The Local Listings Game

If you are a Plumbing or HVAC company there is absolutely no doubt that people who are in need of your services are searching for them in nearby locations, in fact one of the top keywords still remains City + Plumber. Who would want a professional coming from miles away when they were in an emergency situation or for that matter even something mildly troublesome? That is why it is majorly important to ensure that your company is showing up in the top spots on Google for local listings and that the information that is being provided is correct.

Developing a great website for user engagement, conversion, and SEO purposes are all crucial aspects for building a successful business, but unfortunately it does not stop there. When you search for your business and see that it is ranking well you feel pretty darn good, but here’s something that will rock your world, not everyone that is looking for a plumber or heating and cooling contractor that is close to home will see the same page placement that you do.

Top page placement is crucial

Many factors determine your placement on other people’s online devices, such as search history and patterns, their location, whether they are using a smartphone, desktop or some other type of digital search technology, and even their current configurations on social media. And now that mobile search has surpassed any other medium people typically have their precise location programmed into their device already.

What’s more disconcerting is that fact that total strangers can affect your local listings and even create a severe loss of business by way of online review sites and business directories. If someone fails to input your office information correctly like the city you are in, zip code, or your company phone number, not only will this confuse Google but someone could be attempting to contact you only to find that they are reaching a non-working number, which will simply cause them to move on. However, you can take the power back through the use of Google My Business by claiming your local listing. If Google has any information on your company that is incorrect you now have the ability to change it and set them straight.

What you need to watch out for

Even the best companies have both good and bad online reviews, which can also be associated with your listing and will appear as a 1-5 star rating when someone finds your company on Google. Thankfully sites like Yelp allow you to respond to negative online reviews in a positive way, which reinforces that you care. It is always good to stay on top of you company reviews, not only for the purpose of commenting, but also to know where you stand in the eyes of your customers. Additionally, continue to check your listings all across the Web, because with today’s ever-changing algorithms there is no telling what could happen from one day to the next. It’s also important to stay abreast of any current tools that will help you with these endeavors.

Lastly, Google’s mobile-friendly algorithm that took effect on April 21st of this year makes it imperative for your site to be optimized for this type of search. Hopefully you have already done this but if not make this your top priority. Many companies find it difficult to manage this all on their own while still trying to maintain a successful business, which is why a strong SEO company can be very helpful.

If you would like to learn more about what Plumbing & HVAC SEO can do to help you achieve top page placement for your local listings, just click here to schedule a time to talk with us or call 866-610-4647.

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