The two biggest sources of business for construction companies come from referrals and online searches. For customers new to an area or unaffiliated with a construction company, the latter is often the most popular route to find new contractors.
This is the power of local SEO for construction companies.
On the flip side, new construction companies can break into a new market and establish a customer base by optimizing their online web presence through local SEO.
While many people are familiar with some of the basics of local SEO for construction companies, there are several strategies that construction companies can take to dominate local search results and acquire referral traffic from online sources.
This guide will discuss how SEO for construction companies can benefit their businesses, various construction SEO strategies for online success, and help businesses get started with a local SEO checklist.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is an online marketing strategy designed to optimize a business’s website and third-party accounts for local search. Local SEO involves a mix of organic keyword research, Google My Business optimization, and link acquisition on niche websites to drive traffic to brick-and-mortar locations.
Local SEO for construction companies may differ from other niche businesses, emphasizing referral websites like Angie’s List, Houzz, the Better Business Bureau, and Yelp for more concentrated traffic.
Additionally, some common local SEO strategies will include:
- Acquiring referral traffic from independent blogs, local newspapers, and online magazines.
- Online review management to build a positive reputation.
- Social media engagement to build customer relationships.
Many of these strategies also apply to general contractors, such as plumber SEO and various other professions.
With that in mind, let’s discuss various ways construction companies can benefit from local SEO strategies.
Why Do Construction Companies Need Local SEO?
Construction companies can benefit from SEO by establishing an online presence in a new market. Without existing referrals or customers, most new construction companies will need to rely on traditional advertising and local SEO to create local brand visibility.
Working with a qualified agency or hiring white label services to boost your local presence can get people familiar with your company and drive traffic to your site.
In total, local SEO for construction companies can benefit construction companies in several ways, including:
- Building organic exposure across multiple channels (i.e., Google search, your website, social media, directories, etc.).
- Driving more traffic to their site and more calls to their business.
- Developing a positive reputation by responding positively to reviews.
However, to better understand the power and utility of local SEO, we need to discuss each SEO strategy for construction companies and why they are important to niche businesses.
7 Local SEO Tips for Construction Companies
1. Optimize Your Google My Business Page
According to research, around 46% of all Google searches have local intent. Of that number, a huge majority of local searches tend to be on mobile devices, which we’ll discuss later. But, suffice to say, “near me” searches dominate the local landscape.
So when customers search for a construction company, they either consult a trusted third-party site like Houzz or conduct a “construction company near me” search. The result that pops up for a “near me” search in a local search pack is the business’s Google My Business Profile. Google My Business Pages also show up on Google Maps searches.
For this reason, if your construction business wants to rank for local pack searches, it needs to optimize its Google My Business profile. Creating a Google My Business account is free and super easy; just click here.
Once created, be sure to follow these tips to ensure your profile is properly optimized to rank for local searches:
- Maintain a consistent name, address, and phone number information (NAP)
- Provide ways to contact your business (phone number, website, etc.)
- Provide a brief description of your business in an About section
- Fill out a list of prices and quotes, if applicable
Generally, most “near me” searches will show results for businesses based on distance and even slight keyword variations, so being thorough during your account information is crucial.
2. Submit Your Website to Local Directories
Next, you’ll want people to find your construction company through trusted websites that many people use to find contractors. For construction companies, a list of websites might include:
- Angi
- Blue Book
- Yelp
- Construct Connect
- Better Business Bureau
- Construction.com
- Home Advisor
- Iambuilders.com
Follow the same rules listed above when filling out your account on each website, ensuring your information is correct and contact information readily available.
These websites will significantly boost referral traffic to your site, especially if you cultivate positive reviews from users on these platforms.
3. Utilize Local Keyword Research on Your Website
Once your external appearance is optimized, you’ll need to optimize your native website for local search. Optimizing for local search helps in two ways:
- Your website will rank for “near me” searches
- Your website will rank for local keywords
The latter is important because, under the local search pack, Google will also list local websites based on their business location as displayed in their title tag and meta description.
Gaining organic visibility in two spots on local search results can greatly increase your organic click-through rate and website traffic.
To get started, use your favorite keyword research tool, such as Google Ads, which provides free use as long as you sign your business up for an advertising account, which is free.
Type in a common keyword phrase, such as “construction company brooklyn” and check out the results.
Google Ads provides tools for related searches, and you can even see competitors who are ranking for high-volume keyword searches in your field.
On the flip side, you can type in a competitor’s website to see what keywords they’re ranking for and use them to your advantage!
Be sure to see which keywords have low competition, or lower barriers to entry. Choosing lower volume keywords with better intent, such as “commercial construction company brooklyn” or “road construction company brooklyn” may not net you the most traffic, but it will bring you the most qualified traffic.
Once your list is assembled, be sure to include local keywords, such as your name, profession, and city in the title tag of your homepage. From there, include location-based keywords in your meta description, headers, and intermittently throughout your homepage content.
4. Optimize Your Website for Mobile
However, when it comes to optimizing your website for local SEO, the less the better. For example, since most local searches come from mobile devices, you should limit the number of clicks it takes to make a conversion. Additionally, all web pages should have limited scrolling.
To optimize your website for mobile, follow these steps:
- Insert click-to-call buttons on every page for easy contact.
- Make location information clearly visible.
- Reduce the amount of scrolling (this increases page speed!).
- Limit the amount of top-navigation pages (keep it to essential services).
- Build a fast website (use responsive web design, limit the amount of code, and compress images).
- Use high-quality images to entice clicks.
- Create a clear CTA on the front of your homepage.
Ultimately, you focus on page speed and limit the time necessary to scroll on your site, your website will earn more calls and more business.
5. Write Local Content
On the flip side, it doesn’t hurt to create a separate section of your website for a local blog. Creating a local blog is a great way to showcase community exposure and educate your customers about various topics.
Using your keyword research and social media prowess, discover topics trending in your area.
You can also use content to discuss volunteering or press releases related to your business that can be shared on social media. Follow our tips for SCORE blog writing to ensure your blogs are properly optimized for search and user intent.
6. Acquire Links from Independent Websites
To continue with this point, the more content you create, the more links you’ll naturally gain over time.
While lots of controversy surrounds backlinks, the data clearly shows that backlinks build authority for your website and generate traffic.
However, most local construction companies will need to reach out manually to build links. This strategy includes reaching out to local bloggers and websites that frequently rank and review businesses in your area. For example, you could conduct an interview or request a mention on a relevant blog to earn an easy link.
In addition, run your business through a citation checker and reach out to any blogs that mention your website but don’t link to it.
7. Cultivate Positive Reviews
Finally, if you want to create the right kind of exposure for your business, you should build positive reviews. While many people frown on manipulating reviews, asking for reviews after a successful contract or business engagement isn’t unethical in the least.
However, you’ll want to manage reviews on external websites like Facebook, Yelp, and local directories by responding to positive reviews and negative ones with solutions.
According to one source, 92% of customers are more likely to purchase a product if they’ve read a positive business review. Reviews are tantamount to success for construction SEO because contracts are typically expensive and require more upfront trust than other service-based businesses.
For this reason, cultivating positive reviews on all of your platforms is essential.
What Should You Put in Your Construction Local SEO Checklist?
- Submit your business to all local directories (ex., Better Business Bureau)
- Optimize your Google My Business Page
- Ensure proper NAP (name, address, phone number) on all third-party sites
- Customize your website for mobile search with click-to-call buttons
- Optimize your website, all metadata, and headers for local search using local keyword research
- Reach out to all websites with a brand mention and request a link
- Build a social media profile on sites like Facebook and Instagram to show off your work
- Create local content
- Host events or volunteer to acquire local exposure
- Reach out to local businesses you’ve worked with for a link and a review
- Respond to all reviews with a positive or helpful response
Local SEO for construction companies should be an essential part of your business strategy, whether you’re established or growing.
In addition, local SEO is a great online strategy to break into a new geographic market without an established customer or referral base.
To get started with local SEO, contact us at Content Mender to learn more about how we can help your construction business, or read our blog for more local SEO tips.
