How Do I Get My Contractor Business on the First Page of Google?
"How do I get my contractor business on the first page of Google?" – We get asked this question a lot. The answer is really simple; it takes hard work and cooperation among a group of experienced people with purposefully and uniquely varied skill sets.
Can anybody guarantee your contracting business can remain as the first search result on Google? No. Absolutely not. But if you follow the three guidelines below, keep at it, and communicate with your web team, you can certainly stack the odds in your favor to obtain and retain a top position on Google.
It Comes Down to Three Main Things if You Want to Get Your Contractor Business on the First Page of Google
- Foundation - A solidly built website that is in tune with what Google wants.
- Traffic - There are so many ways to talk about how to get traffic to your site: Paid Ads, Social Media, Email Marketing, Listings, Content, Print Marketing...
- Details - This includes new content (like examples of jobs you've completed), online reviews, effective layouts, professional graphics, a business address you don't mind posting online, proper citations, strategies, goals...
The steps are simple but the work is complicated and multifaceted. That's why we are so proud to offer an affordable, no-hassle program to help you do this. We understand contractors and have developed our routines to match your routines.
If you want to have a professional business online, you need just that – a professional business. Search engines like Google are always going to protect "The Search" so that people who are searching the web get the most accurate and trusted results for whatever they need. You cannot game Google.
It really doesn't matter whether you're an electrician, a plumber, a landscaping professional, a roofer, or any other type of service contractor, if you follow these guidelines, you can absolutely be in the running to compete online.
Google is Always Changing Its Secret Sauce
Just as you stay up-to-date in your industry, we stay current on the ever-changing web trends. When Google flexes, we are proactively adjusting our strategies to appease the search giant.
Google regularly changes the way it shows search results to people depending on countless variables – variables that more often than not, remain behind a shroud of secrecy. The reason for this is because at its heart, Google does not care about your business or any other web company as much as it cares about the people who are actually searching, so when the black hat marketers try to trick Google, the search engine quickly catches on and swiftly puts an end to it.
Google wants to provide the most accurate results to anybody who searches, because if they didn't, why would you use Google? If Google didn't police its systems, when you search for a local contractor you might be inundated with spam sites and scam sites, or some fly-by-night hustler who threw up a hacky website to take advantage of the unsuspecting. Ultimately, to get your contractor business on the first page of Google, you need to be the best company you can be. Your best bet is to hire a qualified web company, let them do their job, and focus on doing the best job you can do for your customers. Everything else will fall into place.
Pandas, Pirates, Pigeons, Penguins, Possums, RankBrain and Mobilegeddon? Oh my!
Funny nicknames aside, these are just a few of the many updates Google has made to its systems and algorithms over the years. You can find a full list over at Moz. This may not mean anything to a contractor and that's okay, because we'll do all the worrying behind the scenes when Google announces the next impending change and update your website accordingly. As technology updates over the years so does Google, and thus, so must your website and the way you market yourself online.
Often, these updates are very minor and require only subtle tweaks if any, but sometimes they can have a large impact on the way a business appears in the search engines. But no matter what changes, if you follow the three guidelines and focus on providing great service to your customers, Google will want to show your company to those who search for your services.
Remember: foundation, traffic, and details is key when trying to get your business on the first page of Google. In the Footbridge Media program, we help you with all three on an ongoing basis and are happy to share the details of what we do – or simply get it done.
About Footbridge Media
Since 2004, Footbridge Media has worked exclusively with contractors just like you to help them achieve their goals. Your success is our business.
