How often does your plumbing company appear on Google Maps or search engine result pages (SERPs)? Local queries account for nearly half of Google’s two trillion annual searches. About 97% of people learn about local companies online more than anywhere else.
Without a local search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, you could lose business. Local SEO for plumbers can literally put you on the map. You can generate more brand awareness, traffic, and leads for a better ROI.
Not sure how to improve your local rankings? Read on to develop your local SEO strategy.
Plot an SEO Strategy
There are four main types of SEO:
- On-page
- Off-page
- Local
- Technical
To improve your local rankings, you need to develop a comprehensive SEO strategy. Ignoring one type of SEO can affect other efforts.
Start with technical SEO. Improve the backend of your website to offer a better user experience. If your website is difficult to use and navigate, visitors will leave.
When people leave without exploring, your bounce rate can increase. A high website bounce rate can hurt your local rankings.
Follow Google’s Core Web Vitals when optimizing your website. Confirm that it’s:
- Fast
- Secure
- User-friendly
- Mobile-optimized
On-page SEO involves optimizing your content for keywords. Off-page SEO involves generating backlinks.
Gather Keyword Research
Leveraging on-page SEO can help you appear for local search queries. As part of your SEO strategy, gather keyword research. Determine what terms people use to find a local plumbing company.
Build a list of long-tail keywords. These phrases include four or more words, making the search intent more obvious.
The user’s search intent indicates what they expect to find during a Google search. Intent is often:
- Transactional
- Commercial
- Navigational
- Informational
Once you understand the user’s search intent, create relevant blog content. Choose a primary keyword before writing. Don’t stuff the keyword into the post after you’re done.
Sprinkle secondary keywords (similar or relevant phrases) into the content. This will help you avoid keyword stuffing. Otherwise, Google may penalize your site from SERPs.
Your primary keyword should appear strategically in the:
- URL
- Page title
- An H1 header
- Opening and closing paragraphs
- SEO title and meta description
- Image file name and alt text
The SEO title and description will appear on SERPs. Make it engaging and relevant to the user’s search intent.
This will encourage more clicks and website traffic. Improving your clickthrough rate can boost your rankings.
Optimize Your Google Business Listing
Optimize your Google Business listing to appear in front of local customers. About 92% of consumers will pick a business on the first page of results. Your Google Business profile will take up prominent space on the first page.
Your listing should display your:
- Business name
- Hours
- Phone number
- Website
- Address/Directions
- Customer reviews
- Recent updates
- Photos and videos
- Products/services
This information should match exactly what appears on your website. Google will compare the two to confirm the information is accurate. You could appear on Google Maps within the local 3-Pack.
Check your listings on other online directories. Make sure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent.
Keep your Google Business profile fresh by sharing updates. Let customers know of upcoming specials and discounts. You can also share new photos and videos to draw customers to your listing.
Prioritize Review Generation
Generating online customer reviews can strengthen your brand’s reputation. New customers may feel more inclined to trust your brand after reading reviews. Generating more reviews on your Google Business listing can boost your local rankings.
After completing a service, follow up with your customers. Ask if they’re willing to share their feedback on your profile.
Once they comment, reply! Responding promptly will show customers that you’re listening and care about their experiences.
Don’t delete negative comments. Instead, respond and try to find a fair solution.
The customer may recognize the high level of customer service you offer. They could be willing to change their negative review.
Use a plug-in to share these reviews on your website. Add a call-to-action button encouraging visitors to share their own thoughts. Link the button to your Google Business profile for ease and convenience.
Create Engaging Content
Use your keyword research to start creating engaging blog content for your website. Targeting a range of keywords will help you appear for more searches. You’ll generate more brand awareness, website traffic, and leads.
Share a diverse range of content, including:
- Blog posts/articles
- Webinars
- Videos
- eBooks
- Polls
- Quizzes
- Infographics
Add internal and external links to each post. Internal links direct readers to other pages on your site. This can boost dwell times and conversion rates.
External links can boost your credibility. Reference studies and blog posts on other websites.
Add elements of Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness (EEAT) to your content. For example, you can add an author bio to demonstrate your experience and expertise. EEAT can boost your brand’s credibility.
Generate Backlinks
Backlinks can direct readers on other websites to your content. Generating backlinks from sites with high Domain Authorities (DAs) can boost your rankings. They can help you generate referral traffic.
To generate high-quality backlinks, prioritize creating helpful, engaging content that other blogs want to reference. If a blog mentions your plumbing business by name, ask them to add a link to your company website.
You can also start guest blogging. Create content for other blogs to reach a new audience. Add a link to your services or blogs to generate traffic.
Structure Your Data
Reach more local customers by structuring your website data. Adding schema markup can help Google properly index your content.
Start with a geographic markup. This will help Google recognize your NAP.
When structuring your data, make sure to follow Google’s guidelines. Otherwise, a page could lose eligibility for appearance as a rich result. This won’t affect how a page appears on Google SERPs.
Leverage Local SEO for Plumbers Today
One of the best ways to leverage local SEO for plumbers is to develop a full SEO strategy. Consider partnering with a digital marketing agency. Their experience and expertise can boost your rankings in no time.
Our team at Optic Marketing Group can optimize your website for local SEO. We’ll tailor our services to your budget and goals.
We can boost your local rankings. Contact us today to discuss your SEO strategy.