3 Tips to Boost Your Construction Business Online 

Marketing your construction business online is a calculated effort that requires constant attention.

By Jenn Martin, Allied Building Products.

With technological advancements occurring at a rapid pace, it can be difficult to stay informed and well versed. More and more construction businesses are gaining web exposure through social media, websites, directory listings, and online reviews - expanding the competition in the marketplace. Those who do have a website typically have a standard 5-page brochure site which isn’t updated very often. Since search engines favor websites with fresh content, these websites may become obsolete.

We’ve come up with three tips you can use to boost your construction business online that do not require a website designer or digital marketer. Increase your visibility yourself with minimal effort.

1) Local Marketing – Add Your Business to Directory Listings Make sure your business listing is current on the most popular search engines and websites. Google, Bing, and other directory listings are a good way to add a physical address to your business. This will increase your visibility based on location to users looking for “a roofer near me” or a “contractor in Santa Rosa, CA”. 

Search engines will pull business listings that are in proximity to where the users are located and utilize a map to show "local businesses." One way to increase your chances is to list your business location – whether it’s your entire business address or simply your city, state and zip. This provides search engines with geographical data that they can use to display local driven results. 

Listed below are a few links that might help you get started. 

• https://www.google.com/business/  
• https://www.bingplaces.com/  
• http://www.yext.com/pl/yahoo-claims/index.html

*Some directory listings charge a fee, but there are plenty that do not. Research is the key to finding a solution that fits your business.

2) Ask Customers to Review Your Business Reviews play a large role in which company is placed at the top of the list. Businesses that have a location listing and customer reviews are deemed more valuable to users by search engines. The number of reviews may be in your favor too.

Let’s take a deeper look into search engine placement. Take a look at the keyword search below. Let’s use “contractor in Los Angeles."

First, you will notice that Google reserves the top search space for advertisements. Businesses that use Google Adwords generally receive top placement.  Second, you will see a map with local businesses. The top businesses may have multiple reviews with good ratings. In addition, you can call, visit their website, and even request directions to the businesses. Business hours of operation are also displayed.

Lastly, in the image below, you will see what Google search bots deem as the most useful content. This is placed just below the local business section. Google’s search engine uses complex algorithms to crawl websites and provide website ranking.

Without spending money or starting a new blog for your website, you can likely improve your business visibility by requesting your customers to review your business. However, don't forget to complete step 1 in the process though - add your business listing. You'll need to make sure your business listing is updated before customers can review it.

3) Submit Your Website URL to Search Engines The fastest way to have your website noticed by search engines is to request their robots to crawl your site. In doing so, you are inviting search engines to view your site and rank accordingly. Keep in mind, search engines use complex algorithms to rank your site based on what it deems users will find favorable.

Furthermore, Google's free solution Google Analytics can analyze your web traffic providing you with real-time data you can use to improve your digital reach. To submit your URL, use the links below:

• Google – https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/submit-url
• Bing – http://www.bing.com/toolbox/submit-site-url
• Yahoo! – https://search.yahoo.com/info/submit.html

Hopefully, with minimal effort, these three steps will help you improve your digital footprint and give you a better grasp on your contracting business’ online presence.

For more information on Allied Building Products, visit them here.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared on Allied Building Products’ blog and can be viewed here.