Get Found on the First Page of Google & Book More Roofing Jobs With These Local SEO Tips

Local SEO services for roofers are some of the most important marketing investments you can make for your business, but there are so many places to start and things to do. Local SEO helps roofers increase rankings on Google, website traffic, qualified leads, and sales.

In this article, our SEO experts dive into nine local SEO tips for roofers we’ve implemented to increase qualified leads and booked jobs from the web.

What Is Local SEO?

Before we get into our SEO tips, you might be wondering: What is local SEO?

Let us explain.

While SEO (search engine optimization) focuses on optimizing websites for general search engine rankings, local SEO is a subcategory of SEO and involves optimizing your website for higher rankings on Google in the specific cities and towns you need leads from.

For example, if you are a residential roofing company located in Charlotte, NC, you would be using local SEO to improve your website’s rankings in Charlotte and its surrounding areas — Matthews, Indian Trail, Ballantyne, Lake Norman, etc., not nationwide.

Local SEO strategies can be used across multiple business locations as well. So, if you are a roofer that has multiple offices across a large region or spanning several states, local SEO increases the likelihood of ranking on the first page of Google in those areas.

Create and Optimize a Google Business Profile for Your Roofing Company

A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) brings in a lot of traffic and leads for roofers, so creating a profile can be very beneficial when you’re trying to track website traffic, leads, and sales. A Google Business Profile also allows your business information to be more accessible to potential customers on search engine result pages.

To create a profile, visit: https://www.google.com/business/ and enter your business information. If your business has multiple locations, you can set up a GBP for each location.

In order to optimize your profile and drive more leads, follow these tips while setting up your profile.

Tip #1: Add an accurate and intriguing business description

Make those 750 words count. Describe what your business does in an accurate and descriptive way that showcases how you stand out from competitors. Do you have a ton of five-star reviews or awards? Include that! Make sure customers can see the value your roofing company can provide them. Here is an example of a well-optimized description from one of our roofing clients:

Tip #2: Add an accurate business name

This name must be your actual business name. Make sure not to spam this with keywords or geo-modifiers (city and/or state names such as Charlotte, NC), or you will risk your GBP profile being reported and taken down by Google.

If your business’s name is “Smith’s Roofing Company,” that needs to be the name you use on your GBP.

An example of a spam-filled business name that may be flagged and taken down for Smith’s Roofing Company would be: Smith’s Roofing Company | Professional Roofers Charlotte, NC.

This business name goes against Google’s Business Profile because it is not the actual name of the business and it is stuffed with keywords in an attempt to cheat Google’s algorithm. Although it may be tempting to try this, this will end up hurting your business’s rankings if your GBP profile gets reported for an incorrect business name.

Tip #3: Add eye-catching photos

Spruce up your profile by adding more than just the recommended storefront image. Add in photos of roofs your business has installed and projects you have completed so prospective customers can see why they should choose your business.

Pay attention to the background of these photos to make sure they don’t include anything unprofessional, inappropriate, or offensive that will cause customers to change their minds about hiring your roofing company.

Photos are important in your GBP profile in order to showcase the work your business does and also make your business look more credible and trustworthy than it would with a blank profile. Here are some examples of photos to add to your profile from one of our current roofing clients:

Tip #4: Add your correct business information and check it regularly

Make sure to choose the correct business category and then add in the correct website, phone number, hours, address, and contact method for your business. This is important so your profile can show up in relevant searches and your business can get more promising leads.

Once you add this information, there’s still a lot of housekeeping to do on your profile. Google allows users (no matter the affiliation they have with the business) to suggest edits to all business listings’ information, and sometimes those suggested edits can be completely wrong — which may cause your Google rankings to drop or put your Google Business Profile at risk for suspension.

To avoid losing leads from an incorrect site link or phone number (or upsetting customers by having the wrong business hours listed), it is best to check on these listings on a regular basis and make sure the information listed is correct!

Tip #5: Respond to reviews

As your reviews trickle in after your GBP is set up, you should respond to all reviews (both positive and negative) within 72 hours.

Responding to reviews quickly shows that your business cares about your customers and their satisfaction and also helps Google see your listing as a credible and reliable business.

When a review is positive, it is nice to respond with at least a simple “thank you” to encourage more people to leave positive reviews and show customers you appreciate their business. Responding to negative reviews is important to show that your business values customer service, and potential customers will see that your business took steps to make the reviewer’s unpleasant experience better, rather than them being scared off by the negative review.

When responding to negative reviews, make sure to be polite and courteous toward the customer and try to offer them some way to contact you so you can fix the situation that occurred. Other potential customers will be able to see your response, so make sure it is professional and indicative of a company that owns up to their mistakes and focuses on client satisfaction so this negative review doesn’t scare away new customers. Here is an example of a professional review that shows the business is working to address the problem:

Reviews that mention your geographic area or a certain keyword can affect your search engine rankings, positively or negatively, as well as your business’s overall number of reviews, average star rating, and overall sentiment.

Tip #6: Check for duplicate listings and remove them

Regularly check for duplicate listings of your business on GBP and Google, and make sure to delete or report the duplicate listings. Duplicate listings harm your rankings and confuse potential customers.

Optimize Your Roofing Website for Better Rankings on Google

At Blue Corona, our biggest local SEO goal is to increase your rankings on Google. Organic rankings are a promising way for your business to gain leads and could be a great investment of your time and resources. Over 200 ranking factors play into how Google ranks your site, but here are some of the best practices and ways to get the best local SEO results.

Tip #7: Optimize your title tags

Each page on your roofing website should have a unique title tag that describes the page in under 65 characters. A title tag is what shows up first in a search engine result, shown here as “Keyway Construction & Roofing”:

If possible, try and use geo-modifiers and your most important keyword in the front of your title tag or before the first vertical bar if you choose to utilize them in your title tags. This title tag describes the page while using relevant geo-modifiers and high-priority keywords. Title tags help your search engine rankings and help potential customers find your business. Make sure not to repeat keywords to avoid being considered spam.

For example, a roofing company based in Charlotte, NC, may use the following tag for its homepage: Roofing Company in Charlotte, NC | Repair & Replacement.

Tip #8: Optimize your meta descriptions

Your meta descriptions are also important in your rankability. Meta descriptions also appear in a search engine result, right under the title tag.

Meta descriptions should accurately describe a page with under 145 characters and should include high-priority keywords. In these descriptions, it also helps to include special offers such as a free quote or a limited-time discount.

Tip #9: Install schema markup on your roofing website

Contrary to popular belief, Google doesn’t rank websites, it ranks webpages. But before Google can rank your webpages on the first page of results, it must first figure out:

• Who your company is
• What your company sells/offers
• Where your company is located and areas served

In a split second, Google makes an educated guess to answer the three questions above based on the content of your website before serving your website to a prospective homeowner who needs roofing services.

Installing schema markup on your website eliminates any guessing Google has to do and tells Google hyper-specific information to your business, such as who you are, what you sell, and your service areas.

Schema can also differentiate your roofing business from competitors online by also telling Google things such as your:

• Aggregate review rating and total number of reviews
• Business address (via Google Maps coordinates)
• Business phone number
• Price range
• Link to your company logo
• Opening and closing hours
• Forms of payment accepted
• Geographic information
• Link to your Google Business Profile

Grow Your Business With Blue Corona

At Blue Corona, we specialize in helping roofing contractors and other residential service businesses maximize their real estate on Google. If you’re looking to increase leads and sales from the web, send us a message. Let’s grow your business together!