Is it just you? What about your local competitors? What about your industry?! Welcome to hours of digging through forums and ranking tools to get the answers you need for your bosses and clients.

Wish you had a way to quickly determine which ranking changes are being felt throughout your industry?

Introducing Local RankFlux, the world’s only ‘weather report’ for Google’s local ranking algorithm.

The wider SEO industry has been lucky to have multiple tools dedicated to tracking seismic changes in organic SERPs for years. Local SEO? Not so much!

That ends today, with the (re)launch of Local RankFlux: a completely free tracking tool and early-warning system from BrightLocal, designed to give local marketers the edge in understanding what’s happening with Google’s local algorithm.

How Does It Work?

BrightLocal’s local rank tracking software has been monitoring the local SERPs of our customers for years. With Local RankFlux, we apply the same technology to a set group of:

28 keywords x 26 industries x 20 cities = 14,560 keywords (560 per industry)

This means we’re tracking nearly 15k SERPs every day to determine a statistical point of variation (the Local RankFlux score) and to understand if similarities are seen in specific industries.

Local RankFlux simply looks at all these SERPs, calculates how much the rankings for these keywords have changed since yesterday, and gives the level of variation a score, from 0 (no change at all) to 10 (complete upheaval, volcanoes erupting, cities falling into the sea).

• 0 – 3 indicates ‘low’, expected fluctuation (i.e. nothing significant has happened)
• 3.1 – 6 indicates ‘medium’ fluctuation (i.e. something minor has happened)
• 6.1 – 10 indicates ‘high’ fluctuation (i.e. something major has happened – likely a local algorithm update)

That’s the simple version, though! I’d encourage you to take a look at our detailed methodology so you can better understand how the Local RankFlux Score is calculated… The more you know!

How Do I Use It?

Easy! Just bookmark the URL www.brightlocal.com/local-rankflux today, and when you think there’s been a rumble in your rankings, head there, check the score, and filter the data to your own industry to see if there’s anything more to learn.

Want to be ahead of the game? Sign up for one or more of our email alerts:

Daily: Simple. Get a daily email telling you today’s Local RankFlux score.
Weekly: Sign up, and every seven days you’ll get an email with the previous week’s Local RankFlux scores.
Urgent: Sign up to ‘Urgent’ to only receive an email when the score is above 4, which we determine to mean that a Google local algorithm update is likely.

Happy Rankings!

We hope you find Local RankFlux useful and can get a bit more sleep next time you feel that ol’ tremble in the rankings.

Want to know more about Local RankFlux, or need to report a bug? Get in touch with us at content@brightlocal.com.

More than just a seasonal service, HVAC companies now see year-round demand as consumers prioritize maintaining comfortable indoor environments, especially with extreme weather becoming more common.

But with this demand comes fierce competition. Without targeted local marketing, it’s easy for even the best HVAC companies to get lost in the shuffle. That’s why focusing on building a strong local and digital presence is so important in this industry.

What’s more, the first port of call people often have when they have a heating issue is Google. So, showing up in local searches is crucial. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to consider when you’re performing local SEO for your HVAC business.

Understanding Your Local HVAC Market

To run a successful HVAC business, it’s important to know your local market well. This means understanding who your customers are, what they need, and what other HVAC companies in your area are offering. 

Here’s how understanding your local market can help your HVAC business succeed:

Know Your Local Customers

Every community is different, and understanding who lives in your service area helps you market your HVAC services more effectively. For example, think about the age, income levels, and homeownership rates in your area:

• Age: Younger homeowners may be looking for energy-efficient systems, while older homeowners might care more about reliability and comfort.
• Income: Areas with higher incomes may be willing to invest in premium systems, while others may prefer budget-friendly options.
• Homeownership: Homeowners tend to invest more in long-term HVAC systems compared to renters, who may only need quick fixes.

By understanding these details, you can make smarter decisions about how to advertise your services and what types of systems or maintenance plans to promote.

Know the Local HVAC Needs

Like other home services businesses, your region’s climate and types of homes greatly impact the demand for HVAC services. For example:

• Warm climates will likely have more demand for air conditioning repairs, replacements, and routine maintenance.
• Cold climates might see more calls for heating system services.
• Older homes may need system upgrades, new ductwork, or other improvements.

Knowing the common HVAC issues in your area can help you focus your marketing efforts on the services that people are most likely to need.

As you can see in the image above, in our work with Cold Factor, we use this information to inform the messaging for that particular area, hitting home the importance of cooling systems in Texas.

Keep an Eye on Your Competitors

It’s always helpful to see what other HVAC companies in your area are offering. Are they focusing on repairs? Do they offer promotions or maintenance plans? By understanding what your competitors are doing, you can identify areas where you can do something different or better. For example, if most companies offer emergency repairs, you might stand out by providing energy-efficient upgrades or flexible financing.

It’s not just about their services, either: you need to see what they’re doing to get ahead in their marketing efforts. Has one of them doubled down on reviews, or have they obtained some local SEO services that have seen them jump up the rankings? It’s good to know what you’re up against.

Optimizing Google Business Profile

If you want your HVAC business to stand out locally, having a solid Google Business Profile (GBP) is a must. It’s one of the easiest ways to get in front of potential customers who are searching for HVAC services in your area. It’s also the quickest thing you can do to start on your local SEO.

Here’s how to get started and make sure your GBP profile is working hard for you:

1. Set Up and Verify Your GBP

First things first—if you haven’t already, go to Google Business Profile and set up a profile for your HVAC company.

It’s pretty straightforward, but one important step is verifying your business.

Google will send you a verification code, usually by mail, to confirm you’re the real deal. Once verified, your HVAC company will pop up in Google searches and on Google Maps when people in your area are looking for services.

2. Optimize GBP for Your HVAC Services

Now that your profile is up, it’s time to fine-tune it so customers can find you easily. Here’s how:

• Use Keywords: Think about what customers are typing into Google when they need HVAC help. Are they searching for “air conditioning repair” or “heating installation”? Make sure you use these keywords in your business description and services section to show up for the right searches.
• Define Your Service Areas: Be clear about where you work. List all the areas you serve so that people in those neighborhoods can find you when they’re searching for local HVAC services.
• Pick the Right Categories: Choose categories that match the services you offer, like “HVAC contractor” or “air conditioning repair service.” This helps Google connect you with people who need exactly what you do.

You can see how we’ve done this for Cold Factor’s GBP:

3. Keep Your NAP Consistent

This might sound simple, but keeping your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) consistent across the internet is super important. You want the info on your GBP profile to match exactly with what’s on your website, social media, and other places like Yelp or Angi. Why? If Google sees different addresses or phone numbers floating around, it can get confused, and your rankings might drop. Plus, customers need to be able to reach you without any confusion!

A simple way to do this is to enlist the help of a citation building service to save you time and hassle.

4. Get and Manage Customer Reviews

Customer reviews can make or break a business and are especially important for local services like HVAC. Encourage your happy customers to leave a review on your GBP page—maybe send them a link or a quick follow-up message after a job. Reviews help build trust with new customers who are checking you out for the first time.

And don’t forget to respond to reviews! Whether they’re glowing or not-so-great, replying to reviews shows that you care about your customers.

By optimizing your GBP profile, you make it easier for local customers to find your HVAC services, trust your business, and choose you over the competition.

Local SEO Strategies for HVAC Companies

Google Business Profile is just one part of the local SEO puzzle, though. Focusing on other areas of local SEO is a smart move, too. Local SEO helps ensure your business shows up when people in your area search for heating or cooling services.

Target Local HVAC-related Keywords

The first step in local SEO is targeting the right keywords. You want to include HVAC-related terms combined with the cities or areas you serve in your website content. For example, instead of just writing “AC repair services,” say “AC repair in [Your City].” Be specific! Whether you offer air conditioning repair, heating services, or maintenance, make sure you’re using location-based keywords where appropriate. 

For example, if you serve multiple areas, make sure to mention each one: “We provide AC repairs in [City 1], [City 2], and [City 3].“

If you only target one area, this could be across your website, but if you have several service areas or specific locations, you can create dedicated pages for those, too. 

Create Location and Service Area-specific Pages

If your HVAC business serves multiple towns or neighborhoods, create a separate landing page for each location. These pages should focus on the specific HVAC services you offer in each area and, of course, use local keywords. Not only does this help with SEO, but it also lets your customers know that you’re familiar with their area and ready to serve them.

For example, you might have pages like “Furnace Repair in [City A]” and “HVAC Installation in [City B].” Each page can highlight the services specific to that location and the unique needs of the area, like hot summers or cold winters.

You can see how we do this for Cold Factor with specific ‘areas we serve’ pages.

Optimize Meta Descriptions and Titles

Your meta titles and descriptions are what potential customers see in Google search results, so it’s important to include local terms here too. This not only helps with SEO but also makes it clear that you’re a local business ready to help people in your community. Use phrases like “Air Conditioning Repair in [Your City]” in your page titles and meta descriptions to attract more clicks from people in your area.

For instance, instead of “Expert HVAC Services,” try something like “Reliable HVAC Services in [Your City] | Heating & AC Repair.”

This can help improve your click-through rate, but it’s unlikely to improve your rankings specifically. Standing out in the results is important, though, as ranking alone isn’t always enough to guarantee a click.

Building Relationships with the Local Community

At Risely, we want our HVAC clients to get more involved in their community. Which is why we help them build relationships with local nonprofit organizations. Getting involved locally can increase your brand’s visibility and create lasting relationships that drive new business. 

Sponsoring local events, sports teams, or community programs is an effective way to increase your brand’s presence. Whether it’s sponsoring a youth soccer team or getting involved with a local charity, showing your support for the community helps build goodwill and trust. People are more likely to choose a company that actively supports the community they live in.

If you’re more of a hands-on person, you could even consider helping out with your van in the community. It would get you known as someone who wants to help and get your van all over the place.

All of this helps get your name out there and have people remember your business when they need HVAC services.

Running Localized Paid Advertising Campaigns

If you’re looking to boost your HVAC business and bring in more local customers, running paid advertising campaigns is a smart way to get your name out there. Paid campaigns let you target the people in your area who are most likely to need your services, whether they’re searching online or browsing social media. Here’s how to make the most of localized paid advertising:

Geo-targeted PPC Campaigns

One of the most effective ways to use paid ads is through geo-targeted Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Geo-targeting allows you to show your ads only to people in your specific service area. That way, your budget is focused on reaching local customers who are actively searching for HVAC services.

For example, if you offer AC repair or heating installation in a particular city or neighborhood, you can set up your ads to only appear to users in those areas. This helps ensure that your ads are seen by the right audience—people who are nearby and need your services.

For local searches, these ads are called Local Service Ads. You can see an example of the ones we’ve set up for our client below. For these ads you need a Google Business Profile.

Leveraging Retargeting Ads

Retargeting ads are a powerful tool that allows you to reach people who have already visited your website or Google Business Profile. Maybe someone checked out your HVAC services but didn’t book an appointment right away? Retargeting ads keep your business front and center, showing reminders to potential customers as they continue to browse the web or social media.

For example, if someone visits your website to look at furnace repair options but leaves without making a decision, retargeting ads can show them a promotion for furnace tune-ups when they’re on Facebook or Google later. It’s an effective nudge that can turn interest into action.

Leveraging Social Media to Grow Your HVAC Business

Social media is a powerful tool that HVAC companies can use to connect with local customers, build brand awareness, and generate leads. Here are some tips on how to leverage social media for local engagement:

Share HVAC Tips and Promotions

One of the easiest ways to engage your local audience is by sharing helpful HVAC tips and advice. Posting content that offers value, such as how to maintain your air conditioning system in the summer or quick fixes for a faulty heater, will position your company as an expert in the field. 

In addition to tips, share promotions and seasonal offers to attract customers. For example, post about discounts on winter heater tune-ups or summer AC servicing. These posts encourage followers to book your services and share deals with friends and family.

Interact with Local Customers and Businesses

Take the time to interact with your followers by responding to their comments, answering questions, and engaging in local conversations. If someone comments on one of your posts with a question about their HVAC system, offer a helpful response. These small interactions can build trust and make people more likely to choose your business when they need HVAC help.

Tracking and Measuring Local Marketing Success

Set Up Local Analytics and Use Call-tracking Software

Use tools like Google Analytics to track important data like phone calls and website visits. There’s a dedicated tool in GBP too, known as Google Business Profile Performance. This helps you see how potential customers are finding and interacting with your business online. 

Call-tracking software like CallRail allows you to monitor the calls coming in from your local marketing campaigns. By assigning unique phone numbers to different ads or landing pages, you can track which campaigns are most effective at driving calls and, ultimately, new business.

Review Local SEO Rankings Regularly

Your local SEO rankings are a key indicator of how visible your HVAC business is in your area. Use local rank tracking tools like BrightLocal’s Local Search Grid to check your rankings for important keywords like “AC repair in [City]” or “heating services near me.” Regularly review these rankings and adjust your marketing strategies as needed to stay competitive and improve your visibility in local searches.

Regular SEO rank trackers won’t cut it when you’re tracking these sorts of searches.

By tracking your marketing efforts and making data-driven decisions, you can continually refine your strategy to attract more local customers and grow your HVAC business.

Last Thoughts

Local marketing is essential for HVAC companies looking to stand out and grow in a competitive market. By implementing strategies like optimizing your Google Business Profile, focusing on local SEO, engaging with your community, and running targeted ads, you can attract more local customers and boost your business.

If you’re an HVAC business owner, now is the time to start using these strategies to stay ahead in your local market.

For instance, as the graphic shows above, 14% of contractors analyzed don’t even have a website, which is a significant barrier to reaching potential customers online. Ensuring your business ranks high in these local searches directly connects you with customers who need your services now.

This post will cover the most important elements of Local SEO for contractors. We’ll discuss optimizing Google Business Profiles, leveraging local keywords, building local citations, and managing online reviews. Each part plays its role in developing a complete local SEO strategy that can enhance your visibility online and attract more customers.

The Role of Google in Local SEO for Contractors

Google is the main place people search online, so being visible on Google can help you get noticed by potential clients. Google sorts local businesses based on what it thinks is helpful for the searcher. This means you need to give Google the right signals to show up in local search results. 

Google Business Profiles Are a Cornerstone of Local SEO

A Google Business Profile (GBP) gives you a public identity on Google. This is a free listing that shows your business’s name, address, phone number, and more. It helps people find your business when they search for the services you offer. Your Google Business Profile can affect if and where you appear in local search results.

Google’s Local Algorithm

Google uses a special system to rank local businesses. This system looks at things like how close you are to the person searching, how relevant your services are, and how much people trust your business. To rank well in local searches, you must make sure your online information is complete, accurate, and trustworthy.

Starting with Google Business Profile: The First Step for Every Contractor

Creating a Google Business Profile is where local search success begins. This listing lets people find your business when they look for services you offer in your area.

Claiming Your Google Business Profile Listing

1. Go to the Google Business Profile website and sign in with your Google account.
2. Type in the name of your business and check if it already exists. If not, continue to add your business.
3. Enter accurate details like your business name, address, and phone number.
4. Choose a category that fits your business best.
5. Verify your listing using the method provided by Google, often by phone call or mail.

Tips on Optimizing Your Profile for Maximum Visibility

1. Add a detailed description with relevant keywords about your services.
2. Post high-quality photos of your work, team, and office.
3. Choose attributes that tell more about what you offer, like ’24/7 service’.
4. Keep your hours of operation updated, especially during holidays.
5. Use the posts feature to share updates, offers, and events.

How Accurate Business Information Affects Local SEO Outcomes

Having the correct information on your Google Business Profile helps your local search ranking. Google uses this data to match your listing with the right searches. Make sure your contact information and service details are the same everywhere online to improve your chances of showing up in local search results.

You’ll know you’ve filled out all important details when your profile strength circle is complete and green.

Ready to improve your rankings? Talk to us about our Local SEO Services

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How Contractors Can Use Keywords to Reach Local Customers

Finding the right local customers starts with knowing what they are searching for. You’ll need to pinpoint people’s words and phrases when looking for your services. Many times, these keywords have a local element like a city name or “near me” behind them.

For contractors, it’s not just about knowing these local keywords but also understanding how often people search for them and how competitive they are. This is where keyword research tools come in handy. 

These tools show data on local search trends. They help you discover the best local keywords to aim for.

Once you have a list of local keywords, you should use them in your online content. This includes your website, social media posts, and Google Business Profile. Using these keywords helps improve your chances of showing up in local searches when potential customers are looking for your services.

• Identify keywords that customers use when searching for your local contractor services.
• Use keyword research tools to look at search trends and find the best local keywords to target.
• To improve visibility in local searches, incorporate these local keywords into the content of the website, social media, and Google Business Profile.

NJ Basement Waterproofing & French Drains is a great example of a strategic business name based on keyword research. Notice that no other competitors mention “French drain” in their names. With only five reviews, this contractor is beating more established businesses. 

It must be stressed that too much of a good thing can be toxic. Keyword stuffing your GBP name beyond what is reasonable could result in suspension or re-verification. 

Breaking Down On-Page SEO Strategies for Contractors

Understanding on-page SEO methods is like having a blueprint for getting your contractor company noticed online.

Best Practices for Local On-page SEO: Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, and Headers

On-page SEO starts with the basics. You need to get your title tags, meta descriptions, and headers right. Your title tag is the main sign that shows up in search results, and it’s the first thing people see. It should include the city or region you work in and the main service you offer. Next, meta descriptions act as pitches that tell someone why they should click on your website. Again, mention location and services. Headers structure your content, making it easy to read. Use local keywords in headers to connect with local searchers.

Despite its importance, the study found that 22% of contractors are missing H1 tags on their homepage, and 17% of contractor homepages analyzed had fewer than 200 words of text, which can hinder the ability to rank well for targeted keywords.

Content Optimization for Local Intent with Service-specific Keywords

For your website’s content to speak to local searchers, you need to optimize it with keywords that matter to your community. This means you should mix your service terms with the local areas you serve. For example, if ‘roof repair’ is a service, ‘roof repair in Miami’ anchors it to a location. Adding these local service-specific keywords throughout your site helps locals discover your business when they need your services.

Internal Linking Strategies to Boost Local Relevance

Internal links tie your website together. They guide users and search engines to other useful pages on your site. Use descriptive link text that includes local keywords. For example, a link saying ‘Learn more about our Miami electrical services’ is better than just ‘click here.’ This builds local relevance and helps your site’s SEO.

Service Area Pages: Connecting with Your Local Client Base

Contractors often work in different cities or neighborhoods. To reach people in these places, making special pages for each service area on your website is a good idea. These pages can also help your site show up in search results when someone looks for contractors in those areas.

The Importance of Creating Dedicated Pages for Different Service Areas

When you have a separate page for each place you work in, you help search engines understand where you offer your services. This can make your business more likely to be found by people in those places.

How to Craft Unique and Helpful Location Pages

Learn More

Optimal Strategies for Structuring and Optimizing Service Area Pages

Here’s how you can make these pages useful and easy for people to find:

• Make sure the page title includes the area name and your service, like “House Painting in Springfield.”
• Write about the services you offer and mention how you understand the specific needs of that area.
• Include details like landmarks or local events to show you are part of the community.

Engaging Local Clients Through Geo-targeted Content

You can connect better with local people by talking about things they know. For example, write about how the local weather in Portland affects house paint choices. This can make your website more appealing and help people find you when they search for contractors in their area.

PJ Fitzpatrick’s website is a superb example of service area pages that are done well. This contractor is a multi-location business spanning six East Coast states. These local service area pages go a long way to being found successfully over that large stretch of land. 

It’s no wonder that they also happen to have the highest review count of all contractors in the study. Nearly 8,000 at the time of the study. 

Why Keeping Your Business Info the Same Everywhere Matters

When you list your contractor business online, your name, address, and phone number (NAP) details must be the same, no matter where you put them. This is important for local SEO. Think of the internet as a big phone book. If your info matches everywhere, search engines like Google understand you better and can show your business to more people looking for contractors.

Building Local Citations for Your Contracting Business

Local citations are listings of your contracting business on websites. They can be on local business directories, industry directories, or social media profiles. To build local citations, put your business info on these websites. Remember, your NAP should stay the same across all these websites. Every time your business is mentioned with the correct NAP, it’s like a vote for your business that helps search engines trust you more.

Keeping Your NAP Consistent for Better Local Rankings

Search engines need to trust the info they find when listing your contracting business high in local searches. By keeping your NAP information consistent, you help build that trust. Go through each place where your business is listed and check if your NAP is correct. If you find mistakes, fix them. This can mean updating old addresses or phone numbers. By doing this, you help search engines see your contracting business as a reliable choice to show people doing local searches.

• Make a list of every place your business is listed online.
• Check each listing to make sure your NAP is correct.
• Update any listings with outdated or wrong information.
• Keep track of new places you list your business, and always use the same NAP.

To make this easier, you can use BrightLocal’s Citation Tracker. This tool helps you keep an eye on all the places your business is listed online. It checks your name, address, and phone number (NAP) in different directories to make sure everything is correct. If Citation Tracker finds any mistakes, you can fix them right away. Citation Tracker also lets you know about new places where you can list your business, helping you keep your information consistent everywhere. Using this tool saves you time and makes sure your business looks trustworthy to search engines, which can improve your local search rankings.

The Power of Social Proof: Reviews and Testimonials in Local SEO

When people look for contractors, they often want to hear from other customers first. Reviews and testimonials play a big role in deciding who to hire. The 2024 study revealed that only 8% of top-ranking contractors have a rating below 4.0 stars, indicating the critical role that positive reviews play in maintaining a competitive edge in local SEO.

Strategies to Encourage and Collect Customer Reviews

Asking customers to leave a review after a job is a good idea. You can do this by sending an email or a text. You can also give customers a link that takes them right to where they can leave a review. Making it easy for customers is important.

• Ask for reviews in person after a completed job.
• Send follow-up emails with links to review sites.
• Include a review link in your email signature.

Handling Negative Feedback and Maintaining a Professional Online Image

No one likes to get negative feedback, but it can happen. When contractors get negative reviews, they should respond in a helpful and professional way. This shows other customers that they care and try to make things right. It can turn a bad review into a chance to show good customer service.

Contractors can build trust with potential customers by focusing on reviews and testimonials. Over time, this can lead to more business and better search rankings.

To help with this, you can use BrightLocal’s Reputation Manager. This software lets you see all your online reviews in one place. It sends you alerts when someone leaves a new review so you can respond quickly. Reputation Manager also helps you ask happy customers to share their positive experiences. By using this tool, you can handle negative feedback better and show that you care about your customers. This helps keep your online image professional and trustworthy, which can attract more customers and improve your search rankings.

Build a 5-star Reputation

Collect, monitor, and respond to reviews with ease

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Link Building for Local Contractors

Getting links from businesses and groups nearby can be very helpful for local contractors. If you do it right, building these links can lead to a stronger presence online in your service area.

How Backlinks Affect Your Site’s Authority

Think of backlinks as votes for your website’s trustworthiness. More votes can mean higher authority, which often leads to better search engine rankings. For contractors, this could mean more local customers finding your services. But remember, the quality of the links matters more than the number. Links from respected local businesses, organizations, and industry-related sites are more effective than many links from general directories.

Ways to Get Local Backlinks

Here are some ways to get these valuable local links:

• Join local business groups and directories. This can lead to links from their websites.
• Get involved in community events or sponsor local teams or charities. They might link to your site as a sponsor.
• Create helpful resources or blogs that address local issues. Local media or organizations might link to your content as a useful source.

Building Local Business Relationships for Links

Making connections with other local businesses can lead to more than just new customers. It could also cause them to link to your website. Start by taking part in local business events or joining local online business forums. Getting to know other local business owners can lead to them recommending your services, both in person and online, by linking to your site.

Remember, the main purpose of getting backlinks is to raise your website’s authority and establish it as a trustworthy source for services in your local area. The right backlinks can significantly impact your local SEO efforts and help you connect with your local audience.

More Tips for Building Local Links

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Why Contractors Can’t Ignore Mobile Website Optimization

People now use their phones to look everything up, including local services. This changes how you need to think about your website. Being easy to find and read on a phone means more people might choose you when they need a service.

The Increasing Prevalence of Mobile Search in Local Queries

Google says that more searches happen on mobile devices than on computers in many countries. This means that if you’re a contractor, your website must work well on phones. When your site is good for mobile users, it can show up higher in search results since Google switched to mobile-first indexing.

The Effect of Mobile Optimization on Local Search Results and Customer Experience

A website that’s good for mobile doesn’t just help with search results. It also makes it easier for customers to like what you offer and get in touch. Mobile users tend to leave websites that are hard to use on their phones. So, when your site is mobile-friendly, people are more likely to stay and contact you.

Remember, having a website that works well on mobile can make a big difference. You could see better results in searches and leave a good impression on potential customers. 

Best Practices for Mobile-Friendly Website Design

Here’s what you can do to make your contractor website better for phone users:

• Make sure your site has a responsive design.
• Keep your layout simple so it can load fast and be easy to use.
• Use large font sizes for easy reading on small screens.
• Have big, easy-to-tap buttons.

By focusing on these website design elements, you can ensure that people can easily use your site on their phones.

Structured for Success: Local Structured Data Markup

Structured data is a way to format information on your website so that search engines can understand it better. For contractors, this means making it clear to search engines like Google what your business does and where you do it. Using structured data, details like your services, reviews, and location can be showcased directly in search results. This can help your business stand out and could lead to more people clicking on your links.

The following local business schema types are particularly relevant for contractors and other local businesses. Implementing these structured data types can help search engines understand the nature and details of your business, leading to improved visibility in local search results and eligibility for rich search features:

1. LocalBusiness

• Schema Type: LocalBusiness
• Description: General schema type for any local business. It should include information such as business name, address, phone number, business hours, and more.
• Key Properties:
  • @type : LocalBusiness
  • name : Business name
  • address : Business address
  • telephone : Business phone number
  • openingHours : Hours of operation
  • url : Website URL
  • priceRange : Typical cost of services
  • aggregateRating : Overall rating score
  • review : Customer reviews

2. ProfessionalService

• Schema Type: ProfessionalService
• Description: This is a more specific subtype of LocalBusiness and is ideal for service-based contractors like plumbers, electricians, and builders.
• Key Properties:
  • Inherits all properties from LocalBusiness .
  • serviceType : Type of service offered (e.g., “Plumbing”, “Electrical Repair”).
  • areaServed : Geographic area served.

3. HomeAndConstructionBusiness

• Schema Type: HomeAndConstructionBusiness
• Description: A specific subtype of ProfessionalService suitable for businesses providing home improvement and construction services.
• Key Properties:
  • Inherits all properties from ProfessionalService .
  • services : List of specific services provided (e.g., “Roofing”, “HVAC Installation”).
  • hasOfferCatalog : Details of different services or packages offered.

4. Contractor

• Schema Type: Contractor
• Description: A subtype of HomeAndConstructionBusiness , specifically tailored for contractor services such as general contracting, specialized trades, and repair services.
• Key Properties:
  • Inherits all properties from HomeAndConstructionBusiness .
  • additionalType : Type of contractor (e.g., “General Contractor”, “Electrical Contractor”).
  • qualification : Certifications or licenses held.

5. Service

• Schema Type: Service
• Description: Used to describe individual services provided by the business, linked to LocalBusiness or ProfessionalService .
• Key Properties:
  • @type : Service
  • serviceType : Type of service (e.g., “Home Inspection”, “Plumbing Repair”).
  • provider : Reference to the business providing the service.
  • areaServed : Geographic area where the service is available.

6. AggregateRating

• Schema Type: AggregateRating
• Description: Summarizes the overall rating of the business, based on multiple reviews.
• Key Properties:
  • @type : AggregateRating
  • ratingValue : Average rating score (e.g., “4.5”).
  • reviewCount : Total number of reviews received.
  • bestRating : The highest possible rating (usually “5”).
  • worstRating : The lowest possible rating (usually “1”).

7. Review

• Schema Type: Review
• Description: Represents individual customer reviews and ratings.
• Key Properties:
  • @type : Review
  • author : Name of the person who wrote the review.
  • datePublished : Date the review was posted.
  • reviewBody : Text of the review.
  • reviewRating : Rating score given by the reviewer.

8. Place

• Schema Type: Place
• Description: Used for the physical location of the business.
• Key Properties:
  • @type : Place
  • address : Business address in detail.
  • geo : Geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude).
  • hasMap : Link to a map showing the business location.

9. GeoCoordinates

• Schema Type: GeoCoordinates
• Description: Specifies the latitude and longitude of the business location.
• Key Properties:
  • @type : GeoCoordinates
  • latitude : Latitude of the business location.
  • longitude : Longitude of the business location.

10. Offer

• Schema Type: Offer
• Description: Represents an offer for a product or service.
• Key Properties:
  • @type : Offer
  • price : Cost of the service.
  • priceCurrency : Currency in which the price is listed.
  • availability : Availability of the service (e.g., “InStock”).
  • validFrom : Date the offer is valid from.

Local Schema Templates

Learn More

Read more

Implementation Tips:

1. Start with the LocalBusiness Schema: Include essential details like name, address, phone number, and business hours.
2. Add Specific Schema Types: Layer in specific types such as Contractor or HomeAndConstructionBusiness based on the services provided.
3. Include AggregateRating and Review: If your business has reviews, use these schemas to showcase ratings and testimonials.
4. Use GeoCoordinates for Accuracy: Include the geographical coordinates to help search engines accurately map your business location.
5. Validate Schema with Testing Tools: Use tools like Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool or Schema Markup Validator to ensure your schema is correctly implemented.

The Multi-location Challenge: Local SEO for Contractors with Multiple Locations

Contractors with multiple locations face unique challenges when it comes to local SEO. Each location must be addressed individually to ensure potential customers find the correct information. This means tailoring the local SEO strategies specifically for each place of business.

One key aspect is maintaining consistency across locations. Your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) should be the same everywhere it is listed. This includes your own website, social media accounts, and online directories. Consistency helps search engines, and customers trust your business information.

But it’s not just about being consistent. You also need to think about the marketing for each location. Each service area might need a different approach. What works in one city might not work in another. You need to know what people in each area are looking for and how they talk about your services.

How to Manage Local SEO for Each Location

• Tailor web pages for each location: Create service area pages on your website for each location. Use the specific city or region’s name and include information relevant to that local customer base.
• Separate Google Business Profiles: Set up a Google Business Profile for each location. This can help your business appear in local searches in each area.
• Localize content: Develop content that speaks to each area’s local events, news, or issues. This helps each location appear relevant and engaged with its community.
• Manage reviews: Encourage and monitor customer reviews for each location to build a strong, local reputation online.

Remember, each location offers a new opportunity to capture a local audience. By focusing on the specific needs and behaviors of customers in each area, a multi-location contractor can effectively use local SEO to be more visible in search results. By doing so, you will not only improve your chances of being found but also build the trust and credibility of your brand across various markets.

To manage local SEO for multiple locations, agencies, franchise owners, and multi-location business owners can turn to BrightLocal’s Horizon.

Horizon is the only tool that tracks search rankings and review performance for hundreds or even thousands of locations all in one easy dashboard. This makes it simple for agencies to oversee their clients’ various branches and for franchise owners to monitor each store’s performance. With Horizon, you can see how visible each location is in local searches and keep track of their reviews, ensuring consistency and reliability. Additionally, Horizon provides national and state-level metrics, allowing you to watch your overall progress over time. By using Horizon, managing the local SEO for a large brand becomes more organized and effective, helping each location stay competitive in its market.

How do you know if your SEO strategy is working?

Seeing results with local SEO does not end when changes are implemented. You must measure your success to know what works. This means tracking how well your business shows up in local search results, the amount of website traffic it gets, and whether this traffic leads to client contacts or sales. You can better understand your local SEO performance by keeping an eye on these areas.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Local SEO

As a contractor, you should focus on specific KPIs to measure local SEO success. These include ranking in local search results, website visits from local users, and conversions such as phone calls, form submissions, or appointment bookings directly coming from their local search efforts. These numbers paint a clear picture of local SEO effectiveness.

Tools for Tracking Local Search Rankings, Traffic, and Conversions

There are tools designed to help contractors track their local SEO efforts. For example, Google Analytics provides insights into website traffic, tracking users’ location and behavior. Google Search Console shows how a website appears in search results.

BrightLocal can also help you see your search engine ranking positions for local terms. Their Local Search Grid tool allows you to see your search engine rankings for multiple local terms all in one clear, organized grid. With Local Search Grid, you can track how your business performs in different locations and observe changes over time. It also makes it easy to compare your rankings against competitors, helping you identify areas where you can improve. By using BrightLocal’s Local Search Grid, you can gain valuable insights into your local SEO efforts and make informed decisions to boost your visibility in local search results.

Analyzing Data to Guide Future Local SEO Efforts and Marketing Strategies

Data from the tracking tools can help you make informed decisions. For instance, if you see an increase in website visits from your local service pages, this could indicate that your on-page optimization is working. If not, it may be time to revisit your keywords or content strategy. Regular data review allows you to adjust strategies to reach local customers better.

Unlock the Potential of Local SEO for Your Contracting Business

By now, you should understand the steps necessary to optimize your contracting business for local search. Remember that setting up a Google Business Profile is your starting point. From there, target local service queries with keyword research and refine your on-page SEO practices to establish relevance. Your local client base will engage more with content that speaks directly to their needs and community.

SEO is an ongoing process that rewards consistency and attention to detail. You can maintain and improve your online presence by actively managing and updating your local SEO elements. This, in turn, will help your contracting business stand out to potential clients in your area.

Fake reviews are out of control on Google. Signaling a desire to address the problem, Google released tougher GBP guidelines last week that warn merchants of new punishments for “fake engagement”.

This should be a welcomed change, of course. But is it too little, too late? Will these new policies actually help? And will innocent merchants suffer too?

Considering merchants are already suffering from weak policy enforcement and seemingly automated appeal tools, you definitely won’t find me celebrating quite yet.

And that’s just the first reason I’m skeptical! In this article, we’ll take a look at the state of restricted content policies, Google’s years-long enablement of harmful third-party reputation services, and why you might want to consider precautions to prevent any headaches to come.

Google’s New Review Policies

Earlier this year, I started hearing reports from folks in the EU that their Google Business Profile reviews had been disabled for 30 days due to fake engagement. This was the first quiet sign Google was ramping up new tests to fight fake positive reviews.

Now, Google has gone public with new policies and a list of punishments for merchants who are caught engaging in fake engagement violations:

Aside from losing the fake reviews, Google might:

• Disable new reviews temporarily
• Hide existing reviews—even genuine ones
• Display a public “shame banner” on their listing to warn consumers of fake reviews

If you’re wondering what this “shame banner” looks like, local marketing advisor Mike Blumenthal shared an example of one in the wild from the UK.

While this could be cool, if you’re like me, you may already be wondering about “false positives” and if adequate recourse will be in place.

Will you now be targeted with fake positive reviews from competitors and black hat SEOs trying to sabotage your business? To be frank, yeah, probably.

Though fairly uncommon, I have already seen “positive review attack” complaints on the GBP Help Community. Here’s what I mean:

While these more serious punishments will hopefully discourage merchants from buying fake reviews, they will also entice some to attack their competition.

For that reason, it would probably be wise to start:

1. Monitoring 5-star review activity for unrecognized reviews
2. Reporting suspicious 5-star reviews immediately
3. Contacting Google support if the reviews are not removed

Fortunately, it does appear merchants will be warned before punishments are placed, allowing time to submit an appeal of the decision.

That’s good… however, if history proves anything, Google doesn’t have the best track record of processing appeals and protecting merchants.

In my years of experience consulting business owners and communicating with Google Support about review violations, I’m not exactly confident the appeal form will be user-friendly.

In fact, reporting review violations is currently so difficult that merchants often turn to consultants or shady reputation management services to help remove reviews…

…reviews that violate Google’s own policies, mind you.

And where do they find these services? On Google, of course!

What’s worse? Google enables and profits from Google review removal services by means of Google Ads—and these ads are ripe with deceptive marketing, manipulative sales tactics, and false pretenses that prey on desperate business owners. Let’s take a deep dive into that.

Reputation Rackets Alive and Thriving

Online Reputation Management, or ORM, has had many shady actors for quite some time. Forbes wrote an exposé in 2013 highlighting manipulative and even illegal practices throughout the industry, from outright extortion to reputation service price gouging.

I’ve seen countless examples of individuals getting random negative reviews only to be immediately contacted with a cold offer to remove their negative reviews for a fee. Some of these scammers flatly admit it’s blackmail!

These tactics predate the current Google review gold mine, such as the notorious mugshot removal scams (article only available in USA) that acquire and post mugshots online, and then contact the individuals with an extortion fee to remove it. In this case, you aren’t paying for reputation management—you are just paying a ransom.

And just like kidnapping, paying the ransom encourages copycat antics.

While these blackmail tactics are obvious abuse, an even more successful racket has been operating in the open for years: “Guaranteed” review removal services.

Beware Ads For “Guaranteed” Review Removal

Have you ever been desperate to remove a bad review?

Countless “reputation management” companies know you have – or will be, and are ready to profit from that desperation.

GUARANTEED REVIEW REMOVAL

ONLY PAY IF IT’S REMOVED

Maybe you’ve seen these ads on Google, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and so on.

Just search “remove Google reviews” and you’ll see as many ads as if you were searching for a personal injury lawyer.

These ads have been shown for years above Google’s free review management tool—a tool that many don’t even know exists, let alone how to use it.

And these ads aren’t cheap. Some keywords related to Google review removals are fetching a staggering $40 per click or more in Google Ads. At those prices, Google review removal is quickly earning itself a spot among the most expensive paid search categories like loans, insurance, mortgages, and attorneys!

That’s because it’s a wildly profitable industry that relies on desperate merchants who will pay (possibly anything) to have a negative review removed.

For example, I once helped a small business owner, a dog trainer, who had a review from a bitter romantic partner who accused him of abusing animals. For those who love animals, that’s an instant dealbreaker and a possible death sentence for this business.

He risked a lot of money to companies that promised to remove the review, yet none were successful (despite obvious violations in the review).

I knew the review broke GBP guidelines and there was a path of recourse. I gave the business owner some advice which subsequently had the review taken down successfully (and no, I didn’t charge a “guaranteed removal fee”).

With keyword planner reporting over 250,000 searches per month related to removing Google reviews, I know many are falling for a gimmick – or else no business in their right mind would pay up to $40 to win a single click.

I’ve reported thousands of Google reviews that were successfully removed. As a GBP Product Expert, you can find me volunteering on the Google Help Community regularly helping merchants with bugs, suspensions, and yes, many review violations. I know firsthand that no reputation company, no matter how high their fees, can be better at reporting Google reviews than any average person who really understands the process and Google policies.

For one, reviews are only removed when they violate Google’s restricted content policies. No company can delete the review, nor can you pay Google to remove it.

There is no proprietary secret or backdoor to get reviews removed. The real challenge is actually getting a Google Support representative who is aware of and understands the guidelines (in your native language). That’s it.

So, at best, any paid service is just good at communicating with Google Support and informing them of their own guidelines.

And that’s at best. What’s actually happening is often worse.

Why You Shouldn’t Pay “Only if it’s Removed”

I get it, it’s enticing. Especially if you’re a civil trial lawyer, for example, who works on a similar basis.

Why should you pay unless the desired outcome is achieved? Seems like a no-brainer, but isn’t that simple.

How do these reputation companies do it, exactly? Is it a backdoor connection at Google? An algorithm? Do they have a team of super lawyers to threaten legal action against the official monopoly of search?

What’s the secret!?

*drumroll*

… nothing.

The real secret sauce is not their reporting tactics, it’s their business model.

Here it goes: They click the flag button, and then they bill you $1,000 if the review disappears.

And yes, I have seen agreements for much more than $1,000 per review. Do this at scale, and we’re talking some serious dough. No wonder they are paying $40 per click for the ads!

Now, some of these companies may be more sophisticated in their tactics than just clicking the report button. And by “sophisticated”, I mean using Google’s free review management tool that I mentioned above.

Even then, no one can guarantee or promise your review is coming down. Only Google, and Google alone, has the authority to remove a review.

The other issue is that there is absolutely no reliable way to attribute who or what event triggered a review to finally get removed. Google does not send a certificate that says “Congratulations Generic Reputation Company LLC—you removed this review! Go ahead and bill your customer now!”

That’s because Google removed the review, because it already violated their guidelines. It wasn’t because of Generic Reputation Company LLC, you, me, or anyone else.

It was because Google didn’t notice the violation, but now they do… oops!

How Reviews Are Actually Removed

No ORM company can claim or even prove that they were responsible for a Google review being removed. 

Despite reporting thousands of reviews myself, I have never once been informed that I was responsible in any way, nor can I truly take credit for the results.

Let me explain: Reviews can come down at any time. It can be the result of:

• Flagging from the business owner or other users
• Appeals in the Review Tool
• Escalations on the GBP Help Community
• The user removed it themselves
• The reviewer’s account was suspended
• Possibly a combination of reports
• Or even just automatically from a Google algorithm update

Just like the search algorithm, Google periodically pushes updates to their review filter algo.

Earlier this year, Google said they removed 45% more reviews in 2023 thanks to their new review algorithm.

Google also does not inform anyone of the precise source of removal or if they were affected by this algorithm, likely to prevent review manipulation.

So what happens if your review gets taken down by one of these algorithms after you sign a guaranteed review removal contract?

How “Guaranteed” Removal Works

Those willing to pay anything to remove a review usually don’t care who removes the review. So what if an ORM company can’t prove they really did it? The review is gone, hallelujah!

Well, not so fast. Aside from the ethics concerns of their marketing strategy, the reason you should care is because you can do it for free, and may even be paying for nothing.

Without naming names, here’s a shot directly from the website of one of the biggest advertisers in this space:

Ehem, “we”? you mean when Google removes it?

Over the past year, this company’s ad spend has skyrocketed, estimated at over 4,000 paid search users per month.

Not to mention, this is actually ‘helpful content’ too, by the way, because ironically they seem to be one of the lucky ones to benefit from the March core algorithm update!

In the August update, they saw even greater gains.

Meanwhile, other businesses suffered or were even forced to file for bankruptcy as the result of the controversial March “Helpful Content” Update, like in this example reported by Barry Schwartz.

It’s not just one offender either. Here’s another popular “content removal” service:

Or this one, another Google Ad buyer, with this on their Google Ads landing page:

(Google reviews reappear after removal all the time, by the way.)

The consistent pattern I find with merchants is that many seem to genuinely believe these ORM companies must have a super-secret connection or black hat tactic.

So how could they get away with selling bupkis?

To illustrate why that can be so, consider civil trial lawyers again, many of whom also use this same payment model: except their work is evident. There’s no question which firm represented you, who showed up on trial day, or who negotiated the settlement. “No Win – No Fee” agreements seem perfectly fair in this case, since there’s no question who did the work and won.

But when it comes to ORM, they actually don’t have to do any work to get paid under this model. Sure, the more work they do, the more money—so it’s in their best interest to try. And maybe some do work.

But my point is that this “removal guarantee” marketing model is deceptive and unethical, even if they do work. That’s because “success” is not based upon their work. It’s based upon an event that can occur unrelated to their work, and is often accompanied by lies about how the process really works.

With this model, money can still be made without a deliverable or accountability. Sign enough contracts and some will pay off. It’s just a numbers game.

In the same vein, I could guarantee your favorite NFL team will win the Superbowl: only pay if they win! With at least one customer per team, I’m guaranteed a payday.

And hence the doubling, tripling, and quadrupling down on Google Ad allocation from review removal services. And because customers are only billed after their desired outcome, few will complain!

I have reviewed contracts from some of these companies. Generally, the agreement is if the review disappears within 3 months, 6 months, etc., for any reason: you pay up. With no option to back out, there isn’t actually a deliverable. It’s really just a guarantee from you to owe someone else money in the event your review suddenly disappears…

…wait, what?

Note the exclusivity clause. The client is prohibited from reporting the review or merely contacting anyone in relation to review removal; but oh, by the way, you still get billed anyway even if you don’t breach this clause.

Huh? So why follow the exclusivity clause if there is no incentive?

An exclusivity clause usually protects one or both parties from being undermined. Ironically, in the case of Google reviews, this exclusivity agreement actually works against the vendor’s own definition of “successful removal.”

So the true purpose of this “clause” is just more deception. It appears to be an acknowledgment disguised in legalize that they can’t prove a deliverable, nor will they know themselves how a review got removed and if there was even a breach—so they ask you kindly not to report the review in the meantime (to avoid objections they cannot counter).

To me, this agreement sounds like a dentist who, looking at a clearly rotten tooth, asks that you promise to pay him when the tooth is removed. Sounds fair, right?

Except he didn’t say he would remove it. Check the fine print. He’s just going to send a bill when that bad boy falls out!

And if the tooth never comes out? Meh, whatever. No loss for him anyway. He’s got 100 other customers with poor flossing habits just waiting to pay off.

Yeah. That’s the shtick. If the company actually does nothing, and the review comes down anyway, expect a bill.

(The same contract shown above also requires a credit card on file for automatic billing and includes a credit bureau reporting agreement if you fail to pay.)

Unfortunately, unlike the dentist, you can’t prove the ORM company didn’t do any work. The agreed terms were indeed met, and you’re left holding the bag. They, on the other hand, get to safely hide behind apparent “proprietary industry secrets” and a clever contract.

So, really, this isn’t guaranteed review removal at all. It’s professional gambling with guaranteed stakes… and you’re the banker!

I’m no lawyer, but the legality of these contracts is questionable to me. At a minimum, they are super lame. I know I wouldn’t sign one.

Google should know better than anyone that guaranteed review removal offers are bogus. The least they could do is show their free review management tool more prominently—or maybe just ban false advertisements?

Summing Up: Take Contol of Your Reputation Management

Google is finally getting tougher on fake reviews, but who knows if it’s the action many were hoping for. I’ve explained the sad state of review removal, deceptive reputation services, and how Google profits as a result.

Because these shady review services are only possible due to Google’s weak enforcement of its own policies, merchants may want to follow the track record and take measures to prevent any possible implications. By taking the time to understand Google policies and the new guidelines for fake engagement, you can mitigate the risk of falling victim to any new black hat tactics on the horizon.

Be sure to warn other business owners, too. The more that are aware, the more likely there is to be meaningful action to prevent online review abuse that consistently hurts businesses and consumers alike.

This guide will offer a brief synopsis of what local SEO is and go over some best practices to get you started in the right direction. 

Here’s what’s on the docket today:

• Why local SEO?
• Local SEO Basics
• Google Business Profile
• Website Optimizations
• Local Link Building

Why Local SEO?

SEO, in its most general sense, is all about meeting customers where they’re at. The goal is to develop steady visibility. Much like a restaurant trying to get on the corner of the best crossroads possible, SEO is the act of positioning yourself where there’s already high traffic to capture leads that already want your services.

In local SEO, the “crossroads” you’re looking for are the top positions of local-specific SERPs (search engine results pages), with Google Maps being your primary driver for lead generation.

So, why should you implement this kind of strategy? I won’t bore you with too many statistics, I believe it’s really easy to get lost in the data. To quote Mark Twain, “There are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics”. But I do have some numbers to give you a rough idea of what’s out there for the taking. 

A homeowner, more often than not, isn’t checking the phonebook or physically looking around for a pest control company. They may ask friends for referrals, but even in that case, they’re likely still Googling it on their phone. And the number of people doing that increases every year. In fact, in 2019, local business searches on mobile increased by 250%. 

Considering Google processes about 5.9 million searches every minute (Statista, 2019), an increase like 250% is quite staggering. Additionally, about 46% of all Google searches have local intent. Almost half of 5.9 million searches a minute is a big slice of the pie. Let’s make sure you get a piece of it.

You might ask, would a paid ads campaign be enough? Those work for local searches, right? While I would certainly encourage you to get a paid ads campaign as well, this will only get you a portion of what you could have and it’ll cost you every time you get a lead. When we bring this to our clients, we tell them that the goal is to own as much real estate on the first page of Google as possible. 

Consider this SERP for the query “pest control sacramento”:

This is what the majority of queries with local intent will generate. On this SERP we see sponsored ads, Google Guaranteed ads (or Local Service Ads), a Local Pack for maps listings, and some locally relevant organic results. Claiming top rankings for the Local Pack and organic listings fall under SEO. That’s two of your four options. Why leave any of them behind? 

Not everyone takes the time to invest in this kind of strategy. It’s certainly not uncommon, but investing in local SEO will give you a competitive edge over the competitors that neglect their online presence. When multiple pest control companies service the same area, those with a strong local SEO strategy are more likely to attract and retain customers.

Ready to improve your rankings? Talk to us about our Local SEO Services

Find out more

Local SEO Basics

As explained earlier, we’re trying to position you on that “crossroads”. But how does that work exactly? For this section, we’ll be talking about the different types of SEO and the unique attributes and ranking factors that go into local SEO. 

The difference between local and traditional SEO

When people think about SEO, they usually think about traditional SEO and Google’s traditional algorithm. They think about building a website and getting different pages to rank for different keywords. The core of that idea remains important to any form of SEO, but it’s important to understand that Google actually has multiple algorithms designed specifically for different industries. 

Google knows the average consumer’s search habits differ depending on the product or service they’re looking for. To address that, Google has developed different algorithms to meet the needs of search intent. To see this in action, try looking up a service like “pest control services“ and then search for a product like “nike basketball shoes”. Take a look at how different your SERPs looks:

Very different results, right? The search intent behind each query triggered different algorithms. “pest control services” yielded results related to local service searches. Even the organic results below are localized organic results that wouldn’t show for another city. Meanwhile, “nike basketball shoes” yielded a SERP geared towards e-commerce. What makes you rank for one algorithm doesn’t necessarily succeed in another.

How these algorithms work exactly can get complicated. In fact, the most common answer to an SEO question you can get from any specialist is “It depends”. To make things even more fun, Google doesn’t tell us much about how they work. At least, not in detail. However, through a lot of expert testing, experience, and note-sharing, we do have a good idea of the different ranking factors that go into them.

Local Search Ranking Factors

Based on data from the 2023 Local Search Ranking Factors report from Whitespark, we have a general summary of what factors matter most to Google.

These percentages are aggregates of various specialists’ experiences and are full of important details and nuance.

It’s important to remember that no survey results will be perfect. For example, what works for someone else may not work the same for you. What works for you may change based on your specific location, local competition, or industry. It’s also important to note that these percentages don’t tell you how much time you can, or should, dedicate to them, nor how much you can influence each of them.

But this does give us a guideline for where to focus our efforts. Today, we’ll overview introductory strategies for some of the more important factors in local rankings. 

Local Rankings

Ultimately we care about two things:

• The Local Pack/Google Maps
• Local Organic

You could also track rankings more specifically for things like Mobile and Local Finder as well. Rank tracking tools like BrightLocal’s Local Rank Tracker are great for those added details. But those are bonuses.

The Local Pack and Google Maps

The Local Pack, sometimes referred to as the Map Pack or 3 Pack, is that group of businesses that displays in search results for a query with local intent (just like that “pest control services” example we went over earlier). There are usually only three Google Maps listings here, but you may have a fourth if there’s a sponsored profile.

This is where we get the most leads, so our goal as local SEO providers is to get into the ‘top three’ on the Map Pack for the most visibility. 

It’s important to note, though, that ranking top three in one part of the city doesn’t mean you rank that well throughout the whole city. You’ll need a tool to see your average map ranking for the region. I highly recommend using a tool like BrightLocal’s Local Search Grid tool. We use it every day.

Local Organic

While map rankings are the most important focus, we still want to take care of local organic rankings. These are the standard results that are shown below the Map Pack. By comparison, they are more likely to be overlooked by the ready-to-hire decision-makers you’re looking for. But people do still look at them, and you want to capture those leads, too. What’s more, ranking well here can help you rank for the Map Pack.

And just like local map rankings, your location makes a difference. It’s not as drastic, but you still want to know what your organic rankings are locally. You’re going to want a tool like BrightLocal’s Local Rank Tracker to track them.

Google Business Profile

Those listings you see on Google Maps are called Google Business Profiles (GBP), previously known as Google My Business. A well-optimized GBP is the cornerstone of successful local SEO campaigns. It’s where the majority of pest control calls are made, and that makes it your most valuable asset in this strategy. Setting it up properly and knowing how to manage it is essential. 

The GBP acts as your digital storefront. It’s the lit-up sign on a restaurant and the inviting ambiance that says “Come on in, the food’s great!”. It’s the first impression customers will have of you, so make it count.

In this section, we’ll go over the following:

• Staying organized
• Setup and verification
• Essential optimizations
• Suspensions 
• Google Posts

Some of the optimizations we’ll discuss will be for rankings, but others serve better as a conversion factor. It’s important to get in front of a consumer, but of course, we want the sale even more.

Staying Organized

Setting up and managing GBPs can quickly become a serious headache if you don’t have a plan in place for staying organized. The two biggest things you can do for yourself will be:

1.  Determine the email(s) with which you will manage the profile(s).
2.  Establish a single source of information for you and your team to reference.

Email for Managing GBPs

The best approach, though not required, is to use a Gmail account with a domain-specific email. This will help you avoid headaches later down the road, such as what you might experience when appealing a suspension (we’ll touch on this later). Google wants to see these emails used the most, and I would recommend them as well.

If you manage multiple locations, it may be worth setting up an Agency Dashboard. The benefits of an Agency Dashboard may depend on the number of locations you will be managing, and they’re certainly not for everyone. You can learn more about them here.

Single Source of Information

There’s a host of reasons why you’d want a master list for your information. One example is that Google is notorious for repeatedly making edits to the profile’s services section (something we’ll revisit later in this guide). Having a list can make fixing that section less painful, especially if it’s a task you want to delegate to someone else. You also don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you or your team can’t remember the logins (more common than you’d think). Losing those may mean repeating the claiming process, which is simply no fun.

There’s no one way to set this up. It can be as simple as a spreadsheet and password manager or as demanding as developing software to meet these needs in tandem with others in your company. Whatever method you choose, just make sure you write everything down, and “future you” will thank you.

Setup and Verification

Now that you’re ready to get started, you’ll want to check if there is already a listing for your business on Google. If your business is already listed, you can request ownership. If not, you’ll need to build one. In either case, you’ll want to use the email you’ve chosen to manage your profile(s) and log in to business.google.com to begin the process. 

Requesting Access 

Once you’ve logged in, click “Add single business.” This should pull up a page like the one below. If you haven’t set one up before, you may be sent to this page automatically.

If your listing already exists, it should appear in the drop-down menu when you type in the business’s name. 

Sometimes, your business will exist on Maps but not show up in this drop-down. This is rare, but if this happens, you’ll want to claim it directly on Maps. To claim the listing here, find and click the link that says “Own this business?” It’s usually under the address section of the profile. 

You will likely have to undergo some kind of verification. We’ll touch on some of this later.

Creating a New Profile

If you are building a new profile, you’ll use the same tool. But instead of selecting one of the existing options, you’ll simply select the one that says “Create a business with this name”. Make sure you put in the name of your business as it shows on your website or official documents. Keep it simple.

Primary Category

The primary category is one of the most important ranking factors for your GBP. There isn’t much you can do with it, but make sure you select the right one. Google wants to know who you are and what service or industry you identify with most before it decides what to do with you. Right now, it’s really easy for pest control. You’ll likely want to select “pest control service” as your primary category. Additional categories can be useful, but we’ll cover that later. 

Physical Storefront or Service Area Business

The next thing Google will want to know is whether or not you have a physical location or if you service customers at their homes. Pest control companies may not have a physical location, and that’s fine. You can set up your GBP without an address and just add a service area. If you do have an office, though, then I recommend using it. Both work, but I usually counsel my clients to get a legitimate office. This may come with an upfront cost, but if you research your city properly, it’ll more than pay for itself over time. 

How Google Business Profile Works for Service-area Businesses

Read more

It is worth noting that Google takes verifying the legitimacy of a location very seriously. They’ve created various barriers to entry to make sure people follow their guidelines. Many, including myself, would say Google can be a bit excessive in their approach. But trying too hard to game the system simply isn’t worth it. I strongly recommend you make sure you have a physical location for any GBP you create to avoid unnecessary headaches.

Verification

Getting verified may be as simple as entering your information, but you’ll most likely be required by Google to take an additional step or two to prove your legitimacy. Google will be the one to decide what options you’re allowed to use, and it won’t always be the same option. 

Options you may be presented with include:

• Video
• Phone
• Email
• Postcard

Experiences with each verification type may vary. After some updates to the software a little ways back, it’s been my experience that video verification has been both the most effective and most likely option. In many cases when selecting the other options, it’s common to be asked for additional verification by video anyway. This is also the most demanding option, so I usually recommend my clients plan on this verification method. 

Phone Number 

While having multiple profiles with the same number isn’t unheard of, having a unique and local phone number for each profile is better. If you decide to do call tracking, the best practice is to enter the call tracking number as your primary phone number and the actual office number as an additional number. This way you can get the benefits of call tracking while still showing Google that you’re being consistent with the phone number on your website and your citations.

URL

Your choice of URL can affect both rankings and conversions. If you only have one location, the home page is usually the best URL to put in here. But if you have multiple locations, the best practice is to use a page specific to that location.

NAP

Your Name, Address, and Phone number (or NAP for short) should be consistent with your citations, so make sure your details are accurate. For example, the name of your business should match the name on your website. 

Keyword stuffing is not advised. I can’t say I’m not tempted to do it, but Google has become quite aggressive about ensuring that doesn’t happen, and it can result in suspensions. It’s common for Google or even competing SEO specialists to scan batches of profiles at a time for this guideline violation, and suspensions just aren’t worth it.

Services

Use the Services section to make your offering as clear as possible. These don’t show on desktop, but they do on mobile, and that’s where many of the searches will be anyway. Add all your services and don’t forget to add individual descriptions. This can include the types of pests you cover, like ants or roaches, or more general offerings like home pest inspections or crawl space-related services.

Also, note that Google loves to edit this section. You may like some of the changes but check them periodically to make sure they’re accurate and that Google hasn’t started overpromising anything.

Additional Categories 

Additional categories are something I consider a “bonus” optimization. This is less useful for my pest control clients, as there are fewer viable options for their industry. However, your specific business model and service offering may change that. For example, companies that also offer “wildlife control services” can add that as an additional category. 

Ultimately, the primary category is what’s really important, but it doesn’t hurt to add more when you can and when it’s relevant.

Study: Do Additional GBP Categories Boost Local Rankings?

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Opening Hours

Google gives users the ability to suggest edits to GBPs, and one of the most common uses of that feature is to edit inaccurate hours. Nothing is more frustrating to a potential customer than finding out a business isn’t actually open. It’s one of the more common motivations for leaving a bad review. Considering reviews are such a large ranking factor, accurate hours are important to your rankings as well, even if indirectly.

When your business is open can also affect your rankings. You’ll usually rank better when you’re open. There is a lot of research and heated discussion on this topic, so I recommend taking a look at some articles like this one from BrightLocal to learn more. The short version is that you should focus on the hours being accurate more than on trying to extend your opening hours on your GBP to get more rankings. It’s not going to help you; for example, if customers get angry, then suggest edits to your listing hours and leave bad reviews. 

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to use this to your advantage. A boring solution, but an effective one, would be to extend your operating hours a bit. It doesn’t always have to be about being clever. This may have some implications for your operations, but it’s certainly an option. You could also try having a call center available 24hrs. Currently, this isn’t an option for additional hours, though I’ve never understood why. Your office may be closed, but maybe you’re still available to help your customers in other ways. This approach doesn’t always work out, so you’ll have to test things for yourself. But don’t assume too much about what you can and cannot do. Think outside the box a little.

Photos

It’s good to have some official, professional photos that show your team at work, your office, or aspects of your service. Even better than that is getting photos from customers, and doing so consistently. This can increase conversions in a similar way to Google Posts and can bring engagement signals to boot. There are some guidelines and best practices you’ll need to keep in mind though:

• Screenshots, stock photos, GIFs, other manually created imagery, or imagery taken by other parties should not be uploaded. 
• To be relevant, photos or videos must be taken by users at the location in question. 
• If the primary subject of the content is irrelevant to the location, it may be removed.
• Stylistic adjustments (such as applied filters) are acceptable, provided that these stylistic changes are minimal and aren’t appended elements such as borders, text, collaged images, etc.
• Content that makes it difficult for others to understand the environment that you’re sharing may be rejected. Examples are excessively dark or blurry images, significantly rotated compositions, and images that use filters to dramatically alter the representation of the place.
• Images must be of a sufficient resolution. The exact requirements may vary by photo type and point of upload.
• For 360° photos, superimposed content must be limited to either the zenith or nadir (top or bottom 25% of the equirectangular image), but can’t be present in both.
• For traditional digital photos and videos, superimposed content can’t take up more than 10% of the image or video, and must be limited to a single edge.
• Superimposed text or graphics must be relevant.
• Distracting superimposed text or graphics aren’t permitted. 

Essentially, Google wants these images to give people a good idea of what they’re getting themselves into. To illustrate this idea, I usually give my clients the example of getting a dentist recommendation from a friend. What would you hope to find when you look up their listing for the first time? You’d want to see images of the front desk and lobby area, images of the employees at work, and any other image that builds your trust in the business’s quality and gives you the confidence to know you’re in the right office when you get there. 

The same goes for pest control. Some examples you can use include pictures of:

• Technicians at work
• Customers talking with your technician
• Your office, including the entrance, lobby, etc.
• Branded truck or van
• Photos of pests you provide services for

Suspensions

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The GBP is your most valuable asset in a local SEO strategy. Losing a GBP to something like a suspension can have major ramifications for lead volume. It’s the last thing you want, but you should be prepared just in case.

It’s important to take a preventive approach, but nobody is immune to suspension so it is equally important to be prepared for when it does happen. In fact, it happens to 35% of GBP’s every year. And it’s not always because of a direct violation. In any case, you want to be ready to make an appeal should the need arise.

Appeals

As of the most recent software update, you only get two attempts at appeals. To make matters more stressful, the process is timed. Once you begin the appeals process, you will have 60 minutes to upload two or more of the following:

• Official Business Registration
• Business license
• Tax certificate
• Utility bill

It’s critical that the business name and address are exactly the same on all documents and your GBP. I would also strongly advise you to gather these documents long before a suspension happens. Appeals and verifications can be quick, but sometimes they can take weeks or even months in more extreme cases to remedy. That’s a long time to go without calls. You want to mitigate risk as much as possible, and the best approach is to prepare ahead of time.

I’m a little biased, but I would also highly recommend having a specialist help you through the appeals process if you can. Especially if it’s for multiple locations. There are a lot of innocent mistakes that can be made in this process and honestly, the software seems to have a new bug every update. Having a specialist on hand can help you avoid common pitfalls and give you the perspective needed to chart a course through any uncharted waters that may present themselves. 

To learn more about GBP suspensions, you can read this article by Ben Fisher.

Google Posts

Google Posts are those little posts with images and text at the bottom of a GBP. It’s a tool you should absolutely be using if you have the time, but note that posts don’t really serve you as a ranking factor. This one’s more beneficial for customers and conversions than for the algorithm.

I like to think of it as a backstop. Anyone scrolling through your profile who has yet to click the call button or open your website but who hasn’t left either may still be a prime lead. They might just be a little on the fence. Having a post there with a good image to catch their eye and a good offer to nudge them over the decision-making ledge can help you capture leads you may have otherwise lost.

Website Optimizations

The GBP may be your new home page, but your website is still important. After all, conversions/sales will happen there too. As for rankings, on-page signals are a major ranking factor for both the Local Pack and Local Organic. 

For this section, we’ll be going over:

• Technical SEO Checklist
• Content Strategy

Technical

As long as someone on your team is a web development specialist, this is low-hanging fruit. This may differ in other verticals, but in local SEO, it really comes down to following a simple checklist of key qualifications that Google is looking for in a website. I like to think of it as building a resume properly. The content matters most, but structuring it well is what gets the interviewer reading.

Google wants to make sure the best content makes it to its users, and measuring user experience is just as important to them as analyzing your content.

This checklist isn’t everything, nor all the various ways you could utilize them. The SEO mantra “it depends” always applies. But as long as you hit these points, you’ll be in a good spot.

Important: When you’re doing technical SEO, make sure that you check your mobile responsiveness, not just desktop responsiveness. It’s a common mistake even relatively experienced specialists make sometimes. Image optimization, for example, may need to be done differently on mobile than on desktop.

Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals are metrics Google uses to measure the real-world user experience of a web page. You can check a variety of different metrics on Pagespeed Insights, but the three most important are the following:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): This measures loading performance. To provide a good user experience, LCP should occur within 2.5 seconds of when the page first starts loading.
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): This measures interactivity. To provide a good user experience, pages should have an INP of 200 milliseconds or less.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): This measures visual stability. To provide a good user experience, pages should maintain a CLS of 0.1. or less.

Image Optimization

Images that are too heavy can easily slow down your site. Using a lighter and more modern format like .webp is ideal, but using minimal-quality images that don’t sacrifice the visual experience will be a good place to start if you’re using .jpeg or .png formats. 

Image Alt Text

It doesn’t hurt to add keywords, but making it “make sense” is infinitely more important. Alt text allows tools like screen readers to describe the image to visually impaired users, ensuring they can understand the content of the page. 

Headers

Keep it to one H1 header, not multiple, and ensure it’s optimized for keywords. After that, it’s good to use keywords or variations of it in your other headers.  

Javascript Reduction

Javascript can be pretty heavy and hinder your page speed. This doesn’t mean you can’t have Javascript or that it’s going to be the end of the world. But don’t use it unnecessarily. You should try to reduce it where you can.

URL Structure (Slug)

Google and its users like it when you have clean and clear URL slugs. The goal here is to keep it short, descriptive, and helpful. Keyword rich is great, but simplicity and clarity are most important. Ask yourself “Would I know what the page was about just by reading the URL?” Some good examples can include something like /pest-control-savannah or /locations/savannah-pest-control. 

Meta Data

If you’ve done SEO in the past or done any research on it, you’ve probably heard of this already. Super basic, but don’t ignore it. Similar to URL structure, you want things to be clear and helpful. Do this for the Meta Title and Description, and make it unique. Keyword usage is great, but again simplicity is key.

XML Sitemap Submission

Submitting an XML sitemap to Google Search Console helps speed up the indexing process and helps the crawlers better understand how your site works. Really, the primary goal of much technical SEO is just guiding the crawlers—simplifying their job, as it were. This does just that.

Redirects

Managing redirects ensures a seamless user experience and prevents search engines from wasting resources on broken links. Implementing correct redirects ensures users don’t end up on a page with outdated information or similar.

Content Strategy

There are a lot of aspects to good content strategy, especially if you want to get into things like topical clustering or content silos. To keep it simple today, we’re going to talk about some guiding principles and give you an example of a structure you can use on a location-specific page (the page whose URL you should be using on the GBP, as we mentioned earlier). 

What kind of content ranks?

“Content is king” is a phrase that’s thrown around in the SEO community almost as often as “it depends”. And there’s truth to that. But far too many people seem to take that to mean “more is better”, and that’s simply not the case. While I won’t say it’s “quality, not quantity” we can confidently say it is “quality over quantity.” 

It all depends on search intent. The kind of content someone is looking for on a Wikipedia or WebMD page is not the same type of content someone is looking for in a pest control company, bank, or restaurant. Even those last three examples, despite all being under the umbrella of local SEO, wouldn’t be evaluated the same by Google. Especially not once it takes behavioral signals into account. Your primary goal should be to help customers based on search intent. In a strategy for pest control, you should be focusing primarily on serving customers at the bottom of the marketing funnel. Think decision makers, not researchers.

I like to think about my experience as a door-to-door sales representative when I teach my team about this.

Years back, when I was knocking on doors and learning how to convince people to sign a service agreement with me, one of the biggest obstacles I had to overcome was my brevity (still working on that, if we’re being honest).

People who were actually going to turn into a sale may have one or two questions or objections to resolve, but they’re not looking to go down a rabbit hole to learn everything there is to know about my offering and the topic of pest control. They don’t need to hear me ramble until their eyes glaze over, they need to make a decision. They just need to know if I offer what they need and if they can trust me.

This doesn’t mean all of my pitches were two minutes, but the average time I spent at the door lessened as my pitch improved. More importantly, I learned from painful experience that the ones who were still looking to go that deep into the weeds were usually not going to buy or would cancel over the phone later anyway.

Your approach should mimic what sales reps such as myself strived for in a good pitch. Keep it concise and always be selling (we’ll address call-to-actions later). Again, this doesn’t necessarily mean short. But it should be deliberate and no longer than necessary. 

It’s also worth noting that this is important for conversions, not just rankings. You want people to actually buy from you, not just see your website. And that’s hard to do with thin content. 

E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T is Google’s acronym for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. This is what Google looks for in our content, and it also illustrates their goals for the future methods of measurement they want to develop.

If you don’t get too caught up in the weeds and focus on demonstrating these principles (even in the more technical aspects of your approach), you will not only rank well now but continue to rank well even after aggressive algorithm updates that upend other strategies that dismiss this.

Location Page Anatomy

There are a lot of things you can do to vary this, but good locations pages should, at minimum, include:

• NAP Section
• A section for other locations
• CTAs
• Unique Content (approx. 40% or more)

NAP Section

Have a section on your page that looks like a listing with your name, address, phone, and a GBP map-embed. You can pull the embed code directly from Google Maps by clicking “Share” and selecting the “Embed a map” tab.

Other Locations

It’s best practice to have a section connecting this location page to others. Think of the customer journey here: If a decision maker isn’t certain the location they’re currently looking at is close enough for their purposes, you can catch them before they lose interest by taking them to another location page.

CTAs

When I was still selling, “always be selling” was my equivalent of the SEO mantra “it depends.” It was our catchphrase and calling card. This principle had nothing to do with being overbearing, obnoxious, or repetitive. Instead, it meant that we should keep the discussion on topic and prevent the conversation from wandering too far down the wrong path. The end goal was to help them make a decision.

In SEO, we do this with calls to action (CTAs). Make sure you have multiple sections with some form of a call to action. It can be as simple as a link to a phone number or as eye-catching as a section specifically for form fills. Just make sure you’re “always selling.” Just like the sales pitch, don’t overdo it, but don’t be timid about it either.

You can get creative with it, too. There is no need to always be overly formal. After all, you are appealing to humans. Using a CTA like “Book Appointment” is fine, but shake it up once in a while with phrases like “Evict Unwanted Pests,” like the one shown below. 

Unique Content

Having duplicate content on some pages is to be expected when building location pages. In theory, you should have multiple location pages, and it only makes sense that they’d share things in common. But simply duplicating it without variation provides little value in the eyes of Google and the user.

Right now, the accepted best practice for unique content is about 40-60%. This is a general rule of thumb, and it definitely depends on the specific circumstance, but it is a fairly safe range to start with. 

One of the easiest ways to keep things unique, and with a little less effort to boot, is to write some location-specific content. Done right, this creates some differentiation between your pages while also adding some additional localized relevance. 

You can do this in several different ways, but making it feel personalized like the example above is one of my favorite approaches because it helps conversions, not just rankings. Conversions are about people, and purchases are ultimately emotional decisions. Making your company feel more authentic and personable draws customers just a little further down the path to conversion. 

Local Link Building

Link building is a cornerstone of SEO. In fact, links are what gave Google an edge over their competitors in the earlier days of search. Before links, search engines relied on basic keyword matching, which very often led to irrelevant results that weren’t authoritative. If you’re curious about what that was like back in the day, give Bing a try (I’m kidding of course… kinda). 

Backlinks would act as votes of confidence from one website to another. PageRank, the algorithm they used to implement this, revolutionized search engines by analyzing the quantity and quality of backlinks to determine a website’s importance. The more high-quality backlinks a website had, the higher its PageRank score and the better its position in search results.

It’s become much more complex than that in years since, but the function of linking remains important to SEO today. Like other aspects of SEO, how you approach it differs from vertical to vertical, city to city, circumstance to circumstance, etc. To make matters more confusing, it’s a topic I’ve seen debated amongst SEO’s more than most topics in our industry. The best advice I can give is this: Focus on what the link is accomplishing and be cautious of shiny object syndrome. 

I would focus on two main aspects: 

• What type of relevance are you lacking when you look at your rankings?
• How does the link you’re building help a potential user who comes across this link?

Whatever specific tactic you consider implementing, these guiding questions will help keep you from falling for shiny object syndrome. 

Here are some options to consider, along with some commonly accepted practices:

Types of local link building:

• Content Marketing: Creating high-quality, informative, and shareable content can naturally attract backlinks from other websites. In the pest control industry, this would be best accomplished via quality blogs.
• Guest Posting: Contributing articles to other websites in your industry can establish you as an authority and earn valuable backlinks. This is one of the most common examples and is often viewed as Ol’ Reliable.
• Citations: Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information across various online directories is essential. 
• Community Involvement: Participate in local events, sponsor community initiatives, and build relationships. You should be able to ask them to get links to you on their sites.

Link-building best practices:

• Focus on quality over quantity: Prioritize backlinks from reputable and relevant websites.
• Diversify your link profile: Build links from various sources to avoid penalties.
• Monitor your link profile: Regularly check for any toxic or spammy backlinks.
• Build relationships: Networking with other local businesses can lead to valuable link-building opportunities.

Conclusion

The path to a well-executed local SEO campaign is hardly a straightforward one. This guide we’ve provided will get you pointed in the right direction. But you’ll need to spend a generous amount of time developing your skills to really gain and maintain a competitive edge. There is a tremendous amount of complexity in SEO, and the frequency of algorithm updates seems to grow exponentially every year.

The simplest course, which I would biasedly recommend, would be to hire a specialist who offers local SEO services. We dedicate all our time to testing, developing expertise, and staying at the head of the curve. That’s the experience you want working for you, not your competitors. But if that’s not the route you choose, I recommend dedicating regular amounts of time to research. Learn accepted best practices and stay up-to-date on the latest search engine algorithm updates. Spend time learning from the various specialists that are out there. Do this, and with time you can transform your pest control business from a local player to a dominant force in your market.

That’s a staggering number, creating a massive demand for reliable moving services. However, the challenge for moving companies lies not in the demand but in standing out from the crowd and attracting new customers. In a competitive market, exceptional local marketing, whether local SEO, social media, or paid advertising, is not just an advantage—it’s a necessity.

This article is your roadmap to mastering local marketing, designed to help your moving company rise above the competition and capture the attention of those 31 million movers. Buckle up, and let’s dive into the strategies that will transform your business!

Getting to Know Your Customers

Understanding your audience is vital to offering the right moving services. There are two main types of moves: residential and commercial. Residential moves cater to families and individuals moving to new homes, while commercial moves involve businesses relocating their offices or facilities.

When choosing a moving company, customers focus on three main factors:

• Convenience: They want a hassle-free experience with comprehensive services (packing, loading, transporting, unpacking) and flexible scheduling.
• Reliability: Trust is essential. Customers need to know their belongings will be handled carefully and delivered on time. Positive reviews, certifications, and insurance are crucial.
• Cost: Affordable pricing is important, especially for families and students. Transparent pricing with no hidden fees and offering discounts can attract customers.

Building a Strong Online Presence

A Moving Marketing Strategy

Creating a marketing strategy for your moving company doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by setting some clear goals—maybe you want to get more leads or keep your customers coming back. Understanding who your customers are is super important, so do some research to figure out what they need, what they like, and what problems they face.

Next, think about what makes your moving company special. Is it your reliability, affordable prices, top-notch customer service, or a knack for handling tricky moves like long-distance or fragile items? Make sure to highlight those strengths in your messaging. It also helps to check out the competition so you know where you stand and where you can do better.

When it comes to getting the word out, mix it up. Use digital strategies like SEO, content marketing, social media, and email campaigns, but don’t forget about traditional methods like direct mail and local ads. A good mix will help you reach more people and make your marketing strategy efforts pay off.

Website Optimization

For moving companies, having a website that gets your name and services out there is essential. This means that people will see what you’re offering, be convinced by your presentation, and schedule your moving services.

Your moving company web design must be optimized on desktop and mobile. Having a mobile responsive website means that you don’t need a separate site for mobile phones, tablets, and desktop computers. A beautifully designed website should look fantastic and well-performing on any device. In the moving industry, mobile compatibility is crucial for future success.

For one of our moving company clients we actually launched a whole new website. We made it much easier for their clients to contact them with a new contact form, and engaged in optimization they hadn’t done previously. This included showcasing reviews, implementing keyword research and creating a number of localized pages.

A major part of SEO for moving companies is effective local SEO. There’s a deeper dive into that further down.

Consider Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are powerful tools for your moving company to connect with customers and build your brand.

On Facebook, you can share helpful moving tips and customer success stories and even run targeted ads to reach specific audiences in your area. It’s a great way to engage with potential customers and keep your current clients in the loop with what’s happening in your business. 

Instagram offers a more visual approach, perfect for showcasing behind-the-scenes moments, before-and-after photos of moves, and quick video tips. It’s a platform where you can really show your company and connect with followers on a more personal level.

LinkedIn, on the other hand, is ideal for building professional relationships and sharing industry insights. You can post about your company’s achievements, share articles relevant to moving, and network with other professionals in related fields.

Local SEO Can Help Dominate the Area

When moving businesses consider marketing, they’re often getting into a whole new ballgame. Moving company marketing is challenging and is not the same as transporting people from one location to another.

Local SEO helps businesses rank well in local searches. Think ‘best moving company in San Diego’ or ‘cheap moving company Jacksonville’. Even ‘moving company’ on its own is seen by Google as a search with localized intent.

For moving companies, dominating local SEO is all about making sure your business is the first name that comes to mind when someone in your area needs help with a move. To achieve this, you must focus on a few key strategies to boost your visibility in local search results and attract more customers.

Ready to improve your rankings? Talk to us about our Local SEO Services

Find out more

Optimize Google Business Profile

First, make sure to optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP). Having an optimized GBP is your foundation for local SEO. Make sure all your info is up to date—like your address, phone number, and business hours—and add some great photos to show off your team and services. Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, as these play a huge role in boosting your local rankings.

When we worked with one moving company focusing on their GBP helped double their calls. After the basic optimization of the profile, choosing the right primary category, and making sure the information was all accurate, we doubled down on making it work as hard as possible for them. This included adding dozens of services, products, and new photos. Then, we continued with monthly GBP posts to keep it active.

Focus on the Keywords that Matter

Next, focus on local keywords. Incorporate phrases like “[Your City] movers” or “moving services in [Your Neighborhood]” into your website content, meta descriptions, and blog posts. The more locally relevant your content is, the more likely it is to show up when people search for movers in your area.

To increase your moving company’s visibility online, think of keywords that lead customers straight to you. Instead of using generic terms like “movers,” get specific with phrases like “stress-free moves in San Diego” or “affordable long-distance movers.”

When it comes to moving company SEO, you need a local agency that is familiar with how to place your business at the top of local search results pages.

Once you’ve done this effectively for your core service pages and location pages, you can think about building out your topical authority with supporting content.

Create Local Content for Moving Companies

Write blog posts that address common moving concerns in your area, such as “Tips for Moving in [Your City]” or “How to Choose the Best Movers in [Your Neighborhood].” This not only helps you rank for local searches but also establishes your business as the local expert in the moving industry. You could even consider going slightly broader, like “Best Neighborhoods to Live In.”

By consistently applying these strategies, your moving company can become the go-to choice for anyone in your area planning to move.

This attracts local readers and makes your business the go-to expert in town. Share customer stories and talk about your involvement in local events—this adds a personal touch and helps build trust with potential clients. It’s all about being the friendly, reliable neighbor everyone knows they can rely on.

Consider talking with other local experts in related industries and get them to write for you, just like I’ve done here, too. Not only does this add expertise to your content, but it helps forge relationships in the community. You could partner with local real estate agents to create area guides or a local community program, for instance.

Finally, Build Citations and Keep Them Accurate

Ensure your business information (Name, Address, Phone number—NAP) is consistent across all online platforms, including directories like Yelp and Yellow Pages. This consistency builds trust with search engines and helps improve your local search rankings.

Building citations may seem laborious, but services like BrightLocal’s Citation Builder are available to help make it easier.

Cracking the Code of Paid Advertising

Paid advertising should be part of your overall marketing strategy. Google and Bing are the top search engines that users rely on to find products and businesses relevant to their needs. However, optimizing paid ad campaigns requires more than bidding on keywords and creating landing pages.

Google Ads: Tips for Creating Effective Ads and Targeting the Right Audience

When it comes to Google Ads, the key is to create ads that are both eye-catching and relevant to your audience. Start by using specific, action-oriented keywords like “affordable movers near me” or “San Diego moving services.” 

Make sure your ad copy is clear and compelling, highlighting what sets your company apart—whether it’s your competitive pricing, fast service, or excellent customer reviews. Use extensions like call buttons, location info, or site links to give potential customers easy ways to connect with you.

As you can see in this report, properly optimized ad extensions can be a major driver of calls.

Targeting is just as important as the ad itself. Use location targeting to focus on your service area, ensuring your ads reach people who are actually looking for moving services nearby. You can also adjust your bids to show ads more frequently to people who’ve already visited your site, making it more likely they’ll choose your service when they’re ready to move.

Social Media Advertising: Benefits of Facebook and Instagram Ads for Moving Companies

Facebook and Instagram ads offer a great way to reach potential customers where they spend a lot of their time—scrolling through their feeds. With these platforms, you can create visually appealing ads that showcase your services, such as quick video clips of a smooth moving process or photos of happy customers after a successful move.

One of the biggest advantages of social media ads is their precise targeting options. You can tailor your ads based on demographics, interests, and even behaviors, ensuring they’re seen by people who are likely in the market for moving services. Plus, you can run retargeting ads to re-engage people who’ve interacted with your website or social media profiles, keeping your business top of mind.

Retargeting Campaigns: Keeping Your Brand in Front of Interested Customers

Retargeting campaigns are a powerful way to stay connected with potential customers who’ve shown interest in your moving company but haven’t yet made a decision. When someone visits your website or engages with your content but doesn’t book a service, retargeting ads can remind them of what you offer as they browse other sites or social media platforms.

These ads can be highly personalized, featuring messages like “Ready to make your move?” or offering a special discount to encourage them to choose your company. By keeping your brand in front of them, you increase the chances they’ll come back to your site and convert into a paying customer. Retargeting is a cost-effective way to maximize the value of your initial marketing efforts, ensuring that no potential lead slips through the cracks.

Monitoring and Analyzing Your Marketing Efforts

To ensure your marketing is on the right track, monitor key metrics like website traffic, conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS). These numbers help you see what’s working and where you might need to tweak things.

Google Analytics is a great tool for tracking your website’s performance, and Google Business Profile’s built-in Insights tool lets you see how your optimization is helping your client’s GBP. The screenshot above shows how easy it is to see results in GBP Insights. These free tools provide a clear picture of what drives results.

If you want to get more granular you can use geo-grid rank tracking tools too. BrightLocal’s Local Search Grid is one example. These trackers let you put your rankings on the map.

Once you’ve got the data, don’t be afraid to change things up. If certain keywords or posts are getting good traction, focus more on them. By regularly adjusting based on what’s working, you’ll keep improving your marketing and getting better results.

Final Thoughts

There are plenty of ways to boost your visibility, from optimizing your Google Business Profile and running effective Google Ads to using Facebook and Instagram for social media marketing and retargeting campaigns. Plus, we talked about how important it is to monitor your results with tools like Google Analytics and make changes based on what’s working.

Now, it’s time to give these strategies a try! Start implementing them to attract more customers and grow your business. Alternatively, there are local SEO services that can help your business get started.

Who you gonna call? Not Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) support, as phone help was retired in 2021.

But don’t fret—there are a plethora of other places (both official and unofficial) to turn to for GBP help.

Whose job is it to solve issues?

A business listing that disappears from Google Maps… fake listings that push your one down in results… a run of negative reviews that you suspect aren’t real—any of these things can result in lost enquiries, bookings, and revenue. 

And while it’s understandable for these things to cause frustration (and even anger), we need to keep in mind that Google Business Profile is currently a free product.

As such, Google support staff are thin on the ground, and Google Product Experts that support GBP via the Google Business Profile Help Community do so for free.

So if you’re experiencing an issue, the first step is to be proactive in finding a solution for yourself. Start with guidance available from the Google support team and the GBP community.

After that, it’s time to turn detective—below we’ll run through a range of alternative GBP support channels, outline what they’re best for solving, and look at how to get the best out of each of them.

And remember! Karma reigns supreme—be straightforward, polite, and help others if you can. And, of course, always say thank you!

Google Business Profile Help Center

As I mentioned already, support from the actual GBP team is limited and has been for a number of years.

In the help center, you can browse information and GBP guidelines, all of which are organized by topic areas:

I’d suggest becoming familiar with these pages and checking back if and when you have an issue. The GBP landscape is far from static and Google will change their documentation as needed.

It’s particularly important to understand if you’re doing something that contravenes Google’s Terms of Service, for example:

• If you’re wondering why your listing got suspended—read ‘Guidelines for representing your business on Google’.
• If you’re wondering why your Google Business Profile products aren’t being approved—look at ‘Understand product approval’.
• If you’re wondering how to remove photos someone else added to your business profile—see ‘Manage photos or videos for your Business Profile’.

You should always check Google’s official guidelines first—please don’t waste others’ time by asking questions you could have answered yourself.

Google Business Profile Community

When you make a search describing your issue, Google will return results for both help center documentation and community forum posts.

Items marked with (1) are help articles, and items marked with (2) are community forum posts. Look out for ‘recommended answers’ as these have often been supplied by Google Product Experts or active and experienced community members.

If you can’t find an answer to your question, then Google suggests adding a new community forum post:

However, before you do this, I recommend first checking out the following potential avenues for solutions.

Also, don’t be tempted to tack your own issues onto an existing post. If you need to post (once you’ve exhausted the resources below) then you should create your own post with your own unique information.

Browse Local SEO Peeps on Twitter

You’re probably already following a bunch of Local SEO people on Twitter—if not then be sure to check out BrightLocal’s list of local SEO experts. If there’s a GBP bug going around, you’ll probably hear about it there.

You could ask a GBP expert for help on Twitter, but honestly, I’d go to the local SEO community first. I don’t envy Joy Hawkins (or indeed anyone else from the helpful local SEO community) for the number of tweets she gets asking for help, so do the nice thing and ask for assistance in the right place!

Check the Local SEO Content Archives

I’ve written in the past about the hubs of excellent content that are being produced around GBP issues. For example:

• How to avoid a GBP suspension when using a co-working space (BrightLocal)
• Why are my Google reviews not publishing? (Sterling Sky)
• How to avoid a GBP suspension by thinking about your customers first (Kickpoint)
• How to manage your Google review takedown requests (BrightLocal)
• GBP suspended? Here’s how to recover (Search Engine Journal)
• GBP—should I set a physical address or service area business? (Steady Demand)

Once you’re familiar with primary sources of great information, you can search within those sites using an advanced search operator:

site:brightlocal.com OR site:sterlingsky.ca “GBP” or “GBP” suspension

This asks Google to give me results from the BrightLocal or Sterling Sky websites for pages containing either “GBP” or “GBP” keywords, plus content related to suspensions.

You can use my custom local SEO search engine to search within my own carefully-curated list of trusted sites, or create your own search operator as needed.

Google Business Profile YouTube Channel

Google Business Support does have a reasonably active channel with some useful videos. I recommend taking a look to see if there’s a solution to your problem, for example:

• Transfering primary ownership of a business
• Requesting removal of customer photos
• Moving reviews across business profiles
• Fixing suspended business profile
• Flagging reviews in your account

Google Business Profile Social Channels

In the olden days, you could tweet or Facebook message GBP support and expect a reply. Sadly social support is now very limited, and you’re unlikely to get a reply from the social teams.

Google Business Profile Forms

Google has a number of task-specific forms that you can complete without having to contact support:

• Business redressal form—for submitting spam reports for Google Maps.
• Request reinstatement—if you’ve experienced a suspension and want to let Google know that you’ve fixed the issues.
• Request access to a listing—if you want to manage a listing that’s already claimed by someone else.
• Report issues with third-party food provider links—for example, if you’d like to remove Deliveroo (or similar) links from your Business Profile.
• Third-party violation report—for example if you’d like to report an agency for violating third-party policies.

Google Business Profile ‘Contact Us’

If you can’t find a solution via any of the sources above, then the next step is to contact the Google Business Profile team to ask for their direct support: https://support.google.com/business/gethelp

Alternatively, you can log into your GBP dashboard and select ‘Support’ from the left-hand side menu.

You’ll be asked to select the business you need help with and to describe the issue. Google will then give you a list of articles and community posts that it thinks might be helpful.

Click ‘Next step’ to continue with the process. Google will present you with one or more contact options, that—for me—currently only includes ‘email’:

You’ll then need to fill in a form with the following details:

• Issue type (select from drop down):

• Your relationship to the business
• Your email address
• Your phone number
• Business name
• Business address
• Maps link for the business
• Business website
• Describe the issue
• Add related case IDs (it might be that you’ve already been in touch with the same issue)

Be sure to keep a copy of your requests, as there’s no way to access this information after you submit the form to Google.

Once you’ve submitted the form, you’ll usually be given a case ID—make a note of this somewhere so that you have a record. You’ll also receive an email from Google to confirm their receipt of your support inquiry.

Read to the bottom of this email… don’t just file it away thinking they’ll get back in touch with you:

That’s right, you’re going to need to actively contact them again! If you’ve already written up your notes into a Google document then you can use this to shape your email reply and (hopefully) get the help you need.

Ask the Google Business Profile Help Community

If you haven’t found a useful answer or potential solution, then now’s the time for you to make your own community forum post. Be aware that if you go to the help community without following the ‘support’ steps above, they will send you there first.

Don’t be tempted to tack your own issues onto an existing post. If you need to post be sure to create your own post with your own unique information.

You’ll need to be logged in for this, and in order to get the best help possible I’d suggest using the following points to compose your post:

• Always make sure that you adhere to the Google Help Communities Content Policy.
• Make the subject line (1) brief and descriptive of your issue.
• (2) Explain your issue in full with clear details—but be concise! Show that you have read and understood Google’s guidelines, if applicable.
• If you need to include screenshots or links then it’s best to include this in a Google doc (named appropriately) that is viewable by anyone with the link. Just write a brief message outlining the issue in field 2 and then include the link to the Google doc.
• Include full details of your business name, your address if relevant, and your CID number (a unique identification number for that business on Google Maps) of the business listing. If your concern is about reviews, then include the account names of the persons leaving the reviews in question.
• For (3) choose the most relevant category for your post:

Run through the final steps (make sure there isn’t already an answer on the forum, specify which platform the problem is occurring on) and then you can go ahead and post.

See this example of a forum post that was quickly and expertly answered by a Gold Product Expert. You’ll be able to see all of the questions you’ve previously asked in your profile’s ‘Post history’ area:

Wrapping Up

There are a lot of options for getting help with your Google Business Profile… some via official Google help channels and some outside of them.

It’s up to you to fully investigate a solution before you contact official support—in this way, you’ll help protect limited resources so that they can deal with bugs and help everyone enjoy a better future experience.

Go forth and prosper!

Our latest course, Essential Google Business Profile Tasks for Agencies, led by expert Claire Carlile Rees, is tailored exclusively for agencies and designed to equip you with the tools and strategies needed for success. This course has everything from seamless client onboarding strategies to practical monitoring techniques!

Throughout the course, you’ll gain access to four useful spreadsheet templates, ensuring you stay organized and ahead of the competition. Plus:

1. Efficient Client Onboarding Processes: Learn the secrets to seamless client onboarding that will impress your clients and set the stage for long-term success. 
2. Effective UTM Tagging Strategies: Unlock the power of UTM tagging. Discover how to generate and implement effective tags that will deepen your understanding of marketing attribution.
3. How to Harness Google Business Profile Services and Products: Dive deep into the world of Google Business Profile and discover how to leverage its Services and Products features to maximize your clients’ visibility. From optimizing profiles to utilizing advanced features, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to dominate local search.
4. How to Monitor Google Business Profiles Like a Pro: Stay ahead of the curve with practical monitoring techniques that ensure you’re always in the know. From tracking performance metrics to identifying areas for improvement, you’ll learn how to keep your finger on the pulse of your clients’ Google Business Profiles.

Here’s Claire with an overview of the course:

Like all BrightLocal Academy courses, you can strengthen your understanding through interactive activities and quizzes, guaranteeing a thorough grasp of the concepts. When completed, put your knowledge to the test with a final exam and show off your new-found skills with a shareable certificate.

Who is this course for?

This course suits anyone working in or on local SEO – whether you’re in-house or on the agency side, working in a multi-location or single location. Pick and choose from the lesson units depending on the types of services that you’re offering and to whom.

How can I join?

Anyone can access this course, whether or not you’re a BrightLocal customer. You can also be among the first to find out when new courses drop by enrolling for free. Here’s how:

If you’re a BrightLocal customer, you can access the academy via your BrightLocal account. Log in, click ‘Learning Resources’ at the top of the screen, and select ‘BrightLocal Academy’ from the dropdown menu.

You must create a free BrightLocal Academy account before enrolling in the ‘Essential Google Business Profile Tasks for Agencies’ course.

If you’re not a BrightLocal customer, you can join BrightLocal Academy for free and follow the steps above to enroll in the course.

Want to know more about BrightLocal Academy? 

Check out the official BrightLocal Academy FAQs here: 

What is BrightLocal Academy, how does it work, and how can I enroll?    

What courses does BrightLocal Academy offer, and how long do they take?    

If you have any questions of your own, feel free to get in touch with us or leave a comment below. We hope you find this fresh new course useful, and we can’t wait to hear how it’s helped you improve your local SEO skills.

This guide offers tailored strategies for professionals who want to perform SEO for real estate companies. It focuses on optimizing listings, enhancing online presence, and driving targeted traffic to your client’s real estate business. Many real estate professionals opt for local SEO services to help them deliver this work.

What even is local SEO anyway?

Local SEO for real estate is aimed at boosting your company’s visibility on search engines like Google, specifically for potential buyers and sellers in your area. 

This strategy increases your company’s search engine rankings, enhancing your online discoverability to local traffic. In the competitive real estate market, where establishing local connections is crucial, effective local SEO tactics are essential for standing out.

While we’ll mainly focus on Google due to its widespread use, the concepts behind local SEO for real estate ensure your services are found by the right local audience, regardless of their starting point in the search process. 

As you can see below, there are more than a few different ways people are using search to find something specific. Local SEO is your opportunity to rank for each and every one of these different variations and get yourself in front of the right people, whether they want a luxury condo in Miami or a two-bedroom house in Scranton.

Gone are the days of relying solely on billboard ads, newspaper ads, and cold calls. 

As a marketing professional, you’re tasked with ensuring property seekers find your client’s offerings before those of your competitors. Tailoring your SEO tactics to the real estate market demands a comprehensive grasp of local consumer behavior and search trends. 

You’ll first want to initiate this process by analyzing local search queries related to real estate in the area where your client is located. These can be queries like the ones shown above or maybe broader, with people just looking for realtors themselves.

The next part of the puzzle is the optimization of an online presence across various platforms, ensuring high visibility. Ultimately, the goal is to position your client’s real estate business as the top choice for local searches in their area. 

More on that below.

Ready to improve your rankings? Talk to us about our Local SEO Services

Find out more

Why focus on local SEO for real estate when there are so many other marketing things to do? 

High visibility in local search results directly correlates with increased property inquiries, so much so that the National Association of Realtors reported that a staggering 97% of homeowners used the internet in the search for a new home. 

Having a robust online presence today is simply a necessity. 

It’s about making your real estate business the go-to source in your community, leveraging targeted keywords, and optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs and interests of the local market. 

In doing so, you’re not just improving your search rankings; you’re building trust and establishing a strong local brand that resonates with potential clients right in your backyard. 

Why do real estate companies need to look at local and not just do traditional SEO?

What’s different for local compared to traditional search is that it’s not just a focus on a website. An e-commerce company likely just wants to rank its website, but a real estate company or an individual real estate agent is likely going to be competing for spots in the local pack.

The Local Pack is the section at the top of a search that Google deems as local. It lists several businesses and places them on a map. It lists these businesses using its Google Business Profile (GBP), and technically you can rank one of these without even having a website.

This means that real estate companies need to focus on optimizing for the local pack and the local organic results.

Real Estate SEO Basics 

The fundamentals of real estate SEO can be complex and overwhelming, but they don’t need to. 

Here’s where I would begin: 

Perform an Audit

While local searches don’t necessarily need a website to rank, there’s a good chance that a professional realtor is going to use a website as the core of their marketing.

Understanding your website’s current performance is crucial before planning any SEO enhancements. An SEO audit reveals high-performing pages and areas needing refinement, offering a clear snapshot of your digital footprint. While audits require effort, they provide a critical baseline to measure future progress and develop an effective strategy for growth.

These tasks aren’t specific to real estate. They’re about making sure your website offers the best experience possible.

Consider the following key aspects during your audit to identify improvement opportunities: 

• Site Structure: Evaluate your XML sitemap, robots.txt files, and any redirect issues.
• Page Elements: Review titles, meta descriptions, headings, alt tags, and URL structures. 
• Content Quality: Assess content organization, keyword usage, link integration, and visual content, and check for duplications or canonical issues. 
• Link Health: Analyze both inbound and outbound links, the quality of internal linking, and identify any broken links. 
• User Experience: Ensure the site is accessible, mobile-friendly, and fast-loading. 

Enhancements in these areas can lead to significant gains in organic traffic. Utilize tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to pinpoint pages requiring attention and identify fixable issues. These platforms also offer valuable resources like PageSpeed Insights.

Advanced Guide to Google Search Console

Learn more

The best part? These tools are free, and you can glean a tremendous amount of data to work with. 

Don’t get too caught up in competing audit software and tools. There’s a time and a place for them, but the tools mentioned above will get you where you need to go.

Conduct In-depth Keyword Research 

Effective keyword research forms the backbone of any successful local SEO campaign in the real estate domain.

Focus on identifying long-tail keywords that potential buyers or renters frequently use in their searches. Analyze search volume and competition levels to prioritize the keywords most likely to bring results.

Sure, ranking for the term ‘realtor’ sounds like a great idea on paper. But there’s a good chance that’ll be incredibly difficult to achieve. You’ll be playing against big sites like realtor.com and a few others. This is where those long-tail keywords can come into play.

Tools like Google Keyword Planner can be a free and a powerful place to start.

In any form of SEO, understanding search intent is key. It typically falls into four categories: 

• Informational: Very common in real estate. Whether someone is looking for advice on getting a mortgage, understanding home inspection processes, or exploring neighborhood guides, they’re seeking information. These terms are more likely to display traditional organic search engine results pages (SERPs) or localized versions of those.
• Navigational: This occurs when a prospective buyer or seller knows which real estate agency or property listing site they want to visit but uses Google to get there quickly. These are likely to be branded in some way. They could be people searching for a specific type of property on a real estate aggregation site or for a property with a realtor they’ve already heard of.
• Transactional: The moment a buyer decides they’re ready to contact an agent, schedule a viewing, or even make an offer online. They’ve moved beyond browsing to taking concrete steps toward a purchase. 
• Commercial Investigation: Potential clients in this stage are almost ready to make a decision but are comparing different properties, agents, or mortgage options. They’re seeking the best fit for their needs before committing. This could be terms like ‘two-bed apartments in [location]’. With a conversion journey as long as house buying, this may not be as immediately transactional as some types of business where people are searching for a specific product.

Catering content to match these intents can significantly boost a real estate website’s effectiveness in attracting and converting potential clients.

By identifying key phrases, such as “real estate in [location]” or “homes for sale in [location],” professionals can tailor their online content to match these specific searches. The use of modifiers and variations on these keywords allows for a broader reach, capturing a wider audience with slightly different search habits.

Some other searches, without a modifier, may still be localized by Google. For instance, an informational search of ‘Do I need a survey to get a mortgage’ performed in Dallas, Texas, provides answers from a number of local real estate sites.

This strategic approach ensures that your client’s listings and content resonate directly with the search intent of buyers and sellers, significantly enhancing visibility and engagement. 

When doing your keyword research, also try tools like Google Trends to get a feel for how the local real estate market is doing. 

Competitive Analysis

Understanding the competition is key to standing out in the real estate market. With a thorough analysis of other real estate websites and their SEO strategies, you can uncover ways to set your client’s listings apart and carve out a unique position in the market. 

Seeing a competitor’s listing at the top for a specific keyword is a signal that they’re doing something effectively. Google’s preference for that realtor’s content over others is a clear indication of what works.

It’s your task to decipher the successful elements of that top-ranking content, replicate those strategies, and then go a step further to outshine the competition. Performing a Google Business Profile Audit can give you a great view of where your competitors are beating you.

Make a Plan and Stick to It 

After conducting thorough keyword research and sizing up the competition, it’s crucial to develop a targeted strategy for your client’s real estate business.

This plan should not only aim to boost your client’s online visibility but also ensure your client’s brand’s unique character and values shine through. 

SEO isn’t just about climbing the rankings or increasing site traffic; it’s also about how your client’s brand is presented online.

Even if your client’s listings don’t top the search results, a compelling, visually appealing online profile can attract potential buyers or sellers to click on your client’s site first. The goal is to make the real estate business the most clickable, regardless of its position in search results. 

The Local Pack: A Prime Real Estate Spot 

The Local Pack’s prominence in localized search results has been game-changing since it was introduced.

The Local Pack refers to the block of business listings that appears above the traditional organic search results on Google when users perform a local search query, such as “real estate agents near me.” These listings are formed of Google Business Profiles, so you must have one to be considered.

This feature displays a map alongside a concise list of businesses, including key information like the business name, ratings, and contact details.

Securing a spot in the Local Pack means: 

• Enhanced Visibility: The Local Pack occupies a prominent position on the search results page, often appearing before any organic site links. This prime placement ensures your business catches the eye of potential clients first. 
• Increased Trust: Listings in the Local Pack come with ratings and reviews, which can help build trust with prospective buyers or sellers before they even visit your website.
• Local Relevance: The Local Pack focuses on businesses within the searcher’s vicinity, making it an invaluable tool for real estate professionals looking to target clients in specific local markets. 

Organic Search Results: The Long Game 

Beneath the Local Pack, traditional organic search results provide results based on Google’s algorithmic determination of relevance to the user’s query. These results are purely based on websites. For real estate SEO, appearing in these organic results is essential for several reasons: 

• Sustained Traffic: While the Local Pack drives immediate visibility, strong organic rankings can deliver consistent traffic over time, as they’re based on the quality and relevance of your content. 
• Authority Building: High rankings in organic search results signal to potential clients that your site is a credible source of information, helping to establish your authority in the real estate market. 
• Comprehensive Coverage: Organic results allow for greater depth of information, enabling real estate professionals to attract clients at various stages of the buyer or seller journey, from initial research to ready-to-transact individuals. 

The most effective local SEO strategy for real estate combines efforts to appear both in the Local Pack and in organic search results. 

This dual approach ensures maximum visibility across different types of search queries and user intents. 

Optimize Your Google Business Profile 

With your real estate SEO strategy in place, it’s time to focus on local SEO activities that promise swift and significant outcomes. Central to this effort is optimizing your client’s Google Business Profile (GBP) , a critical asset for boosting visibility online. The example below shows you what a real estate company’s GBP can look like.

A well-maintained Google Business Profile is essential for real estate professionals, often serving as the first point of contact with potential real estate customers, sometimes even before they visit your client’s website. This profile not only improves your searchability but can also enhance your visibility early on, especially if your client’s website is still gaining traction in search rankings. 

If you haven’t claimed or set up a Google Business Profile for your client’s real estate business yet, prioritize this step immediately. Opt for verification methods that are quick and reliable, such as via phone call or using a business video (I’d recommend avoiding postal verification due to its lengthy process). 

Google Business Profile Tips 

• Update the Business Information: Ensure every detail on the profile is comprehensive and accurate, including the business name, address, phone number, and website link. Consistency across the profile helps Google verify the legitimacy of the business, improving the overall search visibility. Incorporate relevant keywords into the business description to draw in potential clients, but keep the narrative clear and engaging for real people. 
• Select Appropriate Categories: Choose Google Business Profile categories that accurately describe the real estate services you offer, such as “real estate agency” or “property listings,” to improve how potential clients find you during their specific searches. 
• Incorporate High-quality Images: Visual appeal is crucial. Upload professional photographs of available properties, your client’s team, and successful transactions to make the profile stand out. These images not only attract attention but also reassure clients about the quality of your client’s services. 
• Post Regularly: Utilize the GBP posts feature to share the latest updates, property listings, and industry news. Keeping the profile active with fresh posts and images demonstrates to potential clients that the business is dynamic and engaged with the market. 
• Cultivate Reviews: Encouraging satisfied clients to leave positive reviews can significantly boost the profile’s effectiveness. Not only do these reviews provide valuable feedback, but they also improve search rankings, showcasing the business’s reputation and reliability. 

Something you may need to consider in real estate is practitioner listings. Real estate is an industry that Google allows to have individual practitioner listings. This means an individual can set up their own GBP. It’s generally advised for these practitioners to use their home address if they are comfortable doing so. Otherwise, they’ll likely just get filtered out at best, or at worst, they’ll compete with your main business’s listing.

This can be a tricky tactic to get the best out of, so make sure you look into managing practitioner listings properly.

Local Links for Real Estate Local SEO

Links have long been important for Google’s algorithms. When you’re trying to rank locally, it’s worth remembering that links from relevant local sites hold a lot more weight.

These links, from respected community sites, local news outlets, or industry associations, act as strong signals to search engines, affirming your business’s relevance and authority within a specific geographical area. 

An effective tip for acquiring local links is to engage with your community by participating in local events, sponsoring local teams, or collaborating with local bloggers for guest posts. 

These activities not only strengthen your community presence but also increase your chances of earning valuable local backlinks. 

Actionable insights include regularly monitoring local media for opportunities to contribute expert opinions on real estate matters or offering insightful market analysis, which can lead to natural backlink opportunities. 

Google’s Local Service Ads 

Google’s Local Service ads are a pay-per-lead advertising platform that positions your client’s real estate services at the very top of search results, directly in front of potential clients. 

By placing your services at the top of search results, these ads significantly increase your visibility and the likelihood of generating high-quality leads. 

Unlike traditional pay-per-click advertising, you pay for leads, not clicks, making it a cost-effective solution for targeted marketing. 

If You Have Multiple Locations…

If your real estate company operates in more than just one location, there are a few things you’ll need to consider.

My first piece of advice would be to set up a Google Business Profile for each location as an absolute minimum. However, while every circumstance is different, you don’t necessarily need to create a new website for each location, especially if the additional locations are in the surrounding cities.

In this situation, you could simply create local landing pages that detail your knowledge of the area and the listings you have available there, and potentially supply information on your physical location and the team there.

As you can see in the example below, Perna has created a location page for multiple cities and communities. Each of these has a short overview of the area, some key statistics, the live real estate listings, and then more in-depth area information that a buyer may find useful.

If your client has locations in different States or Provinces, creating an additional website for those would be helpful.

There are more on location pages later in this guide.

What You Need to Know About Local Citations 

Local citations play a crucial role in enhancing the online presence of a real estate business, acting as a signal of credibility to search engines. Ensure each listing of the business across directories is consistent, with accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information to boost local search rankings. 

Regularly auditing and updating your citations can prevent discrepancies that might harm your SEO efforts. Encourage reviews on these citation sites to increase engagement and provide social proof of your client’s business’s reliability. 

Building citations not only increases visibility but also reinforces authority in the real estate market, making it easier for potential clients to find and trust your client’s services.

Not every platform will be relevant to your client, so be discerning when necessary. The link below provides an extensive list of directories for real estate agents.

Top Citation Sites for Real Estate Agents

Learn More

Generating and Managing Reviews 

Encouraging clients to leave positive reviews is vital for bolstering your real estate client’s online reputation. Each glowing review is a testament to the quality and reliability of your client’s services. 

Actively respond to all positive or negative reviews to show engagement and commitment to client satisfaction. This is a huge part of review management. 

Develop a streamlined process for requesting reviews from clients post-transaction. Make sure you ask everyone, regardless of how smooth the buying process went. It will quickly become obvious to review platforms if you only ask people who have a good experience, and this kind of “review gating” is strictly against many review platform guidelines.

Leverage social media and email campaigns as platforms to remind clients about leaving feedback. Monitor review platforms regularly to address any concerns promptly.

The key to this process is consistency. Once you find a process for curating and managing reviews, stick to it.

Positive online reviews can dramatically improve your client’s SEO standings, making this a crucial part of your strategy.

Creating Compelling and Valuable Content 

Creating content that resonates with both buyers and sellers requires a deep understanding of their needs, preferences, and the challenges they face in the real estate market. Focus on developing blog posts, infographics, and videos that offer practical advice, market insights, and property highlights to engage your client’s audience effectively.

But don’t worry if some of those formats are out of your reach. If all you can produce, for now, is a bunch of well-researched and authoritative blogs, that’s ok. Video, for instance, could come later. Creating content of real quantity will be much more beneficial than doing it at scale poorly.

Tailor your content strategy to address common questions from buyers and sellers, such as tips for first-time homebuyers or how to stage a home for sale, providing real value. Leverage local market data to create reports or analysis pieces that position you as the go-to expert in your client’s area. 

Craft your content with a human-centric approach, incorporating several hundred words with integrated targeted keywords, ensuring readability and relevance. High-quality content remains the pinnacle of what search engines value most in ranking websites.

Don’t Forget About E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authority, Trustworthiness) 

For real estate professionals, showcasing a deep knowledge of the market, years of successful transactions, and authoritative insights on property trends is important.

Demonstrating expertise through detailed neighborhood guides, experience via success stories, authority through market analysis, and trustworthiness with transparent client testimonials can significantly enhance a website’s E-E-A-T. 

This, in turn, not only aligns with Google’s guidelines for high-quality content but also builds confidence among potential buyers and sellers, making it a pivotal strategy in the competitive landscape of real estate SEO. 

Learn from What’s Working 

Analyzing the content strategies of successful competing real estate professionals can provide invaluable insights into what resonates with your target audience. 

By observing which topics, formats, and SEO tactics are yielding results for them, you can identify gaps in your strategy and areas for enhancement. Learning from competitors’ successes allows you to refine your approach, adopting proven methods to improve engagement and visibility. 

Ultimately, this analysis is a shortcut to discovering effective practices in real estate marketing, enabling you to adapt and innovate based on solid, real-world data. 

Content Clusters and Pillar Pages 

The strategy I employ is using content clusters and pillar pages. 

A pillar page serves as the foundation, covering a broad topic related to real estate, such as “Home Buying Guide” or “Selling Your Property.” It provides a comprehensive overview of the subject, offering value to readers while leaving room for more in-depth exploration. 

Content clusters, on the other hand, consist of specific, related articles or pages that delve into subtopics of the main theme outlined in the pillar page. 

For example, within a “Home Buying Guide” pillar page, content clusters could include articles on “Financing Your Home Purchase,” “Understanding Home Inspections,” or “Navigating Closing Costs.” 

These subtopics link back to the pillar page and vice versa, creating a tightly interlinked structure. This setup helps search engines understand the relationship between the pillar page and its clusters, boosting the authority of the site on the topic and improving its search rankings. 

For a more thorough exploration of the method, please refer to this forum post/video about creating content clusters and pillar pages from Real Estate Webmasters’ CEO, Morgan Carey. The video might be just under an hour, but it’s worth every second of your time.

Refreshing Content

Refreshing content is an important tactic in SEO. It’s easy to fall into the trap of making new content for the sake of it. If you’ve already got plenty of content, though, it’s often worth taking some time to review it and see whether it’s as helpful as it can be.

This ensures your client’s website stays relevant to current market trends and search engine algorithms, ultimately attracting more potential buyers and sellers. 

Plus, oftentimes, refreshing is a faster process than starting a blog from scratch.

Content Refresh Checklist

• Audit Existing Content: Begin by reviewing your site’s existing real estate content, identifying outdated pieces lacking engagement or no longer reflecting current market conditions. You can then decide whether it’s worth updating or even removing old pieces. Perhaps you made a guide four years ago that goes deep into what living in a specific area is like. Well, in that time, multiple businesses opened or closed, the school won some awards, and maybe the crime rate changed.
• Keyword Research: Perform updated keyword research to capture the latest trends in real estate searches, focusing on what potential clients are currently looking for in your client’s area.
• Competitor Analysis: Examine content from competing real estate websites to identify gaps in your content strategy and opportunities for improvement. Using the example of the area guide again, you can look at what your competitors have done and spot any areas you missed. Maybe they had a run-down of the best places to get coffee, you could add that into yours, too. 
• Update Market Data: Ensure all statistics, listings, market trends, and property prices are up-to-date and reflect the current real estate market.
• Enhance User Experience: Make your content more engaging and user-friendly by considering layout and readability and incorporating new, high-quality images or virtual tours of properties. 
• SEO Optimization: Update SEO elements like meta titles, descriptions, and headings with current keywords, and ensure your content structure is optimized for search engines. 
• Refresh Internal Links: Add links to newer content or important pages on your client’s site to keep users engaged and distribute page authority throughout it. Also, check to see whether you’re linking to the piece you’re updating from other pages on your site.
• Promote Updated Content: Share your refreshed content through social media, email newsletters, and other channels to drive traffic and signal to search engines that your client’s site is active. 
• Monitor Performance: Use analytics tools to track how the refreshed content performs, adjusting your strategy based on user engagement, traffic, and conversion rates. 

Following this process not only improves your client’s website’s SEO performance but also ensures your real estate content remains a valuable resource for clients navigating the housing market.

Crafting Unique and Helpful Location Pages for Each Property 

Creating distinct location pages for each area where you have listings is a strategic move to capture local search traffic. These pages should include specific details about the neighborhood, schools, and nearby amenities to boost SEO and user engagement. 

You’re essentially painting a picture for potential homeowners about the area they want to move to. Don’t embellish, but highlight all of the reasons why someone should move to the page you’re writing about. You’re also showing Google that you really understand the area and the needs of prospective buyers there.

When I’m writing these pages, I typically focus on splitting my headings into: 

• Describing the area in great detail. 
• The specific types of homes typically for sale in the area and the demographics typically found in the local community. 
• A collection of entertainment and amenities that the area offers. Just remember, the more local restaurants and shops you include in this list, although helpful, require more upkeep long-term to ensure you’re not linking to closed businesses. 
• A list of common FAQs that potential homeowners would ask. However, please note that Google has downgraded the importance of FAQs and How-Tos, along with their respective schema recently. 

Tailor each page’s meta titles and descriptions to include local search terms. This targeted approach makes your client’s listings more discoverable to those searching for properties in specific locations.

Don’t Sleep on Technical SEO

Focusing on these technical aspects will help your client’s real estate website rank higher, attract more local traffic, and convert more leads. Other than local business schema, these changes are more general SEO best practices rather than something specific to local. 

A few tasks for you to consider are:

• Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure your client’s site looks great and functions seamlessly on mobile devices, as more searches are performed on mobile than on desktop.
• Page Speed Optimization: Speed is key. Use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix slow-loading elements to keep both users and search engines happy.
• Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate: Implement HTTPS to secure your client’s site. It’s important not only for user trust but also for Google’s ranking. Google likes safe sites.
• Clean URL Structure: Use readable, keyword-rich URLs. Keep them short and sweet, and avoid unnecessary parameters or numbers.
• Schema Markup for Local SEO: Implement local business schema to enhance visibility in local searches. This includes adding structured data for your client’s address, phone number, business hours, and more.
• Optimize Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Include relevant keywords and make them compelling to boost click-through rates from search engine results pages.
• Image Optimization: Compress images to speed up load times and use descriptive file names and alt tags to improve accessibility and relevance. 
• Internal Linking Structure: Create a logical internal linking strategy to help search engines and users navigate your client’s site. Use relevant anchor text for these links.
• Duplicate Content: Avoid duplicate content issues by using canonical tags when necessary and ensuring each page offers unique value.
• XML Sitemaps and Robots.txt: Submit an up-to-date XML sitemap to search engines to help them crawl and index your client’s site efficiently. Use robots.txt to control what parts of your client’s site search engines can access.
• 404 Error Management: Monitor and fix any broken links or pages to improve user experience and maintain site authority.

11 SEO “Tactics” to Avoid 

Some of what you will read below used to be common practice but not in today’s marketplace. Be mindful to avoid these additional malpractices, which can harm your client’s website’s ranking and credibility. 

• Cloaking: Showing different content to search engines than to users, a deceptive practice that can lead to severe penalties.
• Using Doorway Pages: Creating low-quality pages designed solely to rank well in search results and funnel users to a different page. In real estate, these may well be your location pages. Make sure those add real value and aren’t just full of overly optimized headers with no real information.
• Sneaky Redirects: This deceptive practice redirects visitors to a different URL than the one they initially clicked on.
• Hidden Text: Including text on a page that’s the same color as the background, positioned off-screen, behind an image, or deliberately concealed in any manner to incorporate more keywords should be avoided. 
• Article Spinning: Rewriting existing content with slight variations to create “new” content, often resulting in low-quality or nonsensical text. 
• Overusing Anchor Text: Aggressively using exact-match anchor text for internal or inbound links can appear manipulative to search engines.
• Scraping Content: Copying content from other websites without adding value can result in duplicate content issues and may lead to legal challenges.
• Keyword Stuffing: This involves overusing your target keyword or keywords to the point of redundancy.
• Link Buying: Rather than naturally earning backlinks, this tactic involves purchasing them, which is frowned upon.
• Automatically Generated Content: Using software to generate content without human review often leads to poor quality and irrelevant, sometimes inaccurate content.
• Excessive Reciprocal Links: Exchanging links with other sites purely for the sake of cross-linking, without genuine relevance or value to users. 

Focusing on creating high-quality, relevant content and following ethical SEO practices is the best strategy for long-term success in search engine rankings. 

Let’s Wrap This Up 

Fundamentally, real estate SEO doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach. It involves experimenting with various tactics to discover what elevates your listings and enhances your online presence. Every real estate business is unique, with diverse goals and benchmarks for measuring SEO success. 

Communication is key—aim to set realistic expectations and then strive to exceed them. Real estate professionals may not be SEO experts, and it’s your role to demonstrate the tangible benefits of your SEO strategies. Through clear examples and results, you can illuminate the value SEO brings to their business.

It’s not just a one-time tactic; it’s a long-term investment in the online future of a dental practice, and that’s how we, as marketers, need to explain it to dentists.

Dental SEO  is about laying down roots that will support growth for years to come, ensuring that when people search for dental services in their local area, they find your client’s practice first.

For me, SEO has one primary goal. It’s about ensuring your client’s practice is visible and appealing to those looking for dental services. Most importantly, it is not only about getting as much traffic as possible but also getting the right kind of traffic to bring in the right kinds of patients. 

What is dental SEO?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, involves enhancing a website’s content and the business’s overall online footprint to ensure it gets top billing from search engines like Google when someone searches for a specific query or service.

For dental practices, this means optimizing your online presence to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) whenever someone looks up dental-related services.

For dentists, it’s not even just traditional SEO you need to focus on. Local SEO and its slightly different tactics must be a significant consideration for dental marketers.

Imagine someone in your city searching for “Dentists near me” or “dental implants near me.” The sites in the map pack or top search results have the most effective SEO and will likely attract the most patients online.

Search engines aim to deliver users the most accurate and relevant answers that match the intent of what is being searched. They shy away from showing incorrect, outdated, or unclear information. Your goal as a dental marketer is to prove to these search engines that your client is the premier source of information and deserves to be on the first page of results.

This does not happen overnight; it is earned by consistently providing value to users. Don’t try to game the system; be careful of SEO scams. Do your research, put in the effort, and create authority for your clients that Google and other search engines simply can’t ignore. This means focusing not only on traditional SEO efforts but also on how your client looks and how they will be perceived by potential patients online.

Ready to improve your rankings? Talk to us about our Local SEO Services

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Why is local SEO important for dental practices?

Remember the last time you clicked on page 3 or 4 of Google to find an answer? Me neither… and that’s all you need to know. If you need more help convincing a dentist, here’s some data proving why local SEO for dentists is essential:

• Google Accounts for 91.54% of the global search engine market – Source
• There are 5.9 million Google searches per minute.
• 21% of the USA uses the internet to find a local business daily. – Source
• On mobile, the average click-through rate is 22.4% for position 1, 13% for position 2, and 10% for position 3. Position 10 gets you just 2.3% of clicks.
• A study in 2023 showed that just 0.63% of people click on the second page.

This data, along with how we know the internet is used daily, makes it very clear that making sure your client ranks in the top 5 results of Google will be the difference between getting organic traffic and not.

And, with local searches, the local pack defaults to showing just three sites in the local pack at the top of the search results.

Six Local SEO Tasks for Dental Marketers

Over the past four years, I have been fortunate enough to implement SEO for over 100 dental practices throughout the United States. At Pain-Free Dental Marketing, we have developed a state-of-the-art process that has been proven to show results through trial and error.

An important lesson I have learned is that you need to look at the different areas of dental SEO as building blocks. You can’t start with this, if you have not laid the foundation for that. Make sense? Why would you focus on getting more traffic if the page looks terrible? Why would you ask for reviews if your Google Business Profile looks empty or start building citations if you don’t have a website yet? First, lay the foundation, then build your home.

Here’s how to approach dental SEO strategically:

Do Your Research, Understand Your Competition, and Create a Plan

You can’t implement local SEO for dentists without a roadmap or understanding of what you want to achieve. This is crucial because it will help you as a marketer to measure success and allow you to communicate it to your clients.

If strategy and success are not defined, you not only lack the ability to express what you will be doing for the dental practice, but it will also be challenging to determine if you were successful. Here are some initial steps to help you understand what you need to do:

Do Your Keyword Research

The foundation of a successful SEO strategy is built on understanding what potential patients are searching for. This step is all about identifying the right terms and phrases that resonate with the needs and queries of your target audience. Think of it as choosing the right tools before performing a dental procedure.

How to Do Local Keyword Research

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Keyword research is also not just about finding the keywords with the most volume but finding collections of keywords that can work together. This includes using long-tail keywords that can aid in your efforts to reach more traffic and link back to your core pages to increase their authority.

You can find long-tail keywords in the FAQ and People Also Asked sections; you can also use the auto-complete feature to see what Google suggests.

Understand Your Competition

Knowing who you’re up against can provide invaluable insights. By analyzing your competitors’ online strategies, you can identify opportunities to differentiate your client’s practice and find your unique space in the dental market.

How to Do Local Competitor Analysis

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When you see a competitor ranking first for a keyword, it means they did something right. Google is literally telling you; “This is what I like!”. It’s your job as a dental marketer to figure out what Google likes about the page, how to recreate it, and make it better!

Create a Plan

With solid keyword research and a clear understanding of your competition and how you would like to out-compete them, it’s time to craft a plan.

This strategy should aim to improve your client’s online visibility and resonate with your practice’s unique voice, values, and how they are seen online. SEO is as much about what you look like online as it is about ranking high and getting traffic. After all, in the vast world of online marketing, a personalized touch can make all the difference.

Even if you are ranked third, if you look better, you could still get the click before those displayed above you.

Google Business Profile Optimization

Now that you have a plan, it’s time to start with local SEO efforts that will have the biggest impact as quickly as possible. That’s where a Google Business Profile (GBP) can make all the difference.

A Google Business Profile should be at the core of your dental SEO strategy because it’s one of the first things potential patients will see, often even before the website. It also has its own ranking potential and can help give some visibility to a dental practice if, at first, you struggle to rank the website.

If you have not yet claimed or created a Google Business Profile for the dental practice, immediately stop what you are doing and do that right now! Avoid doing verification via the post as it can take a long time. Do verification via the office number or the business video.

How to Verify Your Google Business Profile

Get Verified

Now you’re verified, it’s time to start optimizing.

Step 1: Optimize Your Business Information

Fill out every section of your profile with detailed and accurate information. This includes your practice’s name, address, phone number, and website.

Consistency is key, as it helps Google understand and trust your business, improving your visibility. In the business description, use the keywords you found that have enough volume and will draw in patients, but make sure your description still makes sense for a human to read.

Add services, when the business was founded, any special features, products, social media links, literally add as much helpful information as possible.

Step 2: Select the Right Categories

GBP categories help potential patients find your services when they’re searching for specific dental needs, like “cosmetic dentistry” or “pediatric dentist.” Be as specific as possible to stand out in the right searches.

Step 3: Use High-Quality Photos

Visuals make a big difference. Upload high-quality photos of the practice, the team, and before-and-after shots of patients (with their consent).

Photos can help your listing stand out and give potential patients a glimpse of the welcoming environment you offer. They can help put a worried customer at ease.

Updated, high-quality photos are so important. It does not help if your client ranks number one, but the pictures look outdated or unprofessional. Nobody will click on it, which means all your efforts will be wasted.

This ties back to what I said about making the brand visually appealing to potential patients.

Step 4: Post Regular Updates

Use the posts feature to share updates, offers, and news about your practice. Regular posts keep your profile active and engaging, showing potential patients your practice is bustling and up-to-date.

You also need to make sure that you’re posting new images regularly.

Step 5: Reviews, Reviews, Reviews!

Reviews are the rocket of dental marketing and a cornerstone of your GBP’s effectiveness. Encourage satisfied patients to leave positive feedback with keywords and respond professionally to all reviews.

This not only shows potential patients that you value feedback but also can improve your search rankings.

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Google Search Console and Understanding Your Dental Website

Many marketers think you need a plethora of different software to track the success of your SEO for dentists. The truth is that Google Search Console (GSC) is an excellent starting point and one of the best tools in your digital toolbox.

GSC is a free service offered by Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site’s presence in Google Search results.

An Introduction to Google Search Console

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For a dental marketer, understanding and utilizing Google Search Console is akin to having a high-powered dental X-ray machine that sees not just the surface but deep into the health of your website’s visibility online. Here’s what you need to do:

• Verify and Monitor Your Site’s Performance: Track your site’s performance in Google Search results. Analyze queries that bring users to your site, view your site’s click-through rates (CTRs), and check your rankings for specific keywords.
• Inspect URLs for Indexing Issues: Use the URL Inspection tool to check if Google can crawl your site’s pages, understand any indexing issues, and request re-indexing of new or updated content. If pages are not indexing, you can figure out why.
• Identify and Fix Mobile Usability Issues: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly by identifying pages with usability problems on mobile devices. This is crucial for maintaining and improving your site’s ranking in search results.
• Improve Website Content Based on Data: Utilize search analytics to refine your website content. Focus on creating content around keywords and queries that are proven to drive traffic to your site.

An Advanced Guide to Google Search Console for Local Businesses

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On-Page and Technical SEO for Dental Websites

Now that you have the essentials in place, it’s time to start looking at your website. You might be thinking I’m crazy for only getting to the website now, but remember, we needed a plan first. Then, as a dentist is a local business, we had to make sure the Google Business Profile was optimized for the local pack, and then we used Google search console to understand how Google interacts with your website.

Now, we get to work on the website itself.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO refers to optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. It involves both the content and the HTML source code of a page.

For dental marketing, on-page SEO is crucial because it helps search engines understand the content of your website and its relevance to search queries, especially those related to the dental services your client values.

How to Improve On-page SEO for Local

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While many SEO specialists bucket all kinds of categories into on-page SEO, I have only seen a few factors that truly impact how your website performs:

1. High-Quality Content

You have probably heard this a thousand times before, but it’s true. If we ask ourselves what the most basic function of Google and other search engines is, it’s to provide users with the information they seek.

You must ensure that your dental website provides valuable information on all your client’s services. I often see dental websites with no service pages or location pages, which makes me go crazy. To target a dental service, it needs its own page!

An essential element of Google’s E-E-A-T is showcasing your authority and expertise. Dental practices will have in-house experts; their dentists! You should be using them to help you create genuinely authoritative content, whether it’s Q&As or guides.

2. Keyword Optimization

If you followed my steps correctly, you should understand what keywords people are searching for, how people find your client’s website, and what services the dentist would like to rank better for.

Now you know the keywords you would like to rank for; you can start weaving them into your website’s content. Use variations of keywords, write multiple pages that speak about the service in different ways, and create internal links to help the user find the info they need. It’s as simple as that.

How to Craft Unique and Helpful Location Pages

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Too often, dental marketers get so focused on how many times you use a keyword and where instead of just writing a really good piece of content.

Of course, apply basic SEO best practices to ensure keywords are represented in your headings as needed, but it is more important to have good content with keywords sprinkled in vs. lots of keywords with some basic content. Concentrate on Topics, not individual keywords.

Instead, create what I like to call a “pillar page” and see that page as the one you would like to rank highest for.

You can then build supporting pages with variations of the same keyword or long-tail keywords that you link out to, making the pillar page more valuable. That’s basically why Wikipedia is so successful. Write a great page on a dental service, then link to other more in-depth pages on your website for those who want to learn more about specific aspects of the topic.

For example, I have a veneers page; I briefly mention the benefits in a paragraph. I will then add: “If you want to understand all of the benefits of veneers, you can do so here.”, with a link to a page that sits in the veneers subfolder, going into more details on that specific subject. Google will understand this and recognize that your pillar page provides value because it provides users the opportunity to explore the topic more.

3. Optimizing Meta Tags and Descriptions

Ensure that each page has a unique title tag and meta description that accurately describes the content of the page. These elements not only help search engines understand the topic of each page but also serve as a first impression for users in search result pages.

Use your title to stand out. Don’t just go for the same title as the page. This is your chance to grab your potential customer’s attention in the SERPs. Use a featured image that will grab a patient’s attention.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO means ensuring that your dental practice’s website is not only visible but also easily accessible to both search engines and potential patients.

Without the necessary technical SEO, you could add new pages to your website, and nobody will ever see them. Or you could write the perfect piece of content, but the page takes too long to load, so nobody sticks around to see it. These are just two examples, but you catch my drift.

Here are the top technical SEO tactics I recommend to dental marketers:

1. Website Health & Performance

We all hate a slow website, as does Google because it impacts the user experience. You must ensure a website has fast load times, mobile-friendliness, and secure connections via HTTPS. As marketers, we know these factors influence user experience and search engine rankings.

Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can be invaluable for diagnosing and improving website performance. I did some research on what has the biggest impact on website speed, and it actually has nothing to do with the website itself.

Hosting is one of the most important factors that influence the speed of your website. If the website you are working on is hosted on unreliable or unresponsive servers, it will directly impact how Google interacts with your website and, therefore, your SEO efforts. Search Engine Journal has gone into more detail on that here.

Other things can affect your page load time, like the size of your images or even plugins. Consider doing an audit of all of this and actioning anything you can, like old plugins or lazy loading.

2. Structured Data for Enhanced Visibility

Structured data is a powerful tool for improving a dental practice’s appearance in search results.

By implementing schema markup for local businesses, we can help search engines understand and display important information about dental practices, such as services offered, hours of operation, and patient reviews. This can enhance visibility in local search results, making your clients more findable and appealing to potential patients. We make use of SchemaPro, but there are all sorts of different ways for you to implement your local schema.

Local SEO Schema: Types and Templates for Easy Structured Data Markup

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3. Submit Sitemap to Google

An XML sitemap is like a map for your website. It tells Google about your important pages and where they are. This is helpful, especially if your website has many pages or is not connected very well.

A sitemap and strategic internal linking are sure ways for Google to crawl your website effectively. Google has guidelines on how to create and submit a sitemap.

4. Optimize Your Site Architecture

A website has many pages. It’s important to arrange these pages so search engines can easily discover and go through them. This is where the organization of your site, also known as your website’s information architecture, plays a role.

This will also help with how potential patients navigate the dental website. You need to pave the way to ensure the site structure makes sense and flows in a productive way.

The three things I know most patients care about are who’s the dentist, what this will cost me, the insurance questions, and finally, how I can contact this office. This is just an example, but you should apply this framework to your service pages and how you implement internal links.

Content Silos for Local SEO

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5. Target Keywords in Your URL 

This might seem insignificant, but I believe every bit counts when it comes to dental SEO. Anything I can do to beat my competitors is a step closer to a new patient. Ensure you use keywords in your URL, and don’t make them too long. Google does not like generic URLs. You should also not include numbers unless it is absolutely necessary.

Build Citations to Increase Online Authority

When it comes to citations, I always like to use the following example:

If today I told you my name is Ian, here is my address and number, call me anytime. Then, the next time I see you, l tell you my name is Michael, with a different number.

The third time I see you, I tell you my name is John. And so on.

Eventually, you will think I am either crazy or simply untrustworthy. Why should Google trust your client if their business information is incorrect across multiple platforms and directories?

By consistently listing a dental practice’s name, address, phone number (NAP), and website across various online directories and platforms, these citations help increase the practice’s visibility on search engines like Google.

This is crucial for attracting local patients searching for dental services in their area. Furthermore, citations contribute to the credibility and legitimacy of a dental practice in the digital realm, reassuring both Google and potential patients of the practice’s established presence.

Google uses citations as a vote of confidence that you are who you say you are and that the business you are marketing exists. Building citations has always been a crucial part of my dental marketing strategy and something I recommend to all marketers focussing on local SEO for dentists.

Brightlocal has been my favorite tool for doing this, making it easy for me to manage over 100 dental practices simultaneously. 

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Multilocation Practices Vs. Single Location Dentists

Whether your client has one or multiple dental practices will make a difference in how you implement dental SEO. It is not so much a change in what you need to do but how you will implement it to be effective locally.

Multiple Locations, One Website

Before we start, I want to share this: One of the most challenging questions I have gotten over the years was, “I would like to draw in patients from a town 30 minutes away. How can we do that with SEO?”.

My response always starts the same. We can begin to target another town with new pages, but Google search results will always show the user a business located in that town/city over a different practice that is 30 minutes away.

If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Why would Google make me drive 30 minutes to a business when I have multiple other businesses that can provide me with the same services within 10 minutes of my location?

How to Rank Outside Your Area

The Truth

I say this because you need to understand this principle to implement SEO for a practice with multiple locations. Local SEO is all about, you guessed it, local. You need to prove to Google that your business is an option for that community and the best option available.

To do this, each location will need its own website or, at the very least, a dedicated page on your site to target the branch and the town/city it is in. You can’t have a website that simply mentions the different locations in these areas. This will not be enough to compete with another practice with an entire website targeting that local area. 

So, if you have a single website for multiple locations, make sure you have separate pages that provide a detailed look at each practice with additional service pages that link to the services you provide in that town.

You also need to target local dental service keywords on those pages and share reviews from that location, etc. I know Google ranks location-specific pages better because the only URL that I would get to rank successfully was the page dedicated to that town. No other page on the website would appear in that town because Google did not associate the rest of the website with the town/city we were targeting.

Here’s an example of how to do this.

You’ll also want to make sure that each individual location has its own Google Business Profile and that you’re managing them all as their own entity. Putting all your time into one branch’s GBP won’t help all your other GBPs, for instance. Similarly, you’ll need to build citations for each location, not just your first one, and actively manage your listings.

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Best Case Scenario

In a perfect world, you will need to build a website for each location the dentist has and implement the strategies I have discussed in this article. In my opinion, this gives you the best chance of competing locally and ranking better in Google search results for multiple locations. 

Differences in SEO for Dentists vs. Other Industries

Now, you will notice that backlinking was not part of my core strategy for dental SEO. In local SEO for dentists, getting links from other websites (backlinks) isn’t as crucial as we used to think, especially in areas where there aren’t many dental practices competing with each other.

In these scenarios, focusing on backlinks might not be the best use of your time. Even Google said back in 2022 that backlinks are less important than they were before.

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I have found this especially true in areas where there is less competition or other dental practices are not implementing a dental SEO strategy. If the practice you’re doing marketing for is in a smaller city or town where there’s not much competition, you can rank well in search results without worrying too much about getting backlinks.

Instead, ensure the Google Business Profile is spot-on and regularly updated, use the right local keywords, update your website regularly with relevant content, build out citations, and encourage happy patients to leave as many reviews as possible.

Final Thoughts & Advice

It’s important to know that this article is not the ultimate solution to dental SEO but rather a look into the most important factors that have made a real difference for the dentists I have worked with over the past few years. When it comes to local SEO for dentists, there is no set formula. It’s about trying different strategies and seeing what works best for you. Different dental offices have different needs and will measure the success of your SEO efforts in different ways.

Make sure you overcommunicate, underpromise, and overdeliver. Dentists are dentists, not marketers, so do not expect them to understand the value you bring as a dental marketer. You need to show them how your local SEO services can and have impacted their visibility.