As businesses adapt and flourish within the digital age, the days of flipping through the Yellow Pages to find a good pest control company are long gone. Now, all your potential clients are online – but so is your competition.
In order to stand out from the rest and be very visible each time someone makes a search, you must work on your online presence and figure out different ways to strengthen it. But where do you begin?
With over 97% of users relying on Google to locate recommended services within the area, it is imperative to get on the top of their search results page. Because this is a long process that could very well test your tolerance for delayed gratification, we highly suggest getting on it!
To successfully make it to the top of the list, you have to build a solid pest control SEO campaign. Below, we teach you our top 5 tips on how to do just that.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it is the concept of increasing both the quantity and quality of your website traffic by way of organic search results.
The better your website content is, and the more of it you have, the higher your chances are of ranking well on Google search pages – and trust us, you want to rank up there. It’s the perfect way to garner leads and get in front of an audience that is interested in what you have to offer; after all, they were the ones searching for your services in the first place.
Studies show that a bulk of consumers click on the top three links of a search results page, and look through the rest of the first page. However, rarely does anyone ever see the listings on the second, third, and other pages.
This is why it is crucial that you work on your pest control SEO and strengthen your website enough to be visible when they come looking.
There are five main factors to focus on in order to get your pest control SEO working in your favour, namely:
Google My Business, also known as GMB, is where local pest control SEO heavily relies. If you have ever tried searching for a type of service, you will notice that there is a section on the search results page with three companies bound in a box and Google Maps on the side showing you their exact locations – this is called a “map pack”.
Your goal should be to get your business in that map pack whenever someone within your vicinity searches for pest control services. This is a local aspect of your entire SEO campaign and it is just as beneficial, if not even more because it taps into a target audience that is already nearby. The way you can get on a map pack is by optimizing your Google My Business page.
Optimizing your Google My Business page is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is provide consistent and complete information on your business to prove to the Google algorithm that you are a legitimate company. There are 5 main types of information needed, namely:
Description: You need to prepare a concise description of your company so that those who find you on the results page can get a better idea as to who you are and what value you can bring to the table.
Services: This section is where you can add the products and/ or services that your company offers. You are allowed to have primary and secondary services, so we suggest getting more specific as to the type of pests you are more accustomed to dealing with or which ones you consider to be your specialties.
Hours: It is important not to skip out on this information! List the hours you operate and the days you are open as well. Ensure that both of these are updated regularly, especially during the holidays or if there are any changes in your schedule.
Images: By providing personalized photographs of your pest control company and your team, you give potential clients that chance to connect and relate with you on a more human level because it shows your personality as a brand. Mix in some photos of your team members, trucks, technicians out on the field, and much more
Serviceable Areas. As mentioned, this is the local aspect of your SEO, so it is crucial to add to the list of areas you are able to cater to. By plotting this accurately, you can boost your listing to show up in front of the right audience and garner more sales within your reach.
Reviews. We all know by now that reviews are an important aspect of marketing. Reviews help gain trust, build confidence, establish authority, and prove your quality service standards.
If you are like most hardworking businesses, then you would want to gather as many positive reviews as you can, and thankfully Google My Business is yet another platform where you can do just that. Furthermore, the more positive reviews you gain on Google My Business, the faster Google will recognize you as a trustworthy company and rank you higher.
Citations are basically mentions of your business all around the Internet. The more of these you acquire, the more visible you are across a wider market. Most if not all of the citations should mention your NAP, otherwise known as your Name, Address, and Phone Number.
One of the most crucial factors about citations is keeping them consistent across all platforms and websites. By having contradicting information from one site to the other, Google’s algorithm will get confused and it could hurt your pest control SEO, thus lowering your chances of ranking in the top 3.
Having your business information displayed on multiple sites is great for awareness and for proving to Google that you are a real company. There are many ways you can build your citations, including but not limited to:
The content that builds up your pest control SEO should revolve around the words and phrases that your potential clients will be typing into the search bar.
Knowing your searcher’s intent and maximizing on that is crucial to get your content seen, which is why doing keyword research is an essential step before you populate your website. Some of the questions you can ask yourself while coming up with your essential keywords are:
Another way to garner quality keywords is by checking what your competition is targeting. You may also use tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEM Rush, and the like.
On-site SEO is optimizing the content on both your web pages and blog pages, such as:
Title Tags: These should be present on each important page of your website. It’s the blue words you see listed in Google search results concisely explaining what the page is all about.
Ensure that this is relevant to your content and has your keyword at the beginning of the tag. Keep it between 50 to 70 characters to prevent any words from getting cut off.
Meta Descriptions: These are the short descriptions under the title tags explaining what your content is about. Keep it under 160 characters to ensure it fits on the page, and ensure that your targeted keyword is included within the section.
URLS: Making sure that your URL reads properly and clearly states what your page is about helps your readers navigate your website better. Not only does it look much neater and out together, but the more organized the little details are on your website, the longer you can keep reading about it.
H1’s and H2’s: Your H1 is your title and heading of the page, which should include your targeted keyword. These would mostly include your Pest Control Services page, Areas That We Service page, and the like.
Your H2 is your subheadings, which help break down large chunks of text and make your content flow better, easier to read, and light on the eyes.
Images: Optimize your images with title tags and alt tags. The image title tags are what show up when you hover over an image, while the alt tags are what appear inside the image box in cases wherein the image does not display.
Body: The body of your content should be engaging, informative, provide value, and sprinkle with your targeted keywords. Write about things that your readers would want to know and could actually be beneficial for them. These are the types of content that keep you on top of mind when they need pest control services.
Must Read: PROVEN TACTICS TO GENERATE MORE PEST CONTROL LEADS
Off-site pest control SEO, as the name suggests, refers to all the online marketing efforts you take outside of your website. These help strengthen your reliability and trustworthiness as a brand, which works positively on Google’s algorithm. You can optimize your off-site SEO through:
Backlinks: Backlinks are when other websites link back to yours, such as mentions in blog posts, online magazines, posts, and the like. The more reputable and reliable the website linking to you is, the better it will be for your pest control SEO. To get started on your backlink strategy, you can reach out to the following:
Guest Posting: Guest posting is when you write for another publication. It helps in establishing your company’s reputation as authoritative and knowledgeable in your field. This is not the place to hard sell your products or services, but rather to build on your company name and establish yourself as a reliable business in the pest control industry.
Social Media: Social media marketing can greatly boost your pest control SEO ranking. While you certainly don’t have to be on every single social media site, signing up for the essentials is well worth it.
The many benefits of social media marketing include:
That’s About It!
It may seem like a handful and a tad bit overwhelming right now but taking little steps to build on your pest control SEO will definitely be well worth the effort in the long run.
Gary is awesome, we’ve worked with so many companies but never got the personal attention and care like we did him and his team.
Thanks Gary for your wonderful work. It’s not first time I hired him for a digital marketing campaign. On my 2nd SEO campaign with him for my second pest control business, Gary has again showed he can deliver on what he promises. Would recommend!
I highly recommend Pest Control SEOs for anyone looking for good results. Gary took the time to review my website and give suggestions without a guarantee we will even sign with them, he just wanted to genuinely help it looked like and that’s what drew me to working with his team.
