William
I'm an Air Conditioning and Plumbing contractor in Sacramento California, all the big companies are in the top search results and killing it by spending big bucks, I want to grow my business to get the phone to ring more often but don't know where to start, is there any here who works with small business's like myself? ( 1 man shop)
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You can start by leveraging Google ads and get the phone ring, or if you're on tight budget you can take advantage of Bing ads which is cheaper than google,
I'd start by having a website set, and create a Long-Short term strategy plan, by leveraging ads to get the flow of leads and bring in some revenue, and at the same time if budget allowed, I'd work on my Local SEO ( optimzing Google My Business (GMB) and Organic rankings for low competition keyword )
Bryce
Hey man. Yeah I've worked with one man shop HVAC guys before. We just do basic local SEO focusing on the Google My Business to get more calls. If you have a larger budget And want to grow more long term then we also can do Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on your website to rank as well. But that takes more investment And a longer term mindset
I'm not a big business, I know this stuff cost a lot,will Google ad words or Google my business work on a small budget?
Bryce Β» William
Any advertising will have a cost, I think if you are on a limited budget local SEO for you GMB (Google My Business) and doing local service ads. Local service ads are like Google ads but you only pay per lead not pay per click, so it's easier to manage yourself without having to hire an agency/worrying about wasting money on ad spend
Shang Vo
We specialized in Home Services industry for Google My Business (GMB) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
We secure our Clients investment with a clear actionable and achievable plan.
We have case study where we rank local business and beat others big franchises with 10X more review.
But you need to proof your service quality is on the top of the game or else negative reviews will drag your ranking down and it's out of what we can do.
Baileigh
I work for a firm that does digital marketing for small businesses!! To begin I recommend these things:
1. Make sure ALL of your social accounts (Facebook, Google My Business (GMB), etc) are consistent and have correct info
2. Make sure your website is structured properly and easy to use. User experience is KEY.
3. Make sure you have quality content on each of your sites pages.
4. Set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console, so you can monitor and track your results.
Danielle
My advice – find a Google Map expert – money is in the maps.
The big players can not always get in the maps.
I also use YouTube to get great rankings here.
You will be looking at around $800 per month for decent SEO services.
Your website will probably also need an overhaul.
If your website is not set up for success – you will always struggle.
Google reviews play a massive part on local rankings.
I work with dozens of contractors helping them get new reviews everyday.
Another option is to look at BNI – it is local word of mouth referrals. See if there is a chapter near you that you can visit.
Reach out if you need more advice.
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Brian
Hi William! I've worked at agencies that serve small local business just like yours. Do you already have a website? If you do not have the budget to pay for a site to be professionally built with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), I would suggest WordPress to get started. It's relatively easy to navigate and pretty customizable. Make sure you have internal service pages that have content that talks about each service you offer. The key here is to have a page dedicated to EACH service you offer. Make sure you are mentioning your location and keywords (services) that you want to target throughout your content. Make sure your title tags include this as well.
As far as your GMB goes, definitely make sure you have filled out every possible piece of information you can. Upload pictures, get (and respond) to reviews, make GMB posts, set up your service area etc.
Lastly since Sacramento is so large and competitive, I would suggest targeting a smaller suburb in addition to Sacramento. It will typically take several months to rank well in such a competitive city so it's a good idea to also try to rank in the less competitive suburbs.
Hope this helps!
Also leverage social media as much as you can. Try to make posts that are engaging and not always trying to sell/promote
Lerma
1.Create GMB Listing and optimize it.
2.Conduct competitor backlink, keyword, citation analysis
-compile all the data (good metrics site) you found from your competitor.
3. Conduct keyword research for your own site (high volume with low competition)
4. Create Local Listing/Citation
5. Do Link Building
Alex
Focus on creating content and getting reviews. You will eventually outrank everyone. They're shortcut and hacks but only temporary. Focus on creating good content and get reviews.
Also, you should add a pixel to your website and start remarketing everyone who visits your website in the last 30 days. Takes 5 touch points for a prospect to take action.
Rienzi
Hey James, truth is you haven't maxed out your optimization yet for you to be looking at the competition.
I would have you do:
– YouTube videos targeting your location,
– social media activities targeting local groups
– get as much reviews in your area on your GMB profile
– your website is an asset too.
Tons of ideas to gain traction.
Venkatesh
For immediate and quick calls to get business. I would recommend Google ads for now, parallelly we can focus on GMB as well but trust me running Google ads from 10 years for me and my clients. It's been the best for initial business like you
Sarah
I actually was the director of marketing for one of the big hvac companies up in Sacramento and it's a beast.
Here are some tips: (trust me there is more but let's start basic)
Make sure your website is up to date and faster than a sneeze. Think hyper local proximity in everything you do. Conquer 5-10 mile radius then expand.
Optimize your GMB
Brand everywhere starting with internal culture going out to community
GLSA is probably your safest bet which would also mean you want and need to manage your reputation and listings.
Social, YouTube, video this all can be done with a budget. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) has to be done correctly and if layered start around the location with zips.
The name of the game is reputation and speed to lead.
However, before you do any of this make sure you know your math. Always math before marketing wasted spend, bots and huge national brands bidding up there lots of competition.
I want to add my reason for recommending Sarah. You have a big picture problem that is not easily solved by one approach alone. You can optimize the heck out of your GMB to get found, but what is getting found if you can't even get them to look your way? And what good is traffic if you can't convert or even capture a lead? So don't think for a moment, or don't let anyone convince you, that you just need a one trick pony like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Pay-Per-Click (PPC). You need more. Sarah knows that.
Sarah
Thanks, Kathy. I've been doing this for a long time and still work in the trades today just in another capacity. I'm here to help, I know what it's like and sometimes you just need someone to be real with you.
Joshua
Start here for everything hyper local.
https://youtu.be/OSqJzHiFAaE
Sarah is absolutely right. Own a 5 mile radius before you try to conquer anything else.
YouTube.COM
7 Local SEO Tips for Contractors | Improve your Google Rankings
Sarah Β» Joshua
I was waiting for the video. I hope he watches.
Joshua Β» Sarah
Same!
Matteo
1. Find low-competition, high-value keywords
2. Start writing blogs
3. make sure your on-page SEO is strong for landing pages that are relevant to your business, locally
4. Get as many reviews from your customers as you can
Ortiz
Hey James, I actually work with plumbers. I recommend Google Search Ads because a lot of jobs are for emergencies, need someone to come out right now. You want to skip to the top of the line by paying for top listings. You can expect over 100 calls per week if done properly. Optimizing your Google My Business and website Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a longer term strategy for generating customers.
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These may satisfy you:
Β» Ten Tips for Getting a Plumbing Business on GMB in the 3-Pack Locally
Β» 7 Points to Improve Our Local SERP Rankings through Google My Business (GMB) optimization