Ultimate SEO Guide for Contractors and Home Service Companies to Get More Customers

With how connected the world is today through the Internet, it is no longer a surprise that many companies have also chosen to conduct their business online as well. While running advertisements on the Internet (either through paying an influencer or availing services on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram) is only one of the many ways to get people to browse through the home services you offer, it still may not be enough.

The World of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

As such, one particular method called Search Engine Optimization or SEO has become popular over the years. A question might pop in your mind, “What is SEO?”

Essentially, it is a process where you, as the owner of a particular site, improve its visibility. You may be thinking, “What use is increased visibility to contractors and home service companies?”, but think about this: When your site is more visible, it increases its chance of being noticed by prospective customers and thereby increasing your potential sales.

You may wonder, “How does it all work?” Well, it seems simple enough. First, a customer may have a query in mind and would head to Google in search of answers. Then, in a span of seconds, Google scans its massive database for anything related to the query. After, Google then displays the results back to the customer. 

To do all this, however, may require more work on your part. You need to fill your website’s content with specific words that are like a beacon to a search engine. It may seem like a daunting task but you can ask help from this SEO company Toronto.

If your home service company employs good SEO practices, it could ultimately benefit them. To help you get started, here are some tips and tricks to guide you on how to use SEO.

• Research good keywords.

Before starting, it is best to research keywords that would fit your particular brand or service. So, if you are a home service company, think of possible words that are related to that. However, it may also not be a good idea for you to just simply guess what people might look for on search engines like Google. 

While this may be a daunting task, this can be made easier with programs like the Keyword Planner by Google. To use it, you could simply create an account and then think of keywords. Afterwards, Google will give you results of how effective these keywords are. It will even give suggestions to you. The best keyword for you to pick and choose would be the ones that are considered to be “high-volume,” which means these keywords are searched online frequently.

• Think of your customer base.

If you are having trouble thinking of possible keywords to use, then it may be time for you to think like a customer. If you were a customer, what various problems did you experience while using a product or availing a service? What would you type into Google to look for solutions to these problems?

Another way is by getting a list of common questions that your customer service representatives get from your patrons. Forums like Quora may also give you an idea about the common concerns relevant to your service or industry. Once you’ve gathered enough questions, you may start producing content that provides relevant answers to those questions.

• Avoid keyword overkill.

While it may be good to have a lot of anything sometimes, it is not the case when it comes to SEO. Back in the day, many marketers used to hide their keywords randomly in their websites by making it blend with their background. It would not be visible to the visitors but it would be to Google. It was a method done to rank high in the search results, but this is actually considered as cheating. If the same method is used today, your website would take a hit. It is better to incorporate your keywords into your written pieces as naturally as possible. 

• Curate well-written articles.

Perhaps one of the most important things your website must contain is a well-written copy. As such, it is imperative to hire good writers and good editors. Planning the content you may want to put out ahead of time also helps keep everything organized. It also ensures that your website has new content on a regular basis. Keeping a content calendar may help you plan engaging and useful content for your customers.

• Use links appropriately.

Linking is essential to SEO. Rather than just writing out your keywords, using them as links helps in your website’s ranking. For example, you can write, “We offer fridge repair services in Toronto.” 

• Scatter your keywords strategically.

Be sure to use your keywords not only in the main article of your website but in other related content you may have as well. By doing so, it increases that page’s chances of ranking higher. 

The way Google works is that it looks for keywords everywhere. It includes places like the site’s URL (so let’s say your company offers repairs, your website URL could be something like simplyprorepair.ca), page title, alt attributes (the information found in the videos and photos included in your website), and even headings, especially the first and second headings.

• Employ the use of title tags and meta descriptions.

Title tags and meta descriptions are the first content that people see when they search about your service on search engines. Optimizing both gives your website a good chance of appearing in the search results.

Title tags are about 50 to 60 characters while meta descriptions are written within 160 characters. Think of them as the briefest summary of your content.

These are simply some of the basic tricks to kickstart your dive into SEO. Ultimately, it should be your goal as a business owner (not just as a contractor) to get your home service company out in the open to attract many customers online, and SEO may be the key to achieving your goals.