. You can evolve from a small business owner/laborer into a bonafide owner of a well-oiled machine.
Outsourcing Contractor Marketing Services Versus Hiring Someone In House Versus In-House Specialists
There are several options you have to run your contractor SEO campaigns. You can take a crack at it yourself–but we’ve already pointed out why that’s not the best idea. It can take 5 to 8 years to master SEO on your own–and that’d seriously get in the way of your ownership and contracting duties.
Or, you could hire someone in-house, guaranteeing the person charged with your contractor SEO isn’t splitting their time with other clients. And they’d be more familiar with your workplace culture and mindset, boasting expertise in your brand, its voice, and its language.
The previous paragraph makes it seem like hiring someone full-time is a reasonable enough tactic. And really, how much could it really cost to bring a contractor marketing professional onboard?
To answer the above question, an SEO Specialist in the US earns–on average–$54,134 per year. While a generalized digital marketing specialist will set you back around $40,000 per year.
In fairness, those upfront costs might pale compared to the return on investment they generate.
All the same, you should consider that paying an agency can cost you substantially less.
Of course, billings can pile up the more you scale up as a business, but the ROI would more than bridge the gap. Additionally, contractor SEO and contractor marketing services often start at $2,500 per month–a low enough price for smaller or medium-sized construction businesses in need of financial wiggle room.
All the more advantageous, you aren’t on the hook with an agency long-term like you would be with a new employee. Nor would you be responsible for providing benefits or insurance, etc., as you would be with a new team member.
On top of that, you don’t need to spend time training an agency like you would a new hire, who’d then have to design your entire contractor marketing department.
Instead, you’d have a skilled collaborator who’d get to know the inner workings of your business of their own volition as part of the contractor SEO and contractor marketing services. They’d already have a system in place to quickly and efficiently design a profitable, insightful strategy.
Also, note that agencies providing contractor marketing services live, eat, and breathe contractor SEO. An agency would likely have vaster expertise in the discipline than an in-house team.
How Does Contractor SEO Work?
Contractor SEO is most effective when using the techniques and methods highlighted below:
Keyword Research: Your Contractor SEO Foundation
All builders know the integrity of anything worth its weight is based on a strong foundation. And contractor SEO is no different.
As far as a strong SEO foundation goes, there’s no such thing as successful contractor SEO (or any other SEO) without keyword research.
Tools such as KeywordsFX, Keyword Tool, and Answer the Public help with the research process. These pieces of tech are specifically valued because they leverage real-time search data.
A critical advantage of these tools is they don’t just offer data about broad, highly competitive keywords. They also highlight the niche keywords that get searched just enough to uncover untapped click-throughs (which soon turn to sales conversions).
After thorough analysis, we’d strategically implement those specific keywords onto your contracting company’s website to create content relevant to your target customers.
Due to our expertly executed and well-designed keyword strategy, your website will climb the results-page rankings for search queries your target customers regularly enter.
Developing Content Catered to Your Contracting Customers
When your keyword strategy is fine-tuned, then comes the content creation that leverages those lucrative search terms.
Your contractor SEO will flourish due to our highly engaging content that provides your audience with lasting value through its helpful, informative nature.
Our custom, well-crafted, keyword-infused content won’t only generate clicks (although it’ll do plenty of that). It will also establish your contracting business as a preeminent force in the field. Specifically, our blogging services at Design ME frequently replenish your website with fresh, useful content that establishes your expertise and drives website engagement.
Blogs and articles are a popular, more affordable form of content creation and contractor SEO and contractor marketing services. But they aren’t the be-all-end-all. For example, visual content (e.g., videos, images) can offer a transparent peek into the inner workings of your business.
Visual content keeps people on your website longer and engages them more than text alone. In fact, it’s far easier for your audience to absorb visual information than it is to read chunks of text. To that point, 90% of the brain’s received information is non-verbally obtained.
Fine-Tuning Website Navigation
With user experience being top of mind, website navigation should be a top priority of your overall contractor SEO strategy.
By streamlining and fine-tuning the navigation on your site and its pages, Design ME will generate a seamless experience for users, no matter the information they seek.
At Design ME, we ensure your navigation strikes the perfect balance between concise and descriptive. This includes:
- Linking to important pages from your homepages
- Including highly visible looks for users looking to contact you
- Quick load times
Your website navigation fires on all cylinders when working with Design ME due to our tried and true contractor SEO methods. As a result, people linger on your website instead of exiting right as they arrive. They’re also given psychological prompts to become customers instead of curious users doing a bit of digital window shopping.
Focusing on Local Search
Think about how often you use locally specific search terms. We’re willing to bet you do it a lot. Then apply that same behavior to your customers.
Local SEO gives you a stronghold on your town, city, state, or region’s surrounding geography. It ensures your business is highly visible when potential customers seek out “contractors near me” on Google (or Bing, or Yelp).
How do we make the locally-based contractor SEO magic happen at Design ME? Here’s a quick breakdown of what we’ll do for your business:
- Add location keywords in your page titles, site content, headings
- Register your business on Google Maps
- Claim free local listings on Google My Business, Yelp, or Bing
We’re only scratching the surface here, but maximizing your local contractor SEO can lead to substantial lead and conversion growth.
Mobile Search Optimization
It used to be that phones could only generate profits for a business through a tireless, highly skilled telemarketing department.
But now, with the advent of the smartphone, around 60% of all searches occur on mobile devices, making this technology one of your most significant potential growth drivers.
So, at Design ME, one of our main contractor SEO and contracting marketing services is optimizing your website for mobile search.
We’ll help ensure your website’s design is responsive to smartphones and tablets as well as laptops and desktops. This way, users won’t get frustrated or lose faith in your brand because you’ve neglected any facet of the online experience.
Build Yourself a Profitable Future with Design ME
At Design ME, our contractor SEO and contractor marketing services are designed solely to take your contracting business to the next level.
We’ll work tirelessly to develop the big-picture strategy and provide the SEO services that best serve your business.
Over several years, we’ve built a vast knowledge base in the contracting field. We have the tools and skill-set to create leads, drive sales, and establish brand recognition for your organization.
<Contact us today> if you want to learn more about our contractor SEO and contractor marketing services. We’d love to hear about your business so we can begin growing it beyond your wildest dreams.
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