In order to generate leads within the construction industry, you’re typically presented with two options. First, you have recommendations from family, friends, or previously satisfied clients. As you’d expect, this one is relatively simple to control. Provide a great service, and there’s a strong chance your company will be recommended down the line. Your second option and arguably the most lucrative is Google, and a little something we like to call SEO. This does, however, usually require a specialist construction company SEO agency like VerriBerri.
But what is SEO?
This is probably the best place to begin, especially if you aren’t too familiar with the acronym. SEO stands for ’search engine optimisation’. It’s the process of adjusting your website to better meet the criteria of the Google Algorithm. Websites that do this are better favoured by the search engine, which in turn makes them more visible on the SERP. If you search for “construction company SEO agency,” for example, Google will return this blog and thousands of other pages. If you aren’t amongst the first few results, however, you’re significantly limiting the traffic your website receives.
How can I improve my website’s ranking?
At VerriBerri, this is probably the most common question relating to SEO that we’re asked. Everybody wants to know the secret, but unfortunately, it comes down to a few things. Hard work, commitment, and dedication. SEO isn’t something that you can learn overnight. It takes years of hands-on experience to perfect it, just as it takes years to perfect various aspects of construction. That being said, however, it doesn’t mean we don’t have any tips and tricks we can share. Here are a few of the main ones…
Create a ‘Google my business’ account
As a construction business, the vast majority of your clients will likely live locally. To find a nearby business, most people will search “construction company near me,” or something similar. Rather than just displaying thousands of results, however, Google will also return Google Map suggestions when this occurs. This appears at the top of the SERP and is often one of the first things people will see. With approximately 46% of searches having local intent, ensuring you’re one of these brands is key for boosting your visibility.
It’s for this reason why a Google My Business account should be one of your first priorities. As the map section is the first thing a user sees on the SERP, it immediately generates lots of traffic. To ensure your account is optimised, there are a few things you must then do. These include:
- Verifying your business with Google
- Ensure your business information matches other listings
- Choose a business category and attributes
- Include photos of your business and its services
- Update your operating hours
- Ensure your contact details are updated
- Check your social media accounts are linked to your website
If this is your first time setting up Google My Business, it’s understandable it can be rather overwhelming. With so many separate factors to consider, it’s easy to forget one or two. If you need a hand, our construction company SEO agency is happy to help!
Incorporate keywords into your content
If you want to rank higher on the SERP, this is arguably the most important thing you need to consider. A keyword is essentially a popular search phrase related to your business. For a construction company, these may include ‘scaffolding services,’ ‘local builder,’ or ‘construction company near me,’ as a few examples. Before anything, it’s essential you take the time to research what keywords you and your competitors are ranking for. These provide an indication as to what your customers are looking for.
When preparing content, it’s important to ensure you spread these keywords evenly across it. Too many keywords in close proximity are known as keyword stuffing, which is heavily disapproved by Google. This can negatively affect your site health, so finding the right balance is essential.
Optimise your back end with a construction company SEO agency
As a construction company, you know just how important it is to ensure the finished product looks visually appealing. That being said, you’re also well aware of just how equally important the behind-the-scenes factors are. This is the same with SEO. It’s great that your website looks aesthetically pleasing and is easy to navigate, but its only half the equation. The back end of your website also must be optimised as it directly impacts your SEO ranking. This includes small tasks like compressing images, adding alt-tags, and meta information.
Ensure your website is mobile friendly
Did you know that 92.3% of people access the internet from their mobile phones? Did you also know that this accounts for 56.96% of all website traffic? This emphasises the importance of mobile optimisation. To determine whether this is the case, you should take Google’s mobile friendly test. This tool awards you a pass or fail grade as to whether you’re mobile friendly or not.
There are some factors, however, that aren’t considered here such as loading speed. For today’s generation of internet users, we know just how important that is! Google’s Core Web Vitals Report can provide further insight into these factors.
What about PPC?
Aside from SEO, another way of boosting your website’s visibility is through Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. Essentially, this method lets you pay to be at the top of the SERP. This non-organic technique ensures your website is one of the first seen when specific keywords are searched for. This can be particularly useful for common, short-tail keywords which are notoriously difficult to rank highly for. At VerriBerri, we recommend considering both PPC and SEO within your long-term marketing strategy.
Contact us
If the assistance of a construction company SEO agency is something you feel could be beneficial, then get in touch! To reach our team, give us a call on 01376 386 850, or click here to reach our contact page.