Google Trends shows that searches for general contractors, electricians, plumbers, pavers, and other professionals are increasing consistently, while companies are struggling to find qualified and skilled professionals.

It is an excellent time for contractors to build websites and promote their services online. However, they cannot do this without search engine optimization.

By the end of this article, you will have insights about what SEO for contractors requires, from content marketing and building backlinks to local and technical SEO.

What Is SEO for Contractors?

Contractor SEO refers to improving business websites for contracting companies so that they appear higher in search engine results and reach more of their intended audience.

It is a digital marketing strategy that helps contractors build websites that are better for both their target audience and search engine algorithms, leading to benefits for the contracting business and its customers.

The Benefits of Search Engine Optimization for Contractors

Contractor search engine optimization helps businesses improve their online presence in several ways. However, despite its high return on investment, it is a long-term strategy that does not yield immediate results, so it’s important to work on one’s contractor SEO strategy patiently.

Increased Website Traffic

The first page in Google search results receives 39.8% of clicks, the second 18.7%, and the third 10.2% — the rest get fewer clicks the lower they get. By implementing an effective SEO strategy, a contractor website can reach the top of Google search results, which means more traffic and higher revenue.

Lead Generation

The increase in traffic is not only a quantitative improvement. The potential customers are also more interested in contractor services because, after all, their search intent brought them to your website. That means they are looking for local services or advice on projects in your niche and are already interesting leads.

Building Brand Awareness

Some aspects of SEO, such as content marketing, help you educate your audience and gain their trust before they even need your services. By finding and using relevant keywords and optimizing content in other ways, you can answer their questions and concerns. And as your website works 24/7, you can gain customers even after business hours.

Market Insights

A good custom contractor SEO strategy relies on data. Professionals can analyze the popularity of different web pages, the user intent that brings visitors to your site, local data, and visitor behavior on the website to tell you how to approach your marketing further.

Comprehensive Guide to Contractor SEO

SEO is an inbound marketing strategy. It builds up your website so search engines recognize it as a valuable source, and potential customers visit and stay as you give them plenty of reason to. Here’s how to do it.

Focus on Local SEO

For similar reasons as a real estate SEO strategy, a contractor SEO strategy needs to be highly focused on the local market, as most people look for contractors from their area. This is why a local SEO strategy is one of the most important things for contractor websites.

Google Business Profile

Setting up a Google Business Profile is one of the easiest things a contractor company can do to improve their local SEO. It is a free service that only requires a business email account. You can set up your business hours, business category, information, and address that will be visible in Google Maps.

Local Business Listings

Local SEO success will also depend on adding your information across online directories such as Apple Maps, Yelp, Better Business Bureau, Home Advisor, and Yellow Pages. Check that your NAP+W (name, address, phone number, and website information) is consistent across all of them.

Local Keyword Targeting and Content

To appear in local search, it’s important to localize your content. Find high-search-volume keywords that include the name of your city, suburb, or region and incorporate them into your blog posts. If there is anything specific about your area, such as building codes, or prices, write about that, too.

Collaborate with Local Businesses

Join local associations related to the contracting and construction industry, and collaborate with other businesses. For example, if you work with other professionals, you can write guest posts on their blogs and vice versa, providing one another with valuable content and backlinks.

Reviews and Client Management

Enabling your customers to review your service adds important social proof of the quality of your work. It also helps you control how you are seen online, lets you see how satisfied your clients are and if there’s room for improvement, and it also builds trust among potential customers. It’s a lot of work, but luckily there are digital tools for contractors to save you time.

Perform Keyword Research

Conducting thorough keyword research is an essential part of the contractor SEO process as it shows search engine bots your content is covering a certain topic. Keywords also help searchers find what they need — such as contractor companies.

Here’s how to approach keyword optimization:

  • Use SEO tools – Use tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Semrush.
  • Find relevant keywords –  Perform research for each article and stick to the topic. Try synonyms, questions, and combinations (e.g., general contractor, general contractor services, how much does a general contactor charge, general contractors in Springfield). Check your competitors for their keyword use.
  • Implement them strategically  – Use the keywords with the highest search volume for page titles and headings. Also, use them in the URLs, meta descriptions, and title tags.
  • Implement them naturally – Avoid keyword stuffing and unnatural sentences when incorporating relevant keywords into your blogs or service pages.
  • Track keyword rankings – See what keywords your pages rank for. In Google Analytics, you can see which search queries bring visitors to your website.

Establish EEAT with Your Content

EEAT stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is a set of Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines created to assess content quality. Although people (and not search bots) check adherence to these guidelines, EEAT plays an important role in search rankings. Here’s what to look out for:

  • Experience – Create high-quality content demonstrating your business experience, whether it’s advice on safety requirements, DIY projects, or financial advice.
  • Expertise – Show your qualifications and industry knowledge on your website, along with any certifications and association memberships.
  • Authoritativeness – Collaborations with others in your niche or the contracting industry, as well as backlinks, help you show that you are valued in your industry.
  • Trustworthiness  – Cite credible websites, avoid hiding your content behind a paywall, fact-check, and be transparent about your sources. Also, ensure your website is secure for visitors, especially if you take their information or have checkout options.

Ensure Best On-Site SEO Practices

On-page SEO refers to everything you can do to ensure optimization on the web page. There are some things contractors can do on their own, but also some where it’s best to hire an SEO company. Here are the essential practices you need to pay attention to:

  • Consistent content marketing – Post regularly, stick to your industry knowledge, and update your content.
  • Internal links – Link between articles in a logical manner. Use text anchors that tell visitors exactly what to expect if they click on the link.
  • External links – Link to credible outside sources. Think government websites, industry association resources, or scientific engineering journals.
  • Content optimization – Use keywords in titles, headings, and across the content. Make the content easy to read, with short sentences and paragraphs.
  • Website architecture – Ensure your contact information is visible on the homepage. Create a logical and easy-to-follow hierarchy.
  • Meta tags and URLs – Meta titles and descriptions are what visitors will see on Google when your web page appears. Your URLs should also match your primary keyword for each article. 
  • Schema markup – Schema markup or structured data tells the search engine what your page contains. It is expressed through code and you can find schemas for local businesses on Schema.org.
  • Images – Compress images to reduce their size and speed up page loading. Also, make sure they are inserted regularly to help the readers understand your projects.

Make Sure Your Site Is Mobile Friendly

Mobile optimization is crucial for contractor SEO. Not only are over 60% of searches performed on mobile devices, but Google also indexes your website’s mobile version first. The best way to optimize your website for mobile is to use responsive design, which enables you to have the same website served to your mobile and desktop users.

Build Quality Links

Link building is a part of off-page SEO, and it refers to other websites linking back to your web pages. In the eyes of search engines, it’s considered a marker of authoritativeness and it improves your ranking.

There are different link building strategies:

  • Organic link building – Creating content that is linkable and useful so others will link to you as a source.
  • Broken link building – Finding a broken link on someone’s website leading to a dead page and offering you page as a substitue.
  • Niche edits – Reaching out to bloggers with relevant content and asking them to link to your page.
  • Industry connections  – Building connections and collaborations and reaching out to relevant bloggers, offering them your content. For example, if you have a construction company, you could seek out websites in the niches of home improvement and real estate.
  • Social media marketing – Using your social media to promote your website which could increase the number of people linking to you.

As it is a crucial factor, many shady companies offer their private networks of websites, selling you fast and cheap backlinks. It’s important to avoid them, as poor-quality backlinks destroy your website’s ranking and reputation.

Incorporate Best Technical SEO Practices

The technical aspects of your website will be a significant ranking factor. Your website’s SEO will depend on your loading speed, the simplicity of your code, responsiveness on different devices, having an SSL certificate, the way page elements load, whether there are any broken links, and much more.

It is important to perform regular technical SEO audits to prevent technical issues from dragging your website down in the search results. You may be able to fix some things yourself, but others will require a developer or a technical SEO expert. 

Measure Success and Improve

Learn more about performance metrics to measure the success of your SEO strategies and improve based on the data. These include:

  • Your position on search engine results pages
  • Website traffic
  • Bounce rate and time on page
  • The number and quality of backlinks
  • Ranking for different keywords
  • Subscriptions and sales
  • Google Business Profile Metrics
  • Reviews

You can use different tools for this, including Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google Lighthouse, Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz.

Search engine optimization ultimately aims to reach potential customers. However, it does not play any tricks, but does it by enhancing most aspects of your website, from content to technical aspects. That said, don’t expect immediate results, as good SEO takes time.

Final Thoughts

For contractors, SEO is a requirement, just like any other tool. There are many aspects to cover, from local SEO to backlinks and content, and it’s not only important to satisfy your customers but also to fulfill search engine requirements. As it is a lot of work, you may need an SEO company to help you so you can focus on what you do best.

FAQ

How much does it cost to do SEO?

The cost of SEO depends on whether you do it on your own or hire contractor SEO services. THe average price per hour in the US is $147.93, and the typical monthly retainer costs around $3,000.

Does user experience affect search engine rankings?

Absolutely. User experiece, including site speed, elements loading, design, navigation, and intuitiveness on a website heavily affect search engine rankings. This is why it’s important to work with a technical SEO expert to resolve any issues. 

Can search engines help build online visibility?

Yes. There is no better way to build online visibility than to move up in search engine rankings, especially if you land in the top three results or at least on the first page, as people who look for your services usually search on Google first.