Think about the last time you needed to hire a contractor for something at your house. You either asked around or you Googled it. And when you looked at the online search results, which one did you click? Probably the first or second one, because most of us don't scroll much further than that.

Your clients are doing the exact same thing when they need a landscaper.

The thing that decides whether your company shows up when your ideal customer is looking online is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Maybe they’re searching for a "landscaping company near me" or "landscape design in [your city]." If you're not showing up near the top of the page when they type it into Google, then you might as well hand out your competitor’s phone number (because that’s who they’ll be calling instead).

A referral is great, and at Grunder Landscaping Co. referrals are still our strongest source of new leads, but we can't rely only on word of mouth if we want to grow. We need to be looking at other ways to find leads, too. 

So where do we start?

Start With Your Google Business Profile

The most impactful thing you can do right now (and it's free!) is claim and update your Google Business Profile. This is the listing that shows up in Google Maps and local search results, and it's the first thing a potential client sees before they ever visit your website. Here's what matters most on your profile:

• Your hours, phone number, and service area need to be accurate (and updated for holidays).
• Add photos of the work you’re proud of, regularly. You're in a visual business, so you need to show people what you can do.
• Ask your happy clients to leave you a Google review, and respond to as many as you can. Reviews factor into where you rank, and they can really be what pushes someone to call you over a competitor.

We wanted to gather more reviews for Grunder Landscaping Co., so we started incentivizing our team members with a small bonus for any review that mentions them by name and created a door hanger they could write their name on and leave behind for clients. The door hanger lets clients know that our team gets rewarded for reviews that mention them, too. It worked better than anything else we've tried!

Then, Take a Look at Your Website

Does your site obviously say what you do and where you do it? If you serve the greater Dayton area and specialize in residential design-build, your site should make that crystal clear. The more specific you are, the better Google can show your website to the right people.

While you're at it, pull up your website on your phone. Most of your potential clients are searching on a mobile device, and your site needs to look just as good there as it does on a desktop. 

Writing content for your site also goes a long way. Google is looking for websites that are active and relevant (fresh content tells it that yours is both!). Think about the questions your clients ask you all the time and answer them, preferably using the words they would use themselves. You know this industry better than anyone, and you should show it.

Success with SEO doesn’t happen overnight, but consistency pays off. The companies showing up first in your market aren't necessarily the biggest, but the ones who have been taking the right steps to optimize their digital footprint. 

We'll talk to you next week!

 Emily Lindley
Content, Events, & Marketing Manager
The Grow Group & Grunder Landscaping Co.