Chances are, you’re not the only plumbing company in your area. But, you are the best plumbing company in your area and you want potential customers to come to you above all of your competitors, right? The key to setting yourself above the competition is ensuring your plumbing company appears first when people in your area search for local plumbing companies. We hope these tips will help you maximize your online presence through local search engine optimization.
The Challenge With SEO
The most difficult part of search engine optimization is keeping up with it long enough to see results. Researching and implementing SEO basics is key, but unfortunately, even the most successful SEO strategies don’t show results overnight. Even if you are doing everything right, it can take weeks or even months to see significant changes in your business once you implement those strategies, so patience is a must-have if you want to see success with your SEO journey.
Local SEO Ranking Factors
When it comes to your plumbing company’s rank in Google, there are hundreds of factors that affect where you end up. For local SEO, there are some critical factors that you should focus on when determining and improving your ranking, including:
Tip #1: Audit What You Currently Have
If you’re a plumbing company in the 2020s, chances are you have at least one primary website with multiple secondary online outlets like social media sites. To make sure you’re getting the most out of SEO, you’ll want to look at what information you currently have online and ensure it is all working effectively to get you noticed by locals searching for plumbing services in your area. This means ensuring that your business name, address, phone number (NAP), and website are consistent across the top-ranked online directories. Staying consistent is essential because inconsistencies will not only tell major search engines that your business might not be trustworthy, but they could put off potential customers as well.
Google Search Console is a great tool from Google that allows you to view the status and analytics of your website(s) all in one place! This tool provides invaluable insights, such as what people are searching when they find your site, how Google views your site, and whether there are any issues with your website. Tools like this can help make sure nothing is falling through the cracks with your SEO by helping you:
Tip #1 – Manage Your Google My Business Listing
Think about the last time you searched for a local business on Google. Chances are, alongside the list of search results you also were shown a map with businesses of that type near you. Getting your plumbing business listed in maps is a great way to reach new customers based purely on location. Google will show searchers the closest businesses to their location, which can be a huge selling point.
There’s even more to maps marketing than just appearing when someone searches nearby. Getting your business listed on Google Maps also allows customers to see your plumbing company’s rating, read testimonials, and access your primary website or phone number directly from the map listing. Ease of use is crucial when attracting customers and having your business clearly and correctly displayed on Google Maps means it’s that much easier for customers to find you!
Use these tips to make sure that you are getting the most out of your plumbing company’s Google My Business account:
Configure And Setup Your NAP Information Accurately
Google Reviews
Maintain Business Profile
Tip #2: Make Sure You’re Listed in Maps
Once you take the steps to ensure your plumbing company’s Google My Business listing is accurate and up to date, you want to make sure you’re listed in Google Maps. When local potential customers search for plumbing companies in their area, they are going to see a map with options nearest them. If your business is a plumbing company nearby but you’re not listed on maps or don’t have a thorough listing, chances are people won’t choose you, even if you are the closest.
Once you have your business listed on Google My Business, it’s fairly simple to make sure your plumbing company is listed in maps. You’ll either want to add your business to Google Maps directly or claim it if it is already listed. Check out these steps to ensure your business is on Google Maps.
So once your plumbing business is listed, is there anything you can do to rank higher in Google Maps? On top of proximity, Google takes other factors into account when determining the ranking of businesses on the SERPs. To boost your Google Maps ranking you’ll want to ensure your business is properly categorized, NAP are accurate and local, you have reviews and photos, and you’ve written a business description. Keeping these elements and others in mind when building your plumbing business SEO strategy will help you rank higher in Google Maps.
Tip #3: Enhance Your Social Media Pages
As a business owner in 2021, it’s likely that you have at least one social media page for your plumbing business. Each one of these pages can be used in tandem with your primary website to increase traffic and visibility to your plumbing company. To make the most of those pages you’ll need to stay active, keeping your information accurate and updating with new photos while also responding to any messages, comments, and questions people may ask.
So what is the correlation between social media and SEO? Although social media pages may not significantly impact your Google Search ranking, it directly increases your visibility. If you can get each one of your social media sites to show up when someone searches for your plumbing company, there’s a much higher chance that searcher will hire your plumbing services over a competitor. Additionally, social media is another place for you to settle deeper into your brand, boosting your credibility and reputation. Google uses your social media presence and engagement to help determine that you are a real and validated business.
Tip #4 – Optimize Your Website For Local Search
Audit and Optimize Your Site’s Metadata
In order to rank better on search engine results pages (SERPs) you’ll want to audit and optimize your website’s metadata. To easily understand what metadata is and why it’s important for SEO, think of it as using your plumbing site to speak directly to search engines in their own language. Metadata uses elements like title tags, schema markups, image tags, and meta descriptions to tell Google what content is on your site and how it is displayed. Including your priority service area and target keywords in metadata will optimize your website for SEO, increasing your plumbing company’s credibility in the eyes of Google and making it more visible to potential customers.
Add Schema Markup Language
There are two ways to enhance the way your plumbing company appears in the search results. By investigating and implementing HTML markup tactics and rich results, you can ensure your plumbing company stands out among competitors from step one.
HTML markup is the use of key HTML tags to tell search engines like Google how to display your content in the search results. By designating which content appears as a title, for example, these tags aid in telling search engines what exactly your content is about and who it should be directed to. Taking the time to research and use the correct HTML tags is a surefire way to set your plumbing company apart from your competitors.
Rich results are similar to HTML markups in that they enhance the way potential customers see your plumbing site when it appears as a search result on Google. Specifically, rich results give searchers more information about your company. Where a normal search result may display your company name and a sentence about what plumbing services you offer, a rich result gives more information. Oftentimes rich results show photos, reviews, and contact information directly on the search results page, which increases the likelihood that potential customers will click through to your plumbing site.
Add NAP Information In Footer
It’s important to display your name, address, and phone number (NAP) in an easy to find location on your website. This not only ensures that potential customers know how to get in touch with you; it also tells search engines where you are located, allowing them to show your plumbing company on SERPs for local searches.
You’ll want to follow a few guidelines when adding NAP information to your plumbing company’s website. Make sure the information is clearly displayed on all pages of your website so that no matter how a potential customer finds you, they know how to contact you. You’ll also want to ensure your address matches the one on your Google My Business profile. The two most important factors with NAP info and SEO are consistency and visibility. Keep those in mind and you’re sure to see success.
Create Multiple Landing Pages
Multiple landing pages are a great way to help your plumbing company rank for a variety of specific keywords. For example, if you perform sewer services as well as dishwasher repairs, you might benefit from having two landing pages—one where you focus on sewer content and keywords and another that talks specifically about dishwashers and other plumbing appliances. Creating multiple, high-quality landing pages for your various services will boost your SEO strategy.
When building out multiple landing pages, there are some best practices to keep in mind to ensure your plumbing company gains the most traction.
Tip #5: Get Citations
To further validate your business with local SEO, you’ll want to gather as many citations as possible. In other words, having your business linked to in online directories, profiles, and other relevant websites in your area will not only increase your visibility, but will also legitimize your plumbing business to search engines. Getting your business linked to on Facebook, local directories, local maps, and more is a surefire way to boost your local SEO.
Once again it’s imperative that the information listed in citations is accurate and identical to the information on your website, specifically your NAP. Because citations are another way Google validates your plumbing company, having your business accurately listed and linked in as many credible places as possible is key to seeing your ranking improve. By starting small with local directories and researching other citation tips you will be able to boost your online presence and improve your SEO strategy significantly.
Local search engine optimization is a key element to connecting with potential customers in your area. When someone nearby searches for “plumbing companies near me” you want to have done everything possible to ensure your plumbing business appears at or near the top of search results, and SEO is how that happens. Combining the above tips with a healthy dose of patience is a surefire way to develop a successful local SEO strategy and see results for your plumbing company!
