8 Top Trades & Construction SEO Mistakes to Avoid
How Good Is Your Construction SEO?
In the bustling on-the-go world of trades, having a strong construction SEO game plan can mean the difference between thriving with a solid schedule and merely surviving between jobs. This goes for contractors, plumbers, electricians, HVAC companies, and anyone providing a trade-specific service.
Even the most reputable construction companies fall victim to common SEO mistakes. These mistakes hinder their ability to bring in a stream of good quality, high-paying jobs. From outdated web page designs to neglected SEO, these blunders can cost you valuable leads and opportunities for growth.
In this article, our SEO experts share the Top 8 Construction SEO mistakes we see plaguing trades and construction company websites. We’ll also offer actionable insights to help you avoid these pitfalls.
At 1st on the List, we want to see you thrive. Our purpose with SEO for construction and trade companies is to get you more project inquiries and close more jobs. We know you want jobs for the types of services that are the most profitable and will keep your schedule full.
Say goodbye to accepting jobs you don’t want to do just because you need the work. Start picking and choosing the best jobs that will make you the most money and take your business to new levels.
Construction SEO Mistake #1:
Sparse or Incomplete Content About Services
Problem – Visitors Can’t Find the Info They Need
When reviewing SEO for construction websites, one of the most common pitfalls is missing information. You need to let your website visitors know about your services, expertise, and past projects. There is a severe deficit of solid content to help visitors get to know your company. They want to know how qualified you are to help fix their problems or deliver on the job site.
Why It’s A Big Deal
Without clear and well-written information on your website, visitors are left with unanswered questions about your capabilities. This can lead to missed opportunities for engagement and conversion. Additionally, essential information such as contact details, service areas, or business hours may be missing, leaving visitors uncertain if they should hire you.
Furthermore, without a solid SEO content strategy in place, Search Engines like Google don’t know the full scope of what you can offer customers and if they should show your website to an appropriate prospect. In addition to providing context, your content also contributes to critical trust factors Search Engines are looking for.
How to Fix Content Problems
Start creating some key messages and basic content:
- Sit down and outline the top reasons you are different from your competitors. Once you have this list, you will be able to incorporate differentiation throughout your website content.
- Make sure your website has a solid Services section. Create a main service page outlining your core services and create a sub-service page for each service you offer.
- Create a great About Us page that shares your company history, values, and team. Let your visitors get to know you a little as they vet your services.
Trouble coming up with content or already have the above in place? Try these easy ways to get valuable content on each page:
- Add an FAQ section to each page that includes the most common questions you get about the topic on the page. Your customers’ top questions are likely about timelines, processes, pricing, warranties, and communication.
- Look to customer reviews for inspiration. Not sure how to sell your services? Your happy customers often best describe the value that you deliver and speak to what will resonate with your prospective customers.
SEO Mistake #2:
Outdated Web Design & Branding
Problem – Poor User Experience
Word of mouth and referrals don’t cut it in such a digital world. Even if a potential customer hears about you through a friend or family member they are still likely to head to your website to check you out before contacting you. Does your website match what they’ve heard? There may be a disconnect if your website looks old or doesn’t live up to the hype of how great you are.
Why a Great Website Design Matters
Construction SEO needs to be part of your web design. If your website’s design isn’t on par with what potential customers have heard about you, they may question whether to spend their time getting in touch with you. And what about the people who do find you through Search Results? Your old website or lacklustre branding may not stand a chance against competitors’ developed branding and websites.
What You Need to Do
Make sure that you are proud of your website and don’t default to, “Yeah… we really need to do something with our website.” Either hire a good website design expert to start this process for you or start thinking about the following on your own:
- What do I need to update with the appearance of my website to make it more modern?
- What do I need to update with the content on my website to make sure it is up to date and reflects our current offerings?
- What can I update on the website so it shows we are actively completing jobs and have happy customers who recommend our services?
- What images and visuals should I update to keep up with evolving industry standards?
SEO Mistake #3:
No Social Proof or Testimonials
Problem – Lack of Trust
A critical oversight we see often is the absence of social proof or testimonials. It’s almost always one of our first recommendations. This includes the lack of client testimonials and case studies showcasing successful projects and satisfied customers.
Why Testimonials Matter
By failing to leverage social proof, businesses miss out on valuable opportunities to build trust and credibility with potential clients. Testimonials and case studies serve as powerful endorsements of your company’s expertise and reliability. They help to reassure visitors and instill confidence in their decision to engage with your business. This problem is fairly straightforward to fix!
How to Get Testimonials
To address this deficiency, you first need to actively collect and prominently display testimonials. It’s a good idea to also create case studies that you can use on your website to highlight your track record of success and demonstrate your ability to deliver outstanding results.
You don’t have to do it all at once to start enhancing your credibility and increasing your chances of converting website visitors into actual jobs. Consider the following “big 3” and decide what you can implement:
- Associations and Credential Badges – These are probably the easiest to implement as you know all of your memberships and certifications. Gather all of these logos and add them to the footer of your website and in high-visibility areas.
- Testimonials – If you don’t already have a database, start one. Gather testimonials and feedback from Google, third-party websites, and customer emails (they’ve likely told you how happy they are with your services or finished results!) From here create processes to ask for new testimonials at the end of projects to create a steady inflow of new testimonials. It can feel awkward and time-consuming but it is worth it! Once you have a collection of testimonials, add these to the most important relevant pages of your website.
- Project Portfolio – Be sure to showcase your work. This is critical! This will include:
– media (images, videos)
– a description of services delivered
– unique obstacles you overcame
– and even a testimonial from the client at the end of the project
SEO Mistake #4:
Lack of Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
Problem – Lack of Visitor Engagement & Poor User Experience
A common pitfall we often see is forgetting to tell the visitor what to do next. How should they contact you? How can they get a quote? And what should they expect when they contact you? It seems obvious when we say it but the final task of asking for a job is missing on many websites for plumbers, electricians, contractors, etc.
Why Calls-to-Action Matter
All too often, CTAs are either missing altogether or poorly executed, resulting in a frustrating user experience. In some cases, CTAs may be buried within the website or not prominently displayed on key pages, making it difficult for visitors to take the next step. Plus, SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate compared to outbound leads at just 1.7%. You want all of the website leads through SEO that you can get!
How to Improve Your CTAs
To address this issue, you need to prioritize the placement and design of your CTAs, ensuring they are prominently featured and communicate the desired action to visitors. CTAs can be a phone number, email link, request a quote, contact us, or a download link. By implementing strategic CTAs throughout your website, you can effectively drive conversions and maximize the impact of your online presence.
SEO Mistake #5:
Poorly Executed Local SEO
Problem – Not Reaching Your Local Market
A few years back this issue could have been called “failure to execute SEO.” Nowadays, most businesses, including trades and construction businesses, fail to implement local SEO best practices. Maybe they didn’t hire the right people to do their construction SEO, used inexpensive or fast-fix SEO methods, or just didn’t put in the effort to follow through with SEO.
Why Local SEO Matters
One common issue is the failure to properly optimize website content for local keywords and phrases relevant to the company’s service area. This can hinder the ability to rank prominently in local search results. Additionally, businesses may overlook the importance of maintaining accurate business listings on local directories and mapping services, leading to inconsistencies and confusion among potential customers.
How to Implement Local SEO
To address this issue, focus on refining your local SEO efforts by:
– incorporating location-specific keywords
– updating your business listings regularly
– and ensuring consistency across all online platforms.
By optimizing your online presence for local search, you can enhance your visibility within your target market and attract more qualified leads, ultimately driving growth and success. Does this sound like it’s over your head? Hire the right SEO team to help!
SEO Mistake #6:
Ignoring Visual Content and/or Relying on Generic Stock Images
Problem – Pages Are Not Visually Engaging
Unique images and/or videos are also important elements to include in your construction SEO. These are often lacking in trades and construction websites. We’ve seen how visual search is changing how we can search, offering an alternative to traditional keyword searches. Visuals will only become more important in the months and years ahead. Currently, 69% of construction companies use video platforms to share content. Why not capitalize by using video on your website too?
Why Great Visuals Matter
Not only are visuals the way of future SEO but you are also missing out on showcasing your finished work, expertise, and range of services. We live in such a visually driven world (hello Instagram and TikTok, we see you!) and your visitors will want to see images in addition to all your great content.
Additionally, images and videos are great ways to differentiate yourself from competitors. Other websites will likely describe most of their services in the same way but they won’t have your images. Avoid relying on generic stock images to showcase services and work. They can detract from authenticity and fail to accurately represent your unique value proposition.
How to Incorporate Great Visuals & Videos
To address this issue, prioritize capturing original, high-quality visual content that accurately showcases your workmanship and personality. By incorporating authentic imagery and engaging videos into your website, you can captivate visitors and leave a lasting impression, ultimately driving conversions and fostering brand loyalty. Tip: Videos don’t have to be long. There is a lot of data on how effective short-form videos have become and Tik Tok is a prime example.
BONUS! You can also use all this media to drive your Social accounts! Win-win!
SEO Mistake #7:
Slow Page Load Times
Problem – Poor User Experience
If we’re being real, this problem is not unique to the Trades and Construction industry. Slow-loading web pages is a widespread problem we see regardless of industry. This often occurs due to the heavy use of large images or videos that contribute to bloated page sizes and increased load times. Additionally, websites may suffer from unoptimized code or a lack of caching techniques, further exacerbating the problem.
Why Page Speed Matters
Think of the last time you had to wait on a slow website. That’s exactly the problem. Poor page load speed can cause frustration that can ultimately lead to the visitor abandoning your website altogether. Not only is this a lost potential job – but it also hurts your user experience rating with Google.
How to Improve Page Speed
Unless you have the technical expertise, you’ll likely need to hire an SEO Web Developer. They can run an SEO technical audit to uncover the problem areas. They can also help optimize the website’s performance by compressing images, minifying code, and implementing caching strategies. By reducing load times and improving site speed, you can enhance user satisfaction and engagement, ultimately driving better results and maximizing the impact of your online presence.
We talk about Website Speed and Page Load Speed a lot on our Blog because it’s that important! A good place to start on this topic is our Ask an Expert: Website Page Speed Optimization article.
Construction SEO Mistake #8:
Ineffective Lead Capture Forms
Problem – Fewer Leads & Conversions
Trade and construction SEO can be less effective if you don’t include proper lead capture forms. Ineffective lead capture forms can hinder the conversion process and drive potential clients away. This may manifest as clunky or overly complicated contact forms that deter visitors from reaching out.
Why Lead Capture Forms Matter
Without good lead capture forms and ensuring that your contact information is prominent, you won’t get the web inquiries needed to bring in new jobs.
How to Improve Your Lead Capture Forms
Keep your contact forms short. Streamline your contact form and your quote request form to ensure they are succinct, user-friendly, and easy to navigate. Keep a lookout on the responses that come through – are people able to fill out the form correctly? Has it been a long time since you got an inquiry?
Furthermore, you should implement a lead nurturing process with clear expectations for response times, letting visitors know how soon to expect a reply upon submitting a form. Following through on these promises and responding promptly to inquiries can help build trust and credibility with potential clients, ultimately improving the effectiveness of your lead-capture efforts.
Need Help With Your Construction SEO?
At 1st on the List, we understand the unique challenges facing trade and construction businesses, and we’re here to help. Whether you’re struggling with sparse content, ineffective calls-to-action, poor mobile optimization, or a myriad of other problems, our team can help. We have the expertise and resources to implement sustainable construction SEO that works.
Our goal is to help you attract the right jobs and the right customers to grow your business.
Don’t let these SEO mistakes hold you back any longer.
Reach out to us today by calling our team toll-free at 1-888-262-6687 or by contacting us online.
