Do you have a plumbing or HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) business you would like to market online? If you do, you might want to learn more about Local SEO approach before dipping your feet into anything. Simply put, Local SEO is an online marketing strategy that focuses on getting your business more noticed by the local audience.
As with the case of those in the plumbing and HVAC business, a lot of them are banking on customers near their location. It is just one of those businesses that thrive on that. I mean think about it, do you want your plumber having to drive two hours away when one of your pipes burst in the middle of the night? Nope, you want someone who is not only reliable but can also respond very quickly.
Local SEO is also a fantastic stepping stone if you are planning to expand your market. Once you build a great local fan base, it wouldn’t be as difficult to take a more global approach when it comes to your SEO. Local SEO allows you to grow more organically and you could easily transition to newer markets should you choose to. Nothing builds a positive reputation faster than the unwavering trust of locals.
Need more convincing? Let’s get a bit more in depth and see some astonishing statistics on why your plumbing/HVAC business needs a heavy dose of Local SEO.
3 Reasons Why Your Plumbing/HVAC Business Needs Local SEO
Generate more hot leads
As I touched upon above, not all leads are the same. For example, New York is a pretty big city,and a more broad SEO strategy will get you leads from parts that probably won’t call once they learn that you are an hour or so away from their homes or apartments. Localizing your SEO can help you in further target leads that are more likely to convert.
Low-Cost Marketing Opportunity
An excellent local SEO strategy won’t come cheap, but it won’t be as expensive as let’s say, a billboard in town or a local TV spot during the good hours. However, Local SEO may actually be more effective than those examples mentioned above. Here are some eye-popping stats about local search.
- 20% of all search queries are people looking for local business
- 40% of all mobile searches are people looking for local companies (We will be touching on this topic more later
- A whopping 50% of those local business mobile searches results in a visit, a phone call, or another form of contact by the customer
There is no doubt about those facts; Local SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing approaches in our planet today.
Future Proof Your Business
Want another shocking statistic? Well, according to the same source as above, an astonishing 97% of all consumers are searching for local businesses online. I guess gone are the days when people grab the thick yellow pages directory if they need some work around the house.
So if you want your business to survive in the next years, you have to really embrace technology. And what better way to do that by focusing on a strategy that is more adept to the plumbing/HVAC industry. Of course, I am talking about local SEO.
5 Huge Local SEO Tips For Plumbing/HVAC Brands
Think Locally When It Comes to Your Website
Take a look at your website; does it scream local business at first glance? If it doesn’t, then it already means that you just spotted your first problem. Making your website locally optimized is one crucial thing that a good Local SEO strategy should have.
Start with your homepage. This is extremely important as most customers won’t go past the first page if your website doesn’t engage them in any way. According to studies, the average human attention span has decreased from 12 sec to a measly 8 seconds. Yes, ladies and gents, the human race has now the same attention span as that of a goldfish!
Check if your homepage has a great visible spot where you can write your location. If you have photos on your website, try peppering them with local community activities and jobs. Take a look at your Meta Data and make sure that your page title tags have your location. Another great local SEO tip is to place quick links to your social media pages and blogs on your homepage.
Mobile-proof your brand
When it comes to great Local SEO tips, mobile-proofing your brand takes the cake. Mobile use is slowly taking over as the most used when it comes to internet usage. Mobile internet accounts for over 50% of the bandwidth that the world consumes. And as stated above, 40% of all mobile searches are made looking for local business. That’s a pretty impressive stat that definitely tells you that your Plumbing/HVAC business needs to go the mobile route.
So do a double check if your website is already mobile responsive. Users won’t go further into your site if your websites start getting buggy. Also, check if your business can have an option to get paid via mobile for that convenience edge. Be active on your social media accounts as most mobile engagements happen there.
Another good local SEO tip is to invest a bit in SMS marketing. Do you doubt this? Well SMS has a whopping 97% open rate! So just think about that a bit.
Set Up a MyGoogle Business Page
MyGoogle Business Page is something that local businesses should start taking advantage of. It’s free,and it can make your online presence bigger. Just sign up your business, add some photos and your plumbing/HVAC brand will have its very own page. It’s like having your very own calling card on the web.
But if we are talking about the most significant benefits of having a MyGoogle Business Page profile, how it gets your business in Google Maps. As of writing, Google Maps has over 154.4 million monthly users,and that figure will continue to grow as the popularity of GPS tracking gets larger and larger.
Most consumers are relying on maps to get to where they need to be, and that includes getting to stores and services. So putting your business on the map is a huge deal. For a more in-depth overview and instructions about MyGoogle Business Page, just click here.
Start Hoarding Those Five Star Reviews
Reviews are the lifeblood of any starting business,and the same is true for the plumbing/HVAC industry. Especially now that the internet has been flooded with sites dedicated to giving other consumers insights on a brand’s product and services. It is truly tough to hide in this capitalist world.
On the other hand, great reviews can significantly boost a company’s sales and reputation. Nothing beats a good word of mouth advertising that spreads like wildfire. All you have to do is sit back and watch us the customers pour in!
So post great reviews on your website. Keep engaging your customers and find ways to reward those who are loyal. Lastly, don’t ignore negative reviews and manage those as well. For a more in-depth discussion on how you can get great review just click this link (Link to 5-star reviews article).
Don’t Underestimate Blogs
One of the best Local SEO tips around is to create a thriving and updated blog. Blogs can signal how active you are in the community and how dedicated you are to your service. Try to become active and make sure your blogs do not collect dust. When done right, blogging can activate specific keywords that your website just won’t be able to reach. And this means a better position on Google’s top pages.
Try to post blogs about your services, facts and trivia, instructional content, and what you are doing around the local community. Post a lot of graphs, photos, and videos to keep readers engaged. A blog can be a fun andworthwhile local marketing tool for your business.
Conclusion
Online marketing has gone a long way since the days of click ad banners and email. Nowadays, technology has allowed us to get more specific when it comes to audiences. That is why a lot of companies like plumbing/HVAC businesses are keener to do Local SEO more than ever.
It’s more effective and a lot less guesswork. It gets you seen by the right type of people which means more business for your company. Try out focusing on Local SEO,and you might just be surprised with how great the results are!
