SEO for Construction Companies Made Easy: The Ultimate Guide
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a powerful tool that helps construction companies stand out online and attract more potential projects.
When done right, SEO increases your website's visibility, attracts qualified leads, and establishes your company as a leader in the industry.
Thats because people searching for your services or topics related to your services and construction will see your company.
This guide will break down practical steps to build up your SEO and increase your sales.
1. Understanding the Basics of SEO for Construction
SEO involves optimizing your website so it ranks higher on search engines like Google and Bing. Google by far has the most traffic servicing 91% of searches world-wide.
There are three main areas in work on in order to build your SEO:
- On-page SEO: Creating amazing contant and optimizing it (like titles and meta descriptions) to make your website more relevant to search engines. At the end of the day, the best thing you can do to rank high on Google is create better content then what is currently ranking.
- Off-page SEO: Building backlinks and managing online reputation to signal your site’s authority.
- Technical SEO: Improving the website’s speed, mobile compatibility, and security to enhance user experience and crawlability.
Combining all three strategies will help your construction company improve its online visibility and attract more clients.
2. Keyword Research for Construction Companies
The first step to building your SEO is researching words and phrases that you want to rank for.
Keyword research identifies the words and phrases your potential clients use when searching for services and construction related topics. Understanding the two main types of search intent is crucial:
- Commercial Intent: Keywords that indicate the searcher is ready to hire or buy a service (e.g., “roof repair services in Chicago”). Ranking for these keywords can attract customers actively looking for your services.
- Informational Intent: Keywords used by people seeking information, not necessarily looking to hire immediately (e.g., “how to fix a leaky roof”). Creating helpful content around these keywords can attract visitors early in their research phase and build trust.
How to Do Keyword Research: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find relevant keywords. Focus on both commercial and informational keywords to attract a wider audience.
These tools track keywords and phrases that you can "rank" for in search engines. Your ranking is in regard to what position you show up in search engines. People are more likely to click the 1st, 2nd and 3rd results.
Examples of Keywords by Contractor Type:
- General Contractors: “general contractor near me” (commercial), “how to choose a general contractor” (informational).
- Roofing Contractors: “roofing contractor in [City]” (commercial), “types of roofing materials” (informational).
- Plumbing Contractors: “emergency plumbing repair” (commercial), “DIY plumbing tips” (informational).
- HVAC Contractors: “HVAC installation services” (commercial), “how to maintain your HVAC system” (informational).
- Electrical Contractors: “certified electrician near me” (commercial), “how to troubleshoot electrical problems” (informational).
Pro Tip: Target long-tail keywords (more specific phrases) to attract targeted traffic and higher conversion rates. For example instead of ranking for "general contractor", you might rank for "commercial general contractor" or "multifamily general contractor."
Choosing the Right Keywords for Your Construction Business
Selecting the right keywords is crucial for effective SEO. Aim for a balance of the following factors:
- Search Volume: Choose keywords that have a decent search volume, indicating that people are actively looking for those terms.
- Intent: Focus on keywords that show clear intent, like “commercial roofing contractor” or “home renovation services,” which suggest a readiness to hire.
- Keyword Difficulty: For beginners, target keywords with a difficulty score under 30 to ensure they are attainable and provide a realistic chance of rankin
Here is an example of some keyword research related to New Construction.
3. Creating High-Quality Content
Content is the foundation of a successful SEO strategy. It helps attract visitors to your website and builds trust by answering their questions and showcasing your expertise.
How to Create High-Quality Content:
- Research Competitors and Top-Ranking Content: Start by identifying the websites currently ranking for your target keywords. Analyze the top-performing content to understand why it ranks well. Look at factors like content length, structure, use of visuals, and engagement features (such as interactive elements or downloadable resources).
- Take the Best Ideas and Improve Upon Them: Identify the most valuable insights and features from top-ranking articles and think about how you can create something even better. This could involve providing more in-depth explanations, adding unique data or case studies, or improving the design and readability of your content.
- Optimize for User Experience and Design: Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and headings to make your content easy to read. Incorporate visuals like images, infographics, and videos to break up text and enhance engagement. Ensure your design is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate, which improves both user experience and SEO.
- Provide Better Information: Go beyond the basics by offering original insights, professional advice, or unique data from your industry experience. Adding specific examples, detailed guides, or expert opinions can help differentiate your content from competitors.
- Regularly Update Your Content: Keeping your content fresh and up-to-date signals to search engines that your site remains relevant. Regularly update your articles with new information, statistics, or industry developments.
Pro Tip: Use a content calendar to plan and schedule posts consistently, ensuring a steady flow of fresh content to maintain engagement and visibility.
By researching competitors, improving upon their content, and focusing on high-quality, informative, and well-designed materials, your content can stand out, attract more visitors, and convert them into customers.
4. Optimizing Your Website for SEO
To rank well on search engines, your website needs to be user-friendly and optimized for both users and search engines.
On-Page Optimization:
- Use Relevant Keywords: Incorporate target keywords naturally into your content, including headers, body text, meta descriptions, and image alt texts. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can negatively impact your rankings. Don't sacrifice adding keywords for providing a good experience to your potential customers.
- Organize Content with Headers: Use H1 for the main title, H2 for main sections, and H3 or lower for subsections. This hierarchy helps search engines understand the structure and importance of your content.
- Include Keywords in Headers: Place relevant keywords in headers (H1, H2, H3) to improve SEO while guiding users through your content.
- Improve Page Speed: A fast website keeps visitors engaged. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify speed issues and fix them. Compress images, minimize code, and leverage browser caching. We recommend hiring someone through Fiverr for this.
- Enhance Mobile Responsiveness: Make sure your site looks good and functions well on all devices. 58% of search traffic is on phones.
- Improve User Experience (UX): Simplify navigation, use clear headings, and structure your content so visitors find what they need quickly.
Internal Linking:
Internal linking connects different pages within your website through hyperlinks or buttons. It helps guide users to related content and helping search engines understand your site structure.
You do this by hyperlinking to different parts of your website and using the keywords or related phrases to link to the pages that you are trying to rank for. You do this naturally through out your website.
For example, I might have a sentence with a hyper link that mentions how you should hire a marketing consultant to help you with this. I link to the page that I am trying to rank for, with text that is similiar to what people are searching for.
Effective internal linking can improve SEO by:
- Distributing Page Authority: Links from high-authority pages on your site (like your homepage) to other pages can pass authority and help those pages rank higher in search results.
- Enhancing User Experience: Direct users to related content (like blog posts or service pages) to keep them on your site longer and increase engagement.
- Helping Search Engines Crawl Your Site: Search engines use links to discover and index pages. An effective internal linking strategy ensures all important pages are crawled and indexed.
Tips for Effective Internal Linking:
- Use descriptive anchor text (clickable text in a hyperlink) that includes relevant keywords.
- Link to high-priority pages from your homepage or other key pages.
- Regularly audit your internal links to fix broken links and update outdated ones.
Pro Tip: A balanced internal linking strategy ensures all important pages are properly linked to guide users and search engines effectively.
5. Local SEO Strategies
Local SEO is essential for construction to connect with nearby customers who are actively searching for your services.
Local SEO Tips:
- Google Business Profile: Claim your business listing and keep all information accurate and up to date. Add photos, respond to reviews, and update your hours and services regularly. This can generate significant traffic to your business for free.
- Local Citations: Ensure your business is consistently listed with correct information on local directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific sites like The Blue Book Building & Construction Network.
- Local Keywords: Use location-specific keywords (e.g., "kitchen remodeling in Austin") to attract local search traffic.
Creating Location-Specific Service Pages:
- Why Create Location Pages? These pages help you rank in local searches by targeting specific cities or regions you serve, indicating to search engines and potential customers that you operate in those areas.
How to Create Effective Location Pages:
- Unique Content for Each Page: Write original, high-quality content for each location, detailing the services you offer, relevant projects, and local partnerships. Don't just duplicate the same pages. Make each one unique.
- Include Local Keywords: Naturally integrate location-specific keywords (e.g., “roof repair services in Denver”).
- Add Location-Specific Elements: Use local customer testimonials, contact details, maps, and relevant photos.
Pro Tip: Regularly update location pages with new content, such as recent projects or local community activities, to keep them relevant and engaging.
6. Building Authority with Backlinks
Backlinks, or links from other websites to yours, are essential for improving your website’s authority and search engine rankings.
They signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy and relevant.
How to Build Backlinks:
- Guest Blog Posting: Write articles for reputable blogs and websites in the construction or related industries. Ensure the content is valuable and relevant, and include a link back to your website or page that you are looking to rank for.
- Content Marketing: Create high-quality, shareable content like how-to guides, industry insights, or infographics that others in your industry will want to link to. Base the content on your keyword research.
- Partnerships: Collaborate with local businesses, suppliers, or industry organizations for mutual backlink opportunities.
- Community Involvement: Participate in or sponsor local events to earn backlinks from local news sites and community blogs.
Tips for Building Links:
- Focus on acquiring links from high-authority(popular) websites in your industry.
- Use relevant and natural anchor text for your backlinks. The anchor text is the text which contains your link. If its near or includes the keywords that you want to rank for that will increases your chances of ranking.
- Avoid spammy or low-quality websites that could negatively affect your SEO.
Pro Tip: Regularly audit your backlink profile using tools like Ahrefs or Moz to ensure the quality of your links and identify any harmful backlinks that need removal.
7. Tracking and Measuring SEO Performance
Tracking your SEO performance helps you understand what’s working and what needs improvement.
Key Metrics to Monitor:
- Traffic: Monitor the number of visitors to your site using tools like Google Analytics.
- Rankings: Track your rankings for targeted keywords over time using tools like UberSuggest or SEMRush.
- Conversions: Measure how many visitors take desired actions (e.g., filling out a contact form, calling your business).You can track this through Google Analytics or by asking your customers how they found you.
Pro Tip: Regularly review your SEO strategy based on this data to continuously improve your results.
Conclusion
SEO may seem complex, but by breaking it down into manageable steps, you can significantly impact your construction company's online visibility.
Take it one step at a time and be patient. It takes time to see the results but it will be worth it.
Focus on keyword research, high-quality content, local SEO, and building authority with backlinks. Write out a plan ane execute it.
Regularly monitor your performance to see the results of your efforts.
Need assistance? Our marketing consultants specializes in SEO for construction companies and is here to help you grow your online presence and attract more customers. Contact us today to learn more!
