The construction industry reaches every corner of the UK. It builds the homes we live in, the schools and hospitals we go to, and the offices where we work. It’s the backbone of our economy, not to mention one of the largest sectors around, employing over 2.1 million people. Unsurprisingly, this also makes it one of the most competitive. With so many businesses competing for the same target audience, digital marketing in construction industry has never been more important.
With the right strategy, you can stand head and shoulders above your competitors. This means greater visibility, more enquiries, and a stronger reputation within your industry. Truly, digital marketing is something you can’t afford to be missing out on. But what should your strategy involve?
Website Optimisation
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is easily one of the most complex, yet essential components of any marketing strategy. Compared to the days of the yellow pages, people are now going online to search for a business’s services. This is no different for the construction industry. When you search ‘building contactor’ or something similar in Google, however, you’ll be met with hundreds of millions of results. It’s only those on the first page, however, that most people will take seriously. If you’re not investing in SEO, chances are, you’ll be ranking low – certainly not on the first page anyway!
But what is SEO? Essentially, it’s the process of streamlining your website in line with Google’s algorithm to improve its ranking. There’s nothing worse than your business being overlooked when people are searching for services you already offer. SEO enables you to propel your website up the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), increasing its visibility amongst your audience. It isn’t a one-pronged approach, however, and it’s something that definitely can’t be learned overnight.
We’d be here all day if we outlined every component of SEO, and we’ve got a word-count to stick to! To give a brief overview, however, it involves specially optimised content creation, back-end optimisation, and back-linking as a few examples. Oh, and each has their own set of rules to follow if you want to keep the algorithm happy. The more of these rules you satisfy, the higher your site ranks! If there’s one aspect of digital marketing in construction industry which you should never cut corners on, it’s SEO.
Building an Effective Local SEO Strategy
Especially for newer construction companies, a significant number of your enquiries will come from the surrounding areas. In fact, as many as 90% of consumers are searching for local businesses online. By optimising your website for local search, you can greatly increase your visibility to potential clients within a close proximity. To get started, one of your first priorities will be to identify these keywords. This could include phrases along the lines of ‘contractor near me’ or ‘Essex residential builder,’ as a few examples.
When it comes to your local ranking, Google uses a combination of three main criteria to determine this. These are relevance, distance, and prominence.
- Relevance is determined by how well your business matches the keyword or phrase someone is searching for. Some of the things Google looks for here is optimised and relevant content, on-site SEO and citations.
- Distance is quite self-explanatory. If you’re based in Essex, and searching for a contractor near you, Google won’t show a business from Manchester.
- Prominence refers to how well your business is known. This is where mainstream SEO pairs perfectly with local SEO. Factors such as backlinks, articles, and Google reviews are all taken into consideration here.
However, Google could occasionally decide that a business further away than yours may be more relevant to the search. This could be because of more positive reviews, or a stronger organic SEO ranking. Therefore, it may decide to rank it higher than yours in local results. Understandably, this can be frustrating, but it isn’t something that a credible digital marketing in construction industry agency can’t fix!
Utilise your Social Media Platforms
If you’re considering engaging with social media (we think you absolutely should!), who is your target audience? The answer to this question will help you determine what platforms you should be using. This is something you must get right from the off. Otherwise, you’ll just be wasting resources attempting to reach the right people in the wrong places.
Social Media for B2B Businesses
If your construction business is focused on the B2B market, LinkedIn should be your top priority. After all, the platform was created for organisations to forge valuable connections with other businesses. It enables you to showcase your services and successes, network with potential clients, and reinforce your online presence. It’s quite literally the perfect platform for your construction business to utilise for lead generation.
Social Media for B2C Businesses
Did you know that approximately 80% of consumers make buying decisions based on a friend’s social media posts? Social media has become such a highly influential medium. Nowadays, many people consider it to be a key component of any purchase they make. This isn’t just for products either. It’s also the case for service businesses, and the construction industry is no exception to this.
Instagram, for example, provides construction businesses with the perfect medium to showcase their work. After all, it’s the end result of your project that people want to see. At VerriBerri, we’ve seen firsthand just how important authentic and engaging content is for lead generation and brand awareness. Alongside this, other social media platforms which may prove useful for your business include Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
Contact our Agency Specialising in Digital Marketing in Construction Industry
If digital marketing in construction industry is something you think you need help with, get in touch! There’s so much more to marketing than what we’ve discussed here. For further information about our range of services, call us today on 01376 386 850, or click here.