Updated on August 23, 2023
Anyone who has ever looked for something online knows the importance of showing up on the first page of Google. However, knowing how to use search engine optimization (SEO) to get your roofing company’s listing near the top of Google can seem like a mystery.
Taking the time to understand the basics of roofing SEO can be very worthwhile. Of the small businesses that report using SEO, 83% of them said that it was an effective part of their marketing strategy. Clearly, when done well, SEO will help take your roofing marketing strategy to the next level.
If your site is currently landing on the 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th page of Google, you may be feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of improving that ranking. You’re not alone.
1 in 5 small businesses hasn’t tried SEO in the past. But by following a few simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to mastering search engine optimization for your roofing company.
In this blog post, we will discuss local SEO tips that can help your business rank higher on Google. We will also cover ways to improve your website design so that it converts more visitors into leads and how to ensure your Google listing is the most eye-catching among competitors in your area.
To become a real SEO wizard, we recommend checking out some of the more in-depth resources out there. In the meantime, implementing the tips in this blog will help you rank higher organically, leading to more qualified roofing leads and more new customers for your roofing business.
All small business owners must have a basic understanding of SEO.
Search engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility and ranking of your website on search engines like Google. By optimizing your site for relevant keywords, you can attract more visitors who are looking for what you offer, and as a result, you'll get more organic traffic and leads.
It's important to note that SEO for roofers is an ongoing process, and it takes time and effort to see results. But if you're willing to put in the work, an optimized website can help you attract more visitors and grow your business.
In a survey we conducted, we asked small businesses what their biggest challenges were with SEO. It was a 3-way tie with 24% of businesses apiece listing the following as SEO hurdles:
Effectively researching keywords for your roofing SEO strategy and implementing those words or phrases into your content is a crucial step in effectively boosting your Google ranking.
There are some high-quality keyword research tools out there, like SEMRush and Answer the Public, as well as some free tools provided by Google like Google Keyword Planner.
Many of these tools also offer extensive educational resources that will help you develop a keyword plan to suit your situation. You’ll want to choose keyword tools based on your budget and how tech-savvy you and your employees are.
It can seem difficult, but with a little time and the right tools, you’ll begin to develop a solid understanding of how to research keywords and use them in your content.
As you likely know, time and money are some of the biggest barriers to success for small businesses. With 24% of businesses listing this as a primary challenge in SEO, this reigns true in digital marketing.
Fortunately, you have options to use your limited resources effectively to streamline your roofing SEO strategy:
One of the beautiful things about modern technology is that it is constantly evolving, continually getting better at meeting the needs of searchers around the world. But, for businesses, this can be frustrating.
For many small businesses, by the time you feel comfortable with the elements of the search engine algorithm, a major change is implemented. Although frustrating, it’s critical that you stay on top of these changes.
By subscribing to SEO newsletters or scheduling time every quarter to catch up on any changes, you’ll be ahead of the competition and will ensure you’re not wasting your time or budget on outdated SEO strategies for roofing companies.
Based on the average cost for high-demand roofing keywords, if your company is only focused on paid advertising in Google, you could expect to spend $500 on about 100 clicks.
That might not seem too bad until you consider that a click does not equal a guaranteed job, which is why it’s crucial that customers in your area find your roofing company organically: advertising costs can really add up without the guarantee that you will book a single job.
So, let's dive a little deeper into how you can begin to make sure potential customers find your business before other roofing companies in the area.
If you're brand new to roofing SEO, you might wonder where your business's site can show up in Google and if your only focus should be on the search engine results pages (SERPs).
The short answer is that the SERPs are considered the most important place your website can appear, but there are several other places to keep in mind as well. For example, your roofing business can also be found on Google Maps results, which appear above the organic search results, making it a highly crucial part of SEO for roofers.
A key element to getting your roofing company to show up in the Google Maps results is claiming and updating your Google Business Profile.
Your GBP is what Google uses to easily source information on your company and pass that info on to potential customers. With 66% of consumers primarily using Google to research small businesses, it’s more important than ever to have accurate, up-to-date information on your GBP.
By claiming your profile you are able to ensure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date. It also allows you to take control of how your business appears in Google Maps.
Claiming your listing allows you to add photos, share updates, and respond to customer reviews—all of which can help boost your roofing site's ranking in search results.
In short, if you want to make sure your business is visible to potential customers, then claiming and updating your Google Business Profile should be one of your top priorities.
Configuring and setting up your NAP information correctly is essential to local SEO for roofers as your name, address, and phone number need to be consistent across all online platforms.
That means if your business name is "Acme Roofing," you shouldn't have it listed as "Acme Roofing Specialists" in one place and "Acme Roofing Company" in another. Inconsistent NAP information confuses Google and other search engines, which can hurt your local ranking.
In addition, make sure your NAP is prominently displayed on your website and includes your city and state. This helps Google understand your location so it can accurately show where you are on Maps and serves as a signal to potential customers that you're a local business.
By taking the time to configure your NAP correctly, you are ensuring that your roofing company is consistent and reliable not just in the eyes of potential customers but in the eyes of Google as well.
Small businesses live and die by their online reputation. In today's digital world, 77% of consumers reported that they always or regularly read online reviews when browsing for local businesses, and 49% trust them as much as a recommendation from a friend or family member.
That's why it's so important for small businesses to make sure they are doing everything they can to acquire more reviews and respond to all of them, good and bad.
Fortunately, we found that 71% of consumers are likely to leave a review if a company makes it easy for them to do so. Something as simple as including a link to your review page in thank-you emails will have you well on your way to generating more testimonials and customer referrals.
Additionally, it’s important that you attempt to acknowledge every review you receive. Thanking customers for positive reviews helps to build goodwill while addressing negative reviews in a prompt and professional manner can help mitigate any damage.
By taking advantage of online reviews, you can improve your roofing business's SEO and attract new customers.
Updating your Google Business Profile regularly is essential for roofers looking to grow with local SEO. When you update your Business Profile, it tells Google that you are still an active business.
This is important because Google wants to provide the most relevant and up-to-date results for its users. In addition, regularly updating your Business Profile helps to improve your reputation with potential customers.
Think about it this way: if you are looking to hire a home contractor, are you more likely to hire one whose information has been updated recently with new services, contactless options, and recent offers or one who hasn't been updated in years?
Keeping your GPB up to date shows potential customers that you are keeping your information current, which can inspire confidence in your business. If you want to improve your local SEO, make sure to keep your Google Business Profile updated on a regular basis.
With 71% of searchers clicking on the first page of SERPs, it’s critical that your roofing company’s website appears in those top 10 organic rankings. Otherwise, you’re almost assuredly missing out on a ton of potential customers.
Search Engine Journal found that the first organic result gets nearly 30% of clicks, decreasing incrementally as position decreases. In other words, showing up as high as possible on the organic search results is important because it significantly increases the amount of traffic your small business website receives.
Of course, as important as it is to increase the organic ranking of your roofing website, that doesn't mean much if potential customers aren't clicking on your search listing.
Next, we'll go into more detail on how to encourage clicks and conversion once you've boosted your organic ranking through roofing SEO.
There are many aspects that potential customers take into account when looking at the SERPs and deciding which company's website they will click on. Doing everything you can to ensure your roofing company's site instills nothing but trust in potential customers is crucial to making the most of your roofing SEO efforts.
Your website is often the first point of contact between you and your potential customers. As such, it's important to make sure that your site conveys a sense of trustworthiness and professionalism.
Unfortunately, when a customer experiences technical issues on your site, it can often have the opposite effect.
For example, if your site loads slowly or is low quality, potential customers may conclude that you're not a reputable business. Likewise, if your site contains errors, broken links, or unreadable metadata, it can negatively affect your Google organic ranking.
Fortunately, you can keep a few simple elements in mind to signal to both Google and your potential customers that you're a company worth doing business with.
With 66% of consumers using their mobile devices to search for small businesses, it’s important to make sure your website is optimized for mobile. A website that is not optimized for mobile can be very difficult to use on a small screen, and it can also load slowly, which will frustrate visitors and cause them to leave.
Google uses security as one of the main factors in determining where to rank a site. This means that a secure site is more likely to appear in the top search results than an insecure site. In addition, a secure site provides visitors with peace of mind, knowing that their personal data is safe.
Because Google considers load speed when determining where to rank a website in search results, a faster website is more likely to appear at the top of the list. In addition, faster websites tend to have higher conversion rates, as visitors are more likely to stay on the site and make a purchase.
Metadata is code that provides information about a web page and is used by search engines to help them understand the content of a site and to index it for search results.
While metadata does not directly affect the ranking of a web page, it is still an important part of SEO for roofers because it can help to improve click-through rates, which are a major factor in Google's algorithm.
In addition, metadata can be used to target specific keywords and phrases, making it easier for users to find your site when they search for relevant terms, such as "roofing company near me".
Your website is one of your best tools for marketing your roofing business and turning clicks into leads.
By writing informative content on your site pages, regularly posting engaging blogs, and getting backlinks from other reputable companies, you can help boost your listing on the SERPs, making it more likely that potential customers will find you.
Plus, with only 14% of small businesses focusing on both on-page SEO and off-page link building, this is a great area to improve and get ahead of the competition.
By investing in quality website content and working on generating backlinks from other reputable sites, you can make a significant impact on your SERP ranking and conversion rate.
While you want to ensure that every page of your website has informative, well-written content, there is a lot to be gained from adding site pages for your more high-revenue, in-demand services.
This way, when a customer searches for "emergency roof repairs near me," you can send them directly to a site focusing on their needs rather than to a general homepage where they have to comb through your information.
Site pages are also a great place to naturally use keywords that you want to rank for organically without having to keyword stuff (hint: Google doesn't like that).
Blogging is a great way for small businesses to connect with their customers and build rapport. By posting regular updates, businesses can let their customers know what they're up to and what new products or services they have to offer.
Regularly producing content is an opportunity to show off your company's knowledge and expertise. When you focus on writing informative and well-researched posts, you can establish yourself as a leader in the roofing field.
Plus, 40% of consumers said being able to read about a company and its insights via its blog would make them more likely to patronize that business.
Furthermore, blogging can be a great way to drive traffic to the company's website. Search engines like Google love fresh content, so by regularly publishing new blog posts, businesses are actively working to improve their ranking in search results. This in turn can lead to more website visitors and potential customers!
A backlink is when one website links to another. Backlinks are important because they act like "votes" for your website.
The more backlinks you have from high-quality websites, the more likely you are to rank higher for key searches because Google views backlinks as a sign of trust and quality content.
Therefore, if you can acquire backlinks from authoritative and trusted websites, this will help to improve your own website's ranking. There are many ways to acquire backlinks, such as guest blogging or creating informative and shareable content.
For businesses that need a boost in their SEO strategy without taking on all the legwork, partnering with an SEO reseller can be an effective way to access high-quality backlinks and other SEO services.
Whatever approach you take, the goal should be to create high-quality content that other website owners will actually want to link to.
Schema markups are code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand your content. They can be used to provide information about your business, products, and services.
When schema markup is added to a website, they appear as rich snippets in SERPs. Rich snippets are designed to give users a more detailed preview of your content and they can include things like reviews, pricing information, and business hours.
Adding schema markups to your website can help it stand out in SERPs, and ultimately lead to more clicks and traffic. While schema markups may seem like a lot of work, they can be easily added using a plugin or by editing your site's code.
If you're looking for ways to improve your website's visibility in SERPs and stand out from competitors' listings, adding schema markups is a great place to start.
Still not quite sure what we're talking about here? Take a look at the following example:
By following these tips, you will begin to see a marked improvement in your roofing SEO strategy and an increase in organic traffic, which means more leads coming through your door without breaking the bank on marketing!
To dive deeper into how to improve your roofing business’ online presence and get even more leads, be sure to download our free roofing marketing guide. It’s packed with expert advice on everything from email marketing to PPC tips to polishing your roofing website.