Stacey Ivol – Page 2 – IFTS, Inc. Blog

Boosting Your Painting Company’s Visibility: The Essential Guide to SEO

Attracting Targeted Traffic with SEO

For painting companies, attracting homeowners, real estate developers, and commercial property managers who are actively searching for painting services is key.

SEO allows you to optimize your website with specific keywords related to painting services, such as “residential painting,” “commercial painting services,” or “eco-friendly painting solutions.” By identifying and incorporating these keywords throughout your site, you can increase your chances of appearing in relevant search queries, directly leading potential customers to your website.

Establishing Industry Authority Through Informative Content

Creating informative, valuable content is pivotal for painting companies aiming to establish authority.

For instance, blog posts on topics like “Choosing the Right Paint for Your Space,” “Trends in Interior Painting,” or “How to Prepare for a Professional Painting Job” can position your company as a knowledgeable and trustworthy service provider.

Blogs can also play a secondary role in your business by being instruction manuals that you send to your clients. As an example, when you send an appointment reminder email, you could also send a link to the “How to Prepare for a Professional Painting Job” article so they know what to do before you get there.

Consistently publishing high-quality content not only helps in building credibility but also in enhancing your website’s SEO. It does this by incorporating relevant keywords and engaging potential customers.

Enhancing The Overall User Website Experience

A well-optimized website offers a seamless user experience, crucial for keeping potential clients engaged and on your site. It also keeps them AWAY from your competitors.

For painting companies, this means having a visually appealing, easy-to-navigate website that showcases your work, services, and customer testimonials/reviews. Ensure that your site is mobile-friendly, as a significant portion of users access the internet via smartphones.

An intuitive, responsive design can lead to longer visits and reduced bounce rates, positively impacting your SEO rankings.

SEO Strategies Specifically for Painting Companies

To effectively improve your painting company's SEO, consider the following strategies:

Local SEO Optimization

Since painting services are often sought locally, optimizing your website for local search is crucial. Claim your Google My Business listing, include local keywords (e.g., “painting services in [City]”), and ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information is consistent across all online platforms.

Keyword Research

Conduct thorough keyword research to understand what potential clients are searching for. Tools like Google’s Keyword Planner can help identify industry-specific keywords with high search volume.

Optimizing Website Meta Tags and Content

Incorporate your target keywords into meta titles, descriptions, and throughout your website’s content. This includes service pages, blog posts, and even image alt tags.

Showcasing Your Portfolio with Before and Afters

Use your website to showcase your best work. A gallery of high-quality, before-and-after photos of your projects can not only enhance your site’s visual appeal but also improve SEO by keeping visitors engaged longer.

Building Quality Backlinks

Earn backlinks from reputable sites within the home improvement or local business community. Guest posting on relevant blogs or participating in local community events can increase your website’s authority and improve its search engine ranking.

Staying Ahead of Your Competition Through SEO

SEO is an ever-evolving field, and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices is essential to more leads and less competition.

For painting companies, this means:

regularly updating your website with fresh content,
monitoring your search engine rankings, and
adapting your SEO strategy to accommodate new search engine algorithms.

Additionally, engaging with your audience through social media and online forums can boost your online presence and drive more traffic to your website.

What’s Next?

For painting companies looking to thrive in the competitive digital landscape, SEO is not just an option; it’s a necessity.

By implementing the strategies outlined above, you can improve your website’s search engine rankings, attract more targeted traffic, and establish your brand as an authority in the painting industry. Remember, the key to successful SEO is consistency, quality, and staying abreast of the latest digital marketing trends.

To further reinforce the points made, consider the insights from Moz’s “Beginner’s Guide to SEO” and Search Engine Journal’s “SEO Checklist.” These resources offer valuable tips and strategies that can be applied specifically to painting companies, ensuring that your SEO efforts are both effective and industry-relevant.

By dedicating time and resources to SEO, your painting company can achieve greater visibility, attract more clients, and ultimately drive significant business growth. Embrace SEO as a pivotal component of your digital marketing strategy and watch your painting business reach new heights.

Want a shortcut to getting this all done for you? Check out Painter Marketing 365 from IFTS, Inc!

Boost Your Business: Easy Steps to Get More Google Reviews

Are you looking to skyrocket your company’s reputation with minimal effort?

It’s a no-brainer that glowing reviews can significantly elevate your business’s online presence and credibility. But the big question remains:

How do you effortlessly encourage clients to leave those much-coveted reviews?

This comprehensive guide is your golden ticket to amassing an impressive collection of Google reviews, ensuring your business shines brighter than the rest.

Simplify the Business Review Process

The secret sauce to racking up reviews lies in making the process as straightforward as possible for your clients. Whether you’re a painter leaving a fresh coat of paint on a client’s walls or you’re an attorney that has just successfully navigated them through a complex legal battle, the satisfaction of a job well done is your prime moment to request a review.

Here’s how to harness that moment to your advantage:

Step 1 - Navigate to Your Company’s Google Business Profile

Start by accessing your Google Business Profile. You can do this by entering business.google.com in your browser or simply googling the name of your business.

Don’t have a Google Business Profile yet?

Check out this article on how to create one and this article on how to optimize it for everything that Google is looking for.

Step 2 - Locate Your Direct Review Request Link

Once on your profile, look for the “Ask for Reviews” option.

This is where the magic happens.

Google provides a direct link that simplifies the review process, leading clients straight to where they can sing your praises.

Copy this link and save it somewhere easy to access; it’s your new best friend.

Step 3 - Make Sharing a Breeze

Now, you want to ensure this link reaches your clients without any hassle. Transforming the link into a QR code or a shortened URL via services like Bitly makes asking for a review via email, text, or even in person as seamless as possible.

How to Use Bitly To Get More Reviews

Sign up for an account (you can use the free one to create everything you need and this is not an affiliate link)
Click on “Create New” > “Link”
Fill in the URL and the title
Create the “Custom Back Half” text for the bitly URL
Turn on the QR code and select the color (add your logo if you have the paid subscription)
Click “Create”
Download the PNG or JPEG version of your new QR code
Copy the bitly link and test it

Imagine you are a house painter and you have added this QR code to your final walkthrough paperwork. Once you do the final walkthrough and your client is thrilled with their new house, you can pull out the QR code and ask for a review.

Or, imagine you are an attorney. You could add the QR code to your final invoice or case documents. When your client is thrilled with you winning their epic legal battle, they will be more than happy to leave that review, and you have made it super simple.

Step 4 - Employ Psychological Strategies

When asking for a review, framing it as a favor can significantly boost your chances of success.

People inherently enjoy reciprocating kindness, and by doing something nice for them, you’re more likely to receive a positive review in return. This approach taps into the basic human desire to give back, making your request much more effective.

Beyond the Basics – Getting More Reviews

Taking it a step further, incorporating the QR code into various client-facing materials can substantially increase your visibility and the likelihood of receiving reviews. Whether it’s a business card, a brochure, or an email signature, every point of contact is an opportunity to prompt a review.

In the next installment of our guide, we’ll explore innovative strategies to leverage these QR codes and Bitly links even further, ensuring every satisfied client has the chance to share their positive experience.

Stay tuned and get ready to transform your business’s review-gathering strategy from mundane to monumental.

With these simple steps, your business will not only gather reviews effortlessly but also build a reputation that stands out amongst your competitors.

Email Deliverability and the Upcoming Google Email Apocalypse

Do you or your business send mass emails to your clients from services like GoHighLevel, MailChimp, Active Campaign or others?

If so, your email deliverability may be in danger! Simply put, your clients and prospects may stop seeing your emails in their inboxes.

Why is this?

Late last year, Google announced that they will be implementing new email security checks starting February 1, 2024. They will also change the way that emails are accepted into the inbox.

If you don’t meet these new requirements – NO INBOX FOR YOU!

Once Google made this announcement, other email providers jumped on this train as well, such as Yahoo and AOL.

So, what are these new sending requirements and how do you reach compliance?

Let’s talk about that…

Only Send Emails Using Your Branded Sending Domain

Make sure more people see your emails by taking charge of how your emails look. You can do this by creating a special sending name that represents you. This way, you won’t have the standard “sent via msgsndr.com” message, and your emails will have a better chance of reaching inboxes.

If you send a lot of emails to Google and Yahoo users, you’ll need to set up this special sending name starting in February. Just remember, it might take 2 to 4 weeks for everything to work smoothly after you set it up.

So, when your bulk email program asks who the sender is and the name, be sure to use you@yourdomain.com

DMARC Email Authentication

Okay, this is about to get fairly technical, so put on your IT hat (or get the nearest teenager to help you)…

DMARC stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance.

It’s a type of TXT record that you add to your DNS records.

DMARC, which stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, is a rule that makes SPF and DKIM even better. It tells email providers what to do with emails that pretend to be from your business but don’t pass SPF or DKIM checks. This helps protect your business from fake or deceptive emails.

To create the record, follow these 5 steps

Sign into your domain registrar and create a new record
Select “TXT” as the type
Set the “host” to _DMARC
Set the “value” to v=DMARC1; p=none;
Save the record and wait about 30 minutes for it to propagate

When setting up DMARC, you need to choose a policy for your emails—either none, quarantine, or reject. While Gmail suggests starting with “none” for basic protection, for stronger security, consider using “reject” or “quarantine.”

However, be careful because this requires extra work to make sure it includes all the companies that send emails on behalf of your business. If you don’t set it up right, it could affect how your emails get delivered.

Work with your tech experts to set up DMARC correctly and keep your emails safe.

To see if your settings work, send an email to a Gmail account and take a look at the header. You should see that the email will PASS 3 times.

You can also check your records here: https://dmarcian.com/dmarc-inspector/

Keep the Brand Consistent

Make sure your email looks professional and is easily recognized by using the same domain for your “from” address as your main branded domain.

To follow DMARC rules, the domain in your “from” address should be the same as the main domain of your branded sending name. For instance, if your branded sending name is “lc.iftsdesign.com,” the main domain is “iftsdesign.com.”

So, if you use “hello@iftsdesign.com” as your “from” address, it stays in line with the main domain. This helps keep everything connected and trustworthy.

Don’t Send As Gmail or Yahoo

Do you send emails via MailChimp or Active Campaign from ‘you’@gmail.com or ‘you’@yahoo.com?

Simple Solution – it’s time to stop. Only send mass emails from your domain.

Mail providers like Gmail and Yahoo are getting more strict with their policies around the DMARC record. So, if you are sending from one of the generic mail providers, it could affect if you land in the inbox vs the spam folder.

Unsubscribing Should Be Easy

These new requirements are all about making a person’s email inbox safer. This includes them ONLY receiving emails they want.

So, how do you do this?

Make your unsubscribe option easy to find and one-click.

Place an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every mass email you send, which is where most people expect to find it.

Be sure to check any pre-scheduled emails that you have…do they have an unsubscribe easily available?

Final Requirement – Keep Your Spam Rating Below 0.30%

Only send emails to people who want to receive them. This is easy to do.

If too many people say your emails are spam, it can cause trouble.

How many people is too many? 3 out of 1000…0.30%

What can happen if your spam rate goes above this?

Your emails might:

be late,
go to the spam folder,
or not be sent at all

Stay below 0.30%!

But how do you know what the spam rate is?

You can check Yahoo spam complaints in the Spam Reports. However, Gmail keeps their Spam Reports private.

If you want to keep an eye on Gmail complaints, use Google Postmaster Tools. You’ll have to sign up with your domain and add a TXT record to prove that you own it.

This helps make sure your emails go where they’re supposed to without any problems.

Not Sure What To Do Next?

If this seems like a lot to accomplish, or you are not quite sure where to start, give IFTS a call at 412-559-7177 or email us at si@iftsdesign.com

We have put together a package that will:

Audit your domain records
Review your deliverability
Set up the requirements from above
Get more emails delivered to your list

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