When you need a service provider in your area, where do you go? Not the yellow pages unless you’re aggressively anti-technology. The answer, of course, is most likely Google. Perhaps even Bing or Yahoo. These search engines are one-stop shops that are perfect for finding anything you need – they are the modern day yellow pages, only much better.
Now, imagine a local business owner in Cincinnati, Ohio who has a roof leak. They head to Google and search for “Commercial Roof Repair Cincinnati OH.” What do they find? Do they find you on the first few search results? Google and other search engines have complex algorithms that determine the order websites are listed after someone performs a search. The details of those algorithms are far too mundane, but when someone searches for the aforementioned phrase, what they’ll likely see is a front page filled with local business directories such as Super Pages, Yelp, and Angie’s List. These online local business directories are the real 21st century yellow pages.
Maximizing Online Lead Opportunities
The internet has made information so easy to find that most of us never venture past the first page of results. Perhaps to a fault, we trust Google almost completely. We’ll click on the top few search results, which will often be online business directories containing contact information for local companies. The first business that has good reviews often gets the phone call. At the very least, they’ll receive a website visit or at least some memory space in that business owner’s mind. So the question becomes: How do you get on those online directories? How do you get that client?
First, let’s start with which directories we’re talking about. Google+ Local, Yahoo Local, and Bing Business are the big three. If you’re a local business, you need your name in these online directories. Fortunately, the top three online business directories are operated by the three biggest search engine companies. While common search phrases (like “roof leak repair”) will undoubtedly return results of company websites, the reason you can always count on Google+ Local showing up when you use Google’s search engine is fairly obvious. The same can be said for Yahoo Local and Bing Business. The decision to list your business on these online directories then becomes a pretty easy one to make. If your roofing company isn’t listed in those directories, you’re not doing everything you can to be found online, and potential clients likely won’t even know you exist.
So back to our question: How do you become listed on online local business directories such as Google+ Local, Yahoo Local, and Bing Business? The answer is you – you simply have to take the time to list yourself or find someone else to do it for you. Every business is fighting for attention online – the more “real estate” you take up (i.e., pages with information relating to your company), the stronger your online presence will be. Not only is listing yourself on these directories important, but accurately, consistently, and completely filling in your information can be the difference between booking a new client and missing out. To get yourself as high as possible on these lists, it is important to have your company name, location, description, and contact information filled out in full.
What Actions Can You Take Today?
1. List your commercial roofing business on multiple directories, especially popular ones. We always do at least 50 of them for all our website clients at no additional charge because of how important they are.
2. Make sure all your listings are consistent. In other words, all of the information in the listings themselves must be the same across all online directories.
3. If you change locations, phone number, or anything else relevant to your potential clients, make sure to update your company listings accordingly and promptly.
4. Encourage customers to leave reviews for you on these websites. After all, wouldn’t you choose the company who has even just one positive review over a company with none?
A Full-Service Commercial Roofing Marketing Firm
We understand this is a lot to deal with. As with roofing, there’s a lot of work that goes into building and maintaining your online presence. That’s where we come in. As a marketing firm that’s focused exclusively on the commercial roofing industry, Top Roof Marketing can help you with your online needs. We understand the dynamics and nuances of the commercial roofing market, and our dedicated experts will work with you to develop a professional, online presence.
We can help you optimize your presence online and craft that needed professional image. This is achieved not only through online local directories but also through full-service website design that delivers a clean and professional image. To see websites we’ve done in the past, visit our Website Portfolio page.
Top Roof Marketing is the solution you’ve been looking for. With the amount of attention we can help you receive, you can turn that local business owner in need of commercial roof repair into your newest client. Give us a call today at (800) 795-2187.