Local search engine tips for contractors | Pro Construction Guide

Local search engine tips for contractors

local search engine tips for contractors

One of the biggest reasons for companies not showing up in Google+ Local results is that the business has inconsistent or incorrect business listings around the web.

Experts say approximately 4 billion search queries per month have local intent. And 50 percent of mobile searches have local intent.  Follow these local search engine tips for contractors to develop or improve your online presence and grow your local construction or remodeling business..

Google often displays relevant businesses on a map and groups local search engine results below the highest organically ranking businesses. Being included in this list is a great way for local construction or remodeling companies to gain valuable online exposure on the web. However, if you aren’t aware of how the local search engine listings work, your construction or remodeling business can easily be left out of local results.

One of the biggest reasons for remodeling companies not showing up in Google+ Local results is that the business has inconsistent or incorrect business listings around the web. One listing may show your business at 1 N. Web Street and another 1 Web Street. Even differences in your contractor’s company name can affect your local search engine results. Are you XYZ Remodeling in one listing and XYZ Remodeling Co. in another?

To find out if this is a problem, you can check the situation out for free on moz.com/local. Listings can be corrected manually but you can also purchase the Moz Local service for $45 per year. Be warned: Doing it yourself is a tedious process. Using either method, it will take several weeks for the listings to be completely corrected.

To create a business listing, you must have a business name, a local phone number that matches the city of your location (not a toll-free number or call tracking number), use a dedicated physical street address (not a shared address, P.O. Box or virtual office), and physically meet with customers. Most listings will ask you to choose a category. That’s what the search engines use to determine if your construction or remodeling business is relevant to the search, so be careful to select the right one.

Citations and why they are important

Citations are one of the more important local search engine tips for contractors. When search engines find a mention of your business (it doesn’t have to be a link) on the web, it’s called a citation. Citations help the search engines verify your business is, in fact, what you say it is. In general, the more citations for your business, the higher your local search engine results will be.

Citations come from five data aggregators (Infogroup, Neustar, Localeze, Acxiom and Factual), as well as from local search engines, review sites (such as Yelp), business directories, and industry directories. Listings may already be on the web for your business, but you need to claim them. Claiming your listings verifies that you are the owner of a valid business and authorized to maintain its presence on the web. Each online local business index has its own claiming process. Verification might involve a phone call, postcard or email with a verification link.

Optimizing your Google+ Local listing

With Google capturing nearly 70 percent of all searches, your Google+ Local listing is the most important to your construction or remodeling business. Make sure you complete all aspects of the profile, including hours, service area, photos, and a link to your website (if you have one).

The description of your construction or remodeling business should be full of the keywords you believe people enter when they search for your business. Consider updating to a Goggle+ business page, with more social features. It allows you to add additional content, such as blog posts or video.

Customer referrals boost local search results. One best practice is to direct customers to the right location on the web to leave the review. Positive or negative, it’s important to respond to every review.

In today’s market, local search rankings can be the cornerstone of marketing for companies on a small budget. It’s worth the effort to follow this local search engine tips for contractors and ensure you have done everything possible to get on the map and at the top of the local rankings.

– By Joanne Costin


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