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Why Local SEO for Handyman is Essential in 2017
As a local handyman company, it can be difficult to compete with handyman franchises like Mr. Handyman and House Doctor, yet alone trying to rank high on Google for searches such as “local handyman near me” or “handyman in [city].” After all, the competition is steep—there are countless handyman and home services companies in cities across the country!
Whether you’re a handyman company with a few specialties or one that can do any home improvement project, it is important that your online marketing practices are effective and bolstered with efficient search engine optimization (SEO).
Blue Corona has the ultimate guide on what you should be implementing to achieve local handyman SEO domination. The best place to begin is your website and determining if it is built, coded, and designed for success.
An Efficient Handyman Website
When it comes to your website, many small businesses make the mistake of thinking that as long as their website looks good and professional, they should have no problem ranking well on search engines. The first thing you need to understand is that Google crawls web pages, not websites. Meaning, whenever someone is searching for a specific service in a particular area, the results displayed are web pages that are relevant to that search.
For example, if someone searches “faucet repair charlotte, nc”, a list of faucet repair related web pages will display in order to take the person directly to what they are looking for, not a list of websites where they have to click and go searching for it.
Having a great looking handyman website isn’t a bad thing, you just have to make sure it is performing at an optimal level of speed and user experience in the best way possible and has content that is keyword-rich yet user-friendly (relevant, informative, and provides value).
Google’s ranking algorithm is not released to the public and is constantly changing. Google will release update statements periodically, but it not something you can solely rely on. Thankfully, the industry experts seem to have a good pulse on what changes and ranking factors are becoming more important—one of these factors is site speed.
Why Website Speed Is Important for Your Handyman SEO Campaign
Creating the best user experience for your potential customers is something Google takes very seriously. This is why they created a free tool called Google PageSpeed Insights , which allows you to fully understand how your website is performing and what needs to be improved.
Make Your Handyman Website Mobile-Friendly
Another ranking factor related to user experience is mobile-friendliness. This was made public by Google with an official announcement and would later become popularly known as “Mobilegeddon.” The update affected all mobile searches worldwide and was implemented to ensure users obtain relevant, high quality search results optimized for their device. Like the PageSpeed tool, Google offers a free online tool, Mobile-Friendly Test, to let you know if your website is mobile-friendly or not.
These are just a few of the many tools out there you can use to enhance your handyman local SEO and digital marketing campaign. It is always important to provide the best user experience possible and strengthen aspects of your website that are in your control. If you believe that this is something out of your comfort zone or you need a new redesigned website, be sure to contact a reputable handyman SEO company to help you out.
CONTACT Blue Corona TODAY
Using SEO for Handyman Services Near You
Once your website is ready to attract and obtain customers, you can start engaging in some digital marketing for handyman companies and dominate your home turf. This is a lot easier said than done, but with the right SEO plan in place, you will be ready to go. Before you try to target the entire state, you should make sure you’re getting wins in your own city and then gradually expand out. In doing so, keep a few things in mind:
- Proximity – How close is this city and how will the travel to work/revenue ratio compare? Do you have the necessary licenses to work in this area? If you are finding yourself having to “stretch” for answers, it probably isn’t in your best interest to target this specific city/town in your local SEO campaign.
- Competition – How many companies do you have to compete with in this new area? Would you be better off gaining wins in a different city? Keep in mind, the more competitors there are in a city, the more you will have to compete with for real estate on search engine results.
- If you don’t know, you can always conduct a Google search based on your particular services and see which companies show up. Also, type those same keywords into Google Maps and see where the drop pins land. Take note of how many companies pop up.
- It would also be a good idea to have a competitor analysis performed by an SEO company in order to help aid in your expanding decisions.
- Target Customer – Are the customers in this area the RIGHT customers? Do your research and fully understand your potentially new area before you start expanding without any means to back that decision up. It’d be unfortunate to spend a great chunk of your time optimizing your website for a city that would make no sense to target in the first place.
List Your Service Areas on Your Handyman Website
It’s also important to note that your website should clearly list your service areas. Not only will you be able to publish service pages tailored to specific areas, but you also want your target customers to know that you can fulfill their needs in their city. It is a very simple task that can get overlooked and have you missing out on more customers.
For some customers, if they don’t see their city/town in your service areas section right away, they will move on to the next website because they simply assume you don’t do work in their area (even if you do). It’s easier to avoid situations like these and have your service areas clearly listed on your website, like in the example below.
With all of this in mind and once you are able to successfully execute your handyman SEO tactics, the better of a chance you have to own the top spot on Google’s “local pack.”
Win In the Local Pack
The local pack is a set of three companies that Google chooses to display based on a certain criteria and geographic location of the searcher. It displays things such as the NAP (name, address, and phone number) of the businesses along with direct links to their website, directions, reviews, and where they are exactly located with a drop pin.
When your company is featured on the local pack, your chances of obtaining customers increase way more, thus increasing your website traffic and ultimately, sales. According to a digital marketing study on local searches and intent:
- The Google 3-pack appears in the top spot in 93% of searches with local intent
- 76% of local searches result in a phone call
Enhance Handyman Online Marketing with Reviews
When it comes to showing on Google’s local pack, many important SEO factors are taken into consideration, including reviews. Reviews are vital because they provide the customer more insight and a better user experience. Plus, if you truly provide stellar service that makes your company stand out, wouldn’t you want people to know that?
As a handyman company, it is crucial to have validation from your customers on how they think of your services. Reviews also help you grow your business by showing your target customers that other people trust your company and are satisfied with the results. Based on statistics, the better review average you have, the better your chances are of obtaining customers.
- 94% of consumers would use a business with a 4-star rating
- 52% with a 3-star rating
- 14% with a 2-star rating
It’s also imperative to show that you value your customers’ feedback, whether they are good or bad. Responding to your reviews is a great way to show potential customers that they will always be number one in mind. This encourages them to trust you with their desired handyman services and creates a sense of comfortability.
Another added value of having reviews is that you now have supporting information that your company is one that can be trusted, and that can now be conveyed across multiple online channels such as:
- Website
- Social Media Platforms
- Newsletters
- Referral Programs
- And more!
The more reviews you are able to obtain, the better you make your chances of not only retaining existing customers but gaining new ones as well.
Choosing a Handyman Digital Marketing Company
Depending on where you are with your SEO practices and how they align with your overall company growth goals, it is vital that if you are going to bring a handyman SEO company on board, you partner with the right one. There are many digital marketing companies out there—some do a great job in one area but can lack in other areas. For example, you may partner with an incredible web design agency but they don’t build you a website with SEO in mind, hurting you in the long run.
Questions to Ask Prospective Digital Marketing Companies
When and if you decide to bring digital marketing company in the mix, make sure that you are considering a few different things and asking yourself these questions:
- Do they know your business/industry?
- Can they create an SEO friendly website for you?
- Will they be able to diagnose and fix any problems your website may currently have?
- Are they able to strategically execute your SEO with your company’s growth in mind?
- Do they have the proper tools in place to track your SEO progress?
If you are able to confidently answer all of these questions upon speaking with a potential SEO company, you are on the right path. If there are a couple that you do not feel strongly about, it would be better that you explore further options. As a business owner, this is not something you will want to settle on.
Implementing SEO Tips for Small Businesses
We know this is a lot of information, but it is important that you have all of the proper SEO practices in place in order to rank well in search engine results pages. For a quick recap, make sure you have all the previously mentioned information in mind when implementing your handyman online marketing strategy.
- Website – Make sure your website performs efficiently by running fast, converts visitors to leads, and provides a positive user experience. You want people to get to your website and say “wow, this company really knows what they are doing, and this is exactly what I have been looking for!”
- Service Area Expansion – Servicing a larger area is great, but the road to that point must be an efficient one. Target the RIGHT customers, be aware of what/who you are up against, and make it easy for your customers to see if you service their area or not.
- Reviews – If you do it well, they will come. Encourage your customers to write reviews and be sure to learn, interact, and grow with those reviews. Give your company a voice and provide more proof to your customers that they should have trust in your company’s services.
- Choose the Right SEO Company – Partner with the right digital marketing company and make sure they know what it takes to deliver on all cylinders. Your goal is to grow your business and get yourself out of a rut, not waste time and money going deeper into one.
Get Started Today
At Blue Corona, we know exactly what it takes and how important SEO for handyman companies and for small businesses is. When you are ready take your local SEO efforts to new heights, be sure to contact us today!
About The Author: Blue Corona's Editorial Staff is determined to help you increase your leads and sales, optimize your marketing costs, and differentiate your brand by passing on our tribal knowledge. The team vigilantly stays on top of the latest in digital marketing, bringing you the top insights with expert commentary. Want to see something on our blog you haven't seen yet? Shoot us an email and our marketing team will get to work.
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The information on this website is for informational purposes only; it is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. It does not constitute professional advice. All information is subject to change at any time without notice. Contact us for complete details.
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