How to Do SEO for Service-Based Businesses? 12 Elements to Keep in Mind
Users browse the net not only to access information or products but also to find needed service providers. For many businesses, the online world is the main source of acquiring customers. When looking for a locksmith or plumber, you’ll probably start with Google. SEO is an effective method of attracting clients in various industries. So how to do SEO for a services company? There are a few important elements you should keep in mind.
Table of contents:
- SEO for a service business: why is the game worth the candle?
- 12 elements to keep in mind when doing SEO for service-based businesses
- SEO for Service Business – The Takeaway
SEO for a service business: why is the game worth the candle?
If you already run a website, there’s nothing to think about. It’s time to build your visibility in Google organic search results. Why is this search engine so relevant? Well, the chart below is the finest answer to this question as it shows that Google is used by the majority of Internet users.
When a page isn’t displayed on keywords important for your business, you lose the opportunity to reach a number of potential clients. Are you wondering if people look for your services online?
Almost every area enables acquiring new clients online. Users frequently browse the net to access both “classic” services of plumbers, electricians, or locksmiths and online fitness classes, various courses, or movie streaming platforms that became especially popular during the pandemic. According to a study conducted by Mastercard, the most popular lockdown activities and products include:
- Books (32%)
- Cooking utensils (22%)
- Hair coloring (19%)
- Board games (18%)
- Puzzles (17%)
- Hair clippers (15%)
As you can see, people buy products and order services online, thus it’s worth attracting them to your offer. SEO can be a great way to do it. What activities to perform to be ranked high on keywords important for your company? How to do SEO for service-based businesses? Below you can find a list of the most relevant elements that should be borne in mind.
12 elements to keep in mind when doing SEO for service-based businesses
SEO activities performed for a website offering services should be comprehensive. Only then, you’ll be able to outdo your market rivals on Google. Remember that there are about 200 ranking factors that affect your website position.
Here’s what you should pay special attention to while doing SEO for a service-based company:
1. Separate subpages for each service and location
Let’s assume that your company offers custom furniture. Probably you’re able to describe your entire product range on the landing page, without creating any subpages. However, it’s definitely more profitable to design a separate subpage for each type of service – in this case, the type of furniture – kitchen furniture, bathroom furniture, custom cabinets or carpentry services.
Thanks to it, users can be redirected from the search engine to the description of services that are of interest to them. Then, the page will also be richer in content, however, it’s worth remembering that it’s about quality, not quantity.
Choose the right keywords tailored to each subpage and remember that content should meet the requirements of both Google algorithms and users. You’ll learn more about it later on in this entry.
If you’re active in various cities, consider preparing separate subpages for each location. Describe your offer and include internal links to content devoted to particular services or products.
2. Blog
If you offer services, a company blog can be a tool for reaching potential clients who are looking for specific tips and aren’t sure whether they want or need to take advantage of your offer. Take a look below.
One of the dental companies wrote an entry “When should I take my child to the dentist?”. If the website reaches high positions for this specific phrase, it’s likely that new clients will choose his services, provided he lives in the same district.
Another valuable feature of blogs is the possibility to provide internal links to individual services in your offer. Thanks to it, you’re able to redirect users from a blog post to your service range, moreover, internal linking also affects Google visibility. However, remember to link to phrases that are important to you, not random. Find out why it’s worth running a company blog.
3. Keywords in the content
When describing services or preparing your blog content, apply keywords that are important for your business and correspond to a specific entry or subpage. To determine these keywords, benefit from tools like Semstorm, Keywordtool.io, or Google Ads Keyword Planner. It’s worth checking out each and every one of them to obtain even more helpful data.
With Senuto and Semstorm you can check keywords your market rivals use when performing SEO activities. Keywordtool.io is based on Google Suggest shown when you enter a search query and Google Ads Keyword Planner offers completely different pieces of information.
Read also: Keywords – 10 useful tools supporting keyword research.
4. Optimized website content
Content (including subpage content), blog entries, and product descriptions should be optimized in order to meet Google requirements.
First of all, focus on the <title> tag, meaning the page title. It should be from 65-70 characters long and it should contain the most important phrases. Consider providing also the brand name. Remember to optimize <description>. Although it’s not a ranking factor, it appears on Google and may affect CTR, thus it’s worth applying a CTA in it.
Use the most important phrase for a given text in the H1 header, title, and in the lead (it’s good if the keyword appears in the first 50-100 words of the text). Less important keywords can be placed in H2 headers, meta description, and in the body (as <b>) of the service description or blog article.
Remember to use headers – from H1 to H3 and, in case of elaborate blog content, don’t forget about the menu with anchors.
Sections that are the most important from the users’ point of view can be marked with <b> or <i> tags. On the other hand, if you want to inform Google that given pieces of content are particularly relevant, mark them with <b> or <em> tags.
5. Local SEO
Depending on the services in your offer, you may want to reach the whole country or only a specific city and district. Local SEO can help you with the latter one. Visibility in the local search results can be increased in a number of ways.
Start with setting up a Google My Business profile thanks to which your company will be displayed among other local businesses. Once you create it, make sure you manage it actively. Add photos, ask clients to write reviews, and try to obtain backlinks from local platforms. This will allow you to build visibility in the local search results. The visibility is affected by:
- A map that shows your company’s address.
- Location, meaning the place where the user searches for a specific product or service is.
- Reviews – their number, length, and applied keywords important for your business.
- User activity – such as calling you or sending a message.
- Description optimization – descriptions can have up to 750 characters. The most important keywords should be applied within the first 250 characters.
To learn more, check out our entry: How to have a perfect Google My Business listing?
Of course, local SEO isn’t solely about GMB listings. Take care of proper linking. Add entries to company directories in your area and obtain backlinks from local platforms. Don’t forget to optimize content – texts should include names of the city and nearby towns where you operate.
6. Price list
Providing a price list can be a controversial issue as it’s not always possible to immediately determine how much a given service will cost. However, you can always give rough prices of selected services. It’ll be beneficial both for you and for the parties interested in the offer. Users won’t have to contact you unnecessarily and you won’t need to waste time to answer inquiries.
If people see that the price isn’t acceptable, they simply don’t contact you. On the other hand, if they do contact you, you may be able to convince them that your services are a good value for money. It’s your choice whether you decide to provide the price list or not.
If you choose to do it, place links to individual service descriptions which will improve your website visibility on Google.
7. Optimized photos
If you want to publish photos on your website, try to use your own ones, not the ones from the stocks. Remember that images shouldn’t weigh too much, otherwise they may have a negative impact on website loading time.
Include a keyword in the file name. When dealing with a key phrase, separate individual words with a hyphen. Don’t forget to fill in alternative descriptions that should contain the keyword and describe what’s in the picture.
To learn more about optimizing photos, read our previous entry: Images vs. SEO. How to get down to it?
8. Subpage with contact details
If you want an interested party to become your client, create a contact subpage. It should definitely include your contact details and address of your company headquarters. Remember that users increasingly browse the net on mobile devices, therefore, providing a phone number that can be clicked and automatically connects visitors to your company is very convenient.
Add a simple contact form and a Google map that will show how to reach your company. Many potential clients may feel deterred if your page lacks a phone number. Give people the possibility to get hold of you.
The contact subpage can also include links to service descriptions that will support internal linking.
9. Customer reviews
Apart from the map, consider complementing your website with customer reviews – they may be a credible source of information for those interested in your offer.
10. YouTube tutorials
Taking advantage of this platform gives you enormous possibilities in terms of reaching potential clients interested in services similar to the ones in your offer. Take a look at the screenshot below.
This handyman specializes in renovation services and shows users how to perform given tasks on their own. Probably many of the watching persons will come to the conclusion that they don’t have sufficient expertise to redecorate the house and they’ll decide to choose professional services offered by the author of the video. Valuable content increases the probability that users will share your website or visit it and click the link placed in the bio which will have a positive impact on your organic traffic.
11. SSL certificate
Nowadays, it’s a standard and you should incorporate this solution to ensure the safety of users’ data. Thanks to the SSL certificate, the connection between the device and website is encrypted, meaning the information sent can’t be altered or hacked.
This certificate is available both in free and paid versions, however, in the vast majority of cases the free option is enough and it can be installed by most hosting companies.
An encrypted connection is one of Google ranking factors but it’s worth implementing the SSL certificate also for other reasons. Check out the screenshot below to see how Google Chrome marks pages without this certificate. Resigning from it may effectively deter interested clients.
12. Website loading time
Users want websites to operate smoothly. If it doesn’t happen, they usually leave and choose other positions from the search results. Additionally, website loading time is one of Google ranking factors. To learn more about page loading speed, read one of our previous blog posts: How to measure your website loading time? 7 helpful tools.
SEO for a service business – the takeaway
Now you know how to do SEO for service-based businesses. If you don’t have a website yet, notice that due to the ongoing pandemic more and more users search for services online and company owners do their best to expand their activity in this respect. Not sure how to get down to the task? Check out what to keep in mind when moving your business online. It’s high time to let users find you!
