Basic Online Marketing Tips for Small Home Services Companies, like yours, by Richard Uzelac
As a small business owner, it’s easy to feel like your company is insignificant in the vast digital landscape. With so much competition and noise online, how can your modest operation stand out and get noticed?
We contend that the digital landscape has become a highly competitive arena, where larger corporations with substantial resources often dominate the SEO game. In such an environment, we argue that the impact of a small business can be eclipsed by the sheer volume and might of the corporate giants who have substantial marketing budgets at their disposal.
Just as we might have thought that 0 is not commonly used in counting numbers, in reality, it’s crucial to recognize that the foundation of the digital world is built upon the binary language of 0s and 1s. Just as every computer communicates through this simple yet powerful code, your small business, too, can harness the potential of SEO to establish a strong online presence.
GOOD WORDPRESS SITE
To kick things off, WordPress stands out because it is an open-source platform, which means it can be used publicly and legally with accessible and editable source code. This fosters innovation, flexibility, and a strong sense of community among volunteers and organizations working collaboratively. This is why most people use it.
What makes a good quality WordPress site?
Engaging and Informative Content
The foundation of a successful WordPress website lies in the quality of its content. It’s often said that “content rules the Internet,” and this holds true. Without engaging and informative content, your website won’t attract visitors or encourage return visits.
Navigation
Navigation is about providing an intuitive user experience, guiding visitors from the landing page to their desired destination on your site.
Speed
The rise of mobile users greatly significantly impacts your site. Since mobile devices are not as powerful as computers, it is essential to optimize your site’s speed. This optimization contributes to a better user experience.
Just as we thought that it’s getting better, here are more strategies to make a quality WordPress wite.
Rich Content Service Page
According to the book “How People Read Online,” people tend to scan rather than read word for word when reading online, a behavior that has remained consistent over the last two decades since it was examined in 1997. Therefore, when building your service page, consider the following key elements:
Detailed, Benefits-Focused Copy: Provide comprehensive content that explains what your service offers. Go into detail about what’s included, who it’s intended for, the problems it solves, and your qualifications. Ensure the copy highlights the benefits of your service.
Social Proof: Boost credibility by including customer reviews, testimonials, or case studies that show the effectiveness of your services.
Visuals: Enhance the page with visuals such as photos, videos, or screenshots to visually illustrate your services and engage visitors.
Optimized Page Design: Design your page for easy scanning, reading, and navigation. Make sure that prominent Call to Action (CTA) buttons guide visitors to take desired actions.
Keyword Research: Research and target keywords relevant to each specific service. Create dedicated, optimized pages for each service and location to improve search engine visibility.
On-Page Optimization: Focus on optimizing elements like titles, headings, meta descriptions, URLs, and content. Ensure that you include internal links to related services.
Continuous Testing and Improvement: Regularly monitor the performance of your service pages. Be ready to make adjustments to elements like copy, design, and keywords to enhance the user experience and SEO ranking.
At GoMarketing, our approach involves creating service pages with at least 800 words of content, emphasizing key features and benefits. These best practices can lead to high-quality service pages that provide a great return on investment.
Local SEO
Small businesses operating in local markets can benefit significantly from creating unique, informative, and engaging content tailored to the specific towns or areas they serve. This can be achieved by crafting dedicated web pages for each town or locality where your services are offered. These pages should be more than just a listing of services; they should provide valuable information about the town, local news, events, and how your business plays a part in the community.
Creating such town-specific pages serves several purposes:
Local SEO: Having dedicated pages for those areas can help your small home business appear higher in the search results. These pages can significantly boost your local search engine optimization efforts and will be more likely to be found when potential customers search for services in their area.
Community Connection: It shows your commitment to the community and your deep understanding of local needs and interests. This can be a significant differentiator for small businesses.
Content Richness: Longer pages with 800+ words not only provide more value to your visitors but also offer search engines more content to index. This can enhance your overall website’s authority and relevance.
Creating a New Blog Every Month, or More, for Your Home Service Company
Maintaining a blog is a powerful strategy for consistently generating fresh, relevant content that can help your home service company establish authority and expertise in your field. To keep your website active and engaging for visitors, it’s advisable to stick to a regular posting schedule, ideally with at least one new blog post every month.
However, it’s crucial not to produce content just for the sake of it. Your blog posts for your home service company should meet the following criteria:
Informative: Address common questions or issues that your customers face in the realm of home services. Provide practical solutions or insights that highlight your expertise and showcase your ability to meet their needs.
Relevant: Ensure that your content remains closely tied to your industry, the services you offer, and the interests of your target audience. This relevance strengthens your position as an authority in the home service sector.
Engaging: Craft your blog posts in a conversational tone, infuse them with storytelling elements, and encourage interaction through comments and social sharing. This approach not only educates your audience but also fosters a sense of connection and community.
By consistently producing well-crafted blog content that fulfills these criteria, your home service company can boost its online presence and provide valuable information to potential customers.
Add 3 Images to Every Page
Visual elements can significantly enhance the overall user experience and engagement on your website. However, it’s essential to ensure that you have the right to use these images. You can achieve this by either taking the pictures yourself, purchasing images from legal online sources, or using images with proper licenses. Images can serve several purposes:
Enhanced Engagement: Visual content, such as images and infographics, can make your content more appealing and easier to understand.
SEO Benefits: Optimizing image tags and descriptions can improve your website’s accessibility and search engine rankings.
Convey Information: Images can convey information faster and more effectively than text alone. Use them to illustrate your points or showcase your products and services.
Bonus: Get Links from Other Sites Back to Your Site
Backlinks play a crucial role in SEO, and they’re a vital component of building a strong online presence. Small businesses can pursue various strategies to acquire high-quality backlinks:
- Directories: List your business in relevant, reputable online directories specific to your industry or location.
- Link Exchange: Collaborate with complementary businesses and agree to link to each other’s websites.
- Guest Blogging: Contribute valuable content to established blogs in your industry. In return, you can often include a link back to your website.
- Social Media Sharing: Content sharing on social media platforms may build you traffic and help you build your online presence. If your content is valuable and engaging, it may encourage other users to share it on their own websites or blogs, providing backlinks to your conten