SEO for Tradesmen - What is it and why does it matter to Tradesmen?
What is SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation, the online marketing process that helps you gain visibility in search engine unpaid listings. When you do a search in Google or another search engine, SEO is what determines the ranking in which your company is listed in the search results.
Members of OnlineTradesmen.ie automatically get a free website for their business as part of their membership which you can optimise as you need it. It removes most of the effort and guesswork for you.
How does SEO Work?
The exact way in which Google calculates the ranking of a website is a closely guarded secret but it is widely understood that the following are some of the main factors influence your websites SEO:
- Content Quality – The quality of the text on your site and how relevant it is to the search terms you want to be found on.
- Content freshness – How regularly the text changes influences the frequency at which Google vists your site and ultimately your results
- Your domain name – A domain name that closely matches the search terms you wish to be found under makes a big difference your SEO. So, for example, a domain name of PlumberDublin14.com will be better than JobBlogsLtd.com
- Your site speed – Google is all about user experience, so a website that loads quickly on PC’s and Mobile phones will improve your ranking.
- User experience – This is a hard one to quantify, but coupled witah all of the above a website that is easy to navigate and gives a strong user experience will psuh your rankings above your competitors
- External Links – Google looks at the number and quality of external websites linking to your website when determining how important your website is. A website with a number of good links to it is deemed more important than those without and hence gets ranked much higher in search results.
Why does SEO matter for Tradesmen?
The internet is fast replacing word of mouth as the main source of work for Tradesmen. So a well optimised website will connect you with a huge and growing source of work. Imagine a scenario where customers found you online, got to see and understand both the type and quality of the work you do and then contact you directly to hire you ? That is what a well optimised website can provide.
By driving targeted and relevant traffic to a site, SEO will literally put money in the owners pocket. Members of OnlineTradesmen.ie get a free website that does all of this for you.
Starting Tips for Tradesmen SEO:
SEO is a now a billion dollar industry, with any number of books, websites and service providers available to help you build your online presence. While most are reputable, it is also worthwhile pointing out that many will promise to get you to the top of Google’s rankings and ultimately fail. SEO is about discipline and consistency – it takes work to build a successful SEO strategy for tradesmen – and no amount shortcuts or promises can circumvent this fact.
That said there are some simple SEO tips that every tradesman can follow to help them get started. Here are our top SEO suggestions:
Pick keywords for your website
Before you dive straight in, take a breath! In advance of thinking about the content you want to add to your website, you should first consider what type of traffic you want to attract. In a nutshell this means putting your company in the correct 'Bucket' for prospective customers searching in Google for them to find you more easily. Working out your keywords will allow you to position your new website for specific search terms - and then rank you accordingly for them in Google.
So for example if you are a Builder in Dublin 14, you want to make sure that your website is displayed when customers search for that term or variants of it. For this reason your website content should include keyword combinations of 'Builder Dublin 14' prominently on your website (but make sure you do not overuse the term as Google will penalise you for it!)
Content - Good quality and consistent:
Once you have your keywords agreed, you need to write clear and professional content that describes your company and service so as to impress potential customers. Google loves quality and fresh content. So you need to create unique content that tells visitors your story. Include photos and, if possible, video to improve the visitor experience.
Get a good domain name:
As above, a good domain name can set you apart and drive more traffic to your site. Rather than using your own company name, try to choose one that closely matches your keyword combination as it is proven to help with your ranking. So, for example, rather than choosing a domain name of 'JoeBloggsBuilders.com' pick 'Dublin14Builders.com' instead to align your overall content strategy! At OnlineTradesmen.ie all our members get a free website with the ability to register a custom domain name of their choice. Request a callback today to see how we can help grow your business.
Get inbound links
As per the paragraph above, getting links from third party websites to your company site is key to growing and improving your ranking. Free directory sites and social media sites (Google Plus, Facebook etc.) can all help in this regard. Consider asking friends, customers and business partners to link to your website where you can to increase your rank and traffic.
Customer Reviews
Since time began Tradesmen have worked off word of mouth reviews, but the internet has now changed the dynamic somewhat. Potential customers now check tradesmen's online reviews before they hire them, so it is key that you have strong online reviews in place to impress clients and also to link back to your website. Review sites include Onlinetradesmen.ie, Facebook and Google Plus.
Consider a blog
Most Irish Tradesmen have something to say for themselves - so make it official and create a blog for your business. It not only allows you to publish your thoughts and experiences to the masses, but it fulfills Goolge's requirement for fresh and regular content. You can blog about jobs you are doing, or about your trade itself - the possibilities are endless! You can sign up for a free blogging platform on www.blogger.com - but make sure to always include links back to your own company website to get the SEO benefit.
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