Small businesses need to be aware of every tool that they have in order to get ahead online. Every day, Google is perfecting their algorithm in order to deliver more relevant results to customers who are searching for your gutter business. This means that if your gutter company doesn’t have an optimized Google My Business Listing, you’re already falling behind.
Google My Business (GMB) is a directory used by Google in order to catalog and provide information to Google users about local businesses. It is a free tool provided by Google in order to offer more information to customers about your business, and help Google verify information about your business that appear across the internet, including address, contact information, services offered, and so much more.
So why is it important for gutter companies? Well for one, Google created this platform in order to improve search results for organic search and Google Maps. Google My Business also offers tracking tools that help you understand how your business appears on Google, and how you interact with customers for lead capture and reviews.
Now that we know what GMB is and why it’s important, let’s talk about how a gutter company should be using GMB in order to improve website SEO.
One of the most important reasons to use Google My Business as a gutter company is to verify your business listing on Google. There are a lot of companies out there that have false or misleading listings in order to game the Google algorithm and show up higher in search results.
Business verification with GMB tells Google a few things about your business that are extremely important for gutter SEO and lead capture:
Verifying your Google My Business listing for your gutter company usually entails creating or claiming your Google My Business listing, then receiving a post card by mail to your business address, or verifying over the phone. You can read more about verifying your GMB listing here.
After you claim and verify your listing, you want to make sure that the information you are providing Google and your customers is accurate. On the “Info” tab of your GMB Dashboard, there are a couple essential steps as a gutter company:
Set your primary category to “gutter cleaning service,” “roofing contractor” or “siding contractor.” These three industries often overlap. If you ONLY offer gutter services, choose “gutter cleaning service.” If you offer roofing or siding services, it’s probably best to choose those as your primary category. Be sure to add any and all services as additional categories.
Add service areas to your GMB listing. As search results get more hyper-local, Google uses service area info to serve customers ONLY gutter companies in their area. Add in your main service area, and any locations nearby. For example, if you are located in Chicago, think about adding nearby locations like Naperville, Evanston, or Arlington Heights as well.
Write a short description of your gutter business. Be sure to list your services (gutter replacement, gutter cleaning, etc.) and a little bit of personal information about your business.
Photos can enhance your listing and will give a good impression to customers. At the bare minimum, make sure that you have your business logo and a high-quality, relevant image set as your cover photo.
Try to also have high quality images of your team actively working on gutters, or your truck/van out front of homes. Most phones these days take usable, high-quality images that you can use both on your website and GMB listing.
Schure Consulting includes Google My Business management and optimization as a part of all our gutter SEO packages. We understand that as a gutter contractor, you have a lot on you plate. Contact us if you either don’t have the time or simply need more direction.
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