Plumbers have a real challenge when it comes to ranking well in the search engines. Yours is not a desk job, so it’s hard to find the time to market your business when you’re out there working long hours, away from your office.
That’s why it’s so important to have a website that can help market your services 24/7. Here are some simple updates you can do (or have your web developer do) to your website to help your site compete better in search results.
The Basics
Make sure all of this information is on every page of your website. And make sure it is text, and not a graphic or image. People can easily read text that is in a graphic, but the search engines can’t. The easiest way to tell if this info is text or not is to try to highlight it with your mouse, like you would select text in a document. If you can’t highlight the words or numbers, they are most likely part of a graphic. Or if you right-click on the words and the popup box says “Save image as…” then you know it’s not text.
- Business Name
- What you do (Plumbing and Heating, for example)
- Phone Number
- Service Area (including your state)
- Hours of operation
This can be at the top of your website pages, in the header. Or it can be at the bottom, in the footer. Or in a side column. Just make sure this info is on every page since you never know which page a person will land on first. You need to include the state you’re in because many city names are common to many states. You might be surprised how often this info gets confused.
If You Have Social Media Accounts
(And you should!) Include links to your social media accounts with your other contact info.
This is a good time to remind you that it would be better to NOT have a social media account than to create one and then ignore it and let it slowly die from neglect. If you can’t keep up with multiple social accounts, choose one that you are comfortable with and make it shine. If you can’t find time to do that, it might be time to get some marketing help.
What to Include on Your Website
You should have a separate page for each of the services you provide. This may sound like a lot of work, but it’s not. And it will pay off. The search engines love pages that have one central topic they can identify. And you can easily use these pages as landing pages for your Pay-Per-Click.
For example, if you do new construction plumbing, have a page for that. And pictures are extremely helpful here! If you are available 24/7 for emergency plumbing services, have a page for that. If you install a lot of tankless water heaters (or conventional ones), or water softeners, or water filtering systems, have a page for each… You get the idea. Explain what you do for each of these services, mention the brands of equipment you commonly use, and drop some pictures on these pages.
Think Like a Customer
If you needed to find an electrician or, say, a roofer, and you were searching online, what information would you want to see? What would help you decide which roofer to hire, based on his website?
Avoid the marketing hype and make sure your website makes a good first impression. Include the kind of information for your potential customers that you would want to see. In addition to all the above, maybe some testimonials? Your license(s) and any affiliations, awards, certifications, kudos etc. Include payment options, how you put quotes together, whether or not you do a free inspection when they hire you for repairs, etc.
Close the Deal
Does your site have appointment booking capabilities? If not, this functionality is becoming extremely popular for small businesses that operate on appointments. Make it easy for people to book your services right at the moment they are inspired. The right kind of appointment service can also help you build and nurture your customer list, allowing you to send helpful appointment-related emails and text messages.
Taking it Further
If you’ve mastered all of the above, your website is in great shape! And now you can add more photos, add videos, and even add a blog so you can publish your own original posts on topics that showcase your expertise. The more fresh, relevant content you add, you’ll make a great impression on potential clients and search engines alike.
