Remember the Yellow Pages big book of business ads and listings? If you are under 40 you probably said: “what are the Yellow Pages”? Mobile phones effectively put the Yellow Pages and other print directories on the shelf of obsolescence.
When we need to find a local company, restaurant, service provider, or retailer we all pull out our mobile phones and search for the answer. Search engines know your location so they serve up the best local options. Without the results being localized to your area, you could easily search for pizza while sitting in Louisville and find a great restaurant located in Los Angeles.
The same thing happens when someone searches for a roofing or siding contractor. The highest-rated and most locally optimized online profiles and websites are the ones Google delivers to the searcher’s phone.
Over 80% of buyers in the United States use a mobile phone to search to find local businesses.
88% of searches for local businesses on a mobile device either call or visit the business within 24 hours.
The most important marketing investment a contractor should make to drive traffic to their website and to get the phone to ring is to optimize their local listings online. Referrals and recommendations should always be a contractor’s bread-n-butter for lead generation but that should happen naturally. Optimizing your online profiles and listings is something that takes a concerted effort.
Where to start?
Google search your business name and see if a basic profile appears in the search results.
If there is a link asking “are you the business owner?” you should click this and follow the instructions to claim your listing.
Here are links to a video and other instructions to complete this process.
By far the most used source of local search information is Google. So go where the searchers are and set up your Google My Business profile here.
When you set up your business’ profile on Google, you’ll be able to do things like:
- Respond to customer reviews left on Google
- Add photos of your business or your work
- Add accurate store hours and location information
- Put your best phone number and other contact information
- Share offers and discounts
Another key benefit of having your Google profile up to date is that your business will now be included on the Google map for businesses that match the criteria of the search.
“You will be far more visible to the vast majority of users of both Android and iPhones searching for businesses within a 5-kilometer radius,” Google advises, pointing to the SEO edge the tool provides in promoting small, local businesses over more generic corporations. “Local searchers do not want to be constantly bombarded with the same old big names that may or may not truly offer the service or product they are seeking.”
When you run searches you see the Google My Business listings at the top of the search results meaning this profile is your best search engine optimization (SEO) step, even if your website is not highly developed.
Tips for optimizing your Google My Business profile
First and foremost follow Google’s guidelines for creating your listing.
Follow the ideas to complete the most effective listing:
- Be consistent with your business name everywhere you list it including your physical location, online listings, and on the sides of your trucks
- Make sure you address is always listed the same way and is accurate
- Choose the least number of categories possible to describe your overall business
- List your hours of operation and keep them up to date
- Use one phone number everywhere
- Be descriptive about who you serve in your business description
Make sure your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across all locations and listings. Make it easy for people to contact you!
Additional steps to take to optimize your local online presence
Also, make sure you’ve claimed and updated all your listings on the following directories:
- Yellow Book online - this is now the Yellow Pages!
- Bing Places for Business
- HomeAdvisor
- Superpages
- Yellowpages
- eLocal
- Yelp
- BBB
- Yahoo Local
- DexKnows
- Nextdoor
- White Pages
- Manta
- Mapquest
- Foursquare
- Business Journals
If you only do one thing to market your business locally make sure you are following the Google My Business and other local directories guidelines. That is the one thing that will make it easiest for your local prospects to find you online.
Learn More
Read our first post in this series "Marketing for Metal Roofing Contractors".
About McElroy Metal
Since 1963, McElroy Metal has served the construction industry with quality products and excellent customer service. The employee-owned components manufacturer is headquartered in Bossier City, La., and has 14 manufacturing facilities across the United States. Quality, service and performance have been the cornerstone of McElroy Metal’s business philosophy and have contributed to the success of the company through the years. As a preferred service provider, these values will continue to be at the forefront of McElroy Metal’s model along with a strong focus on the customer.
Topics: Marketing for Contractors
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