Website Basics – Page 3 – IFTS, Inc. Blog

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for House Painting Companies in 2023: Help Your Brand Stand Out In The Search Results (SERPs) Part 2

Last time, we talked about how to get your local SEO and business listings right.

In this post, we will discuss blogging for SEO, link building and citations and the importance of reviews.

Strategy 3 – Blogging for SEO: Engaging Audiences through Intelligent Content Marketing Approaches

For local painting businesses looking to increase their online presence and attract new customers, blogging can be a very effective tool.

By creating informative content that aligns with your industry expertise, you’ll position yourself as a thought leader in the eyes of potential clients. With proper execution, this strategy will improve both your search engine rankings and overall digital marketing efforts.

SEO Blogging Tips and Tricks

As a painting business owner, you understand the importance of staying up to date with current events in your area and industry trends. You will want to create specific content that targets local areas and is still engaging for readers.

How can you do this?

Use relevant keywords targeted at your location
Solve a problem that your potential client may have

Here are a few examples of good blog ideas for painting companies:

From Start to Finish – A Complete Walkthrough of Painting Your House Exterior in [Your Town Name]
What Color Should I Choose for the Best Resale Value? A Guide to the Most Popular Colors in [Your Town Name] for [Year]
Paint Finishes – Which Finish to Choose for Your Room and Why
Choosing a House Painter in [You Town Name] – What Should You Look For & What Are the Red Flags?
Remodeling Your Kitchen? A Complete Timeline of What to Expect

Blogging for Brand Awareness

Blogging extends beyond mere search engine optimization for your website. Through crafting content on industry-relevant subjects, you can connect with a broader audience in your target market and cultivate credibility for your brand.

By offering valuable and insightful articles, you foster customer loyalty and amplify recognition of your corporate identity. This way, when someone in your area is ready to paint, they already know who to choose – YOU!

Strategy 4 – Link Building and Secondary Citations

Google’s ranking algorithm considers numerous factors to determine the order in which websites appear in search results. While the exact details of the algorithm are closely guarded, one key element when determining rankings is backlinks and citations.

Building Backlinks

The number and quality of links from other reputable websites to your site, known as backlinks, plays a crucial role. Google views these as a vote of confidence in your content’s credibility and authority. The more quality backlinks your website has, the more relevant it will be seen by the search engines.

Some easy ways to get backlinks to your website:

Join your local Chamber of Commerce (make sure your profile is filled out completely)
Join a BNI group (make sure your profile is filled out completely)
Activate “Creator Mode” in LinkedIn and add a link to your website in the profile
Add a link to your website in your YouTube Channel’s profile
Check to see if your college alumni association allows links in your alumni profile and link to your business from there

Building Citations

Citations are an essential component of local search optimization. They involve mentioning your business name, address or phone number on third party websites without linking directly to it.

While citations may not have the same impact as links, they still play a crucial role in improving rankings by increasing brand awareness and credibility among customers and other businesses alike.

One tool that can help you build your citations is called Yext. You input your information once and it distributes this information to over 75 different directories. IFTS is currently running a special on this service for $50/month.

Interested? Contact si@iftsdesign.com to get started.

Strategy 5 – Reviews: Improve Your Reputation By Getting More Positive Reviews

Though the exact number is not known, reviews are estimated to account for about 40% of Google’s local ranking algorithm. This makes reviews extremely important to your painting company, or any local service business!

The more positive reviews that you have, the more favorably Google should look upon your Google Business Profile listing. Typically, people like to see a company have a 4-star reputation or higher.

Obviously, the best way to get reviews is to do the best job for your clients, so they are positively bursting to tell others how amazing you are.

Sometimes, it’s not that easy. So, setting up processes to get reviews is a good idea.

A few processes that you can put in place:

Create review links in your email signatures
Have a review email sequence that goes out after the final walk through
Use a QR code on a business card that your employees use to ask for reviews
Offer an incentive (which they must disclose) to get a review
Create a page on your site that allows them to submit reviews

To see a step-by-step guide of how to set up a review process, check out this blog post from IFTS.

Conclusion – Start Putting SEO into Place Today For Your Painting Business

The rise in internet usage has made it crucial for local businesses to invest in quality SEO services and market their brand within their area.

With more people turning online when searching for products or services, this is no longer an option but a necessity if you want your house painting company to thrive.

To remain competitive in today’s digital landscape, implementing an effective local SEO strategy is crucial for businesses. This approach will attract more customers and give you the edge over your competition. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to grow, so start today!

Need help getting started with this?

Let us handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on running a successful painting company! Email si@iftsdesign.com to find out more!

How to Optimize Your Google Business Profile Listing

Is your Google Business Profile optimized to the fullest extent?

If not, you could be missing out on amazing clients!

You can build a Google Business Profile listing, but it might not be as potent and dynamic as it could be. That’s because it takes more than just putting up a sign with your company’s name, address, and phone number for people to know who you are.

To be shown in the “Google Map Pack”, which is the set of 3 results that Google shows with the local map, you have to be what Google considers one of the best results for the searcher.

There probably are more than three other companies in your field operating in the immediate area. So, you’ll need to know what to include and how to fully optimize your listing if you want it to appear in the top three slots. The result will be the highest possible placement in relevant searches.

Use the advice below as a guide.

Don’t Forget the Details

Listing information, such as the company’s name, address, and phone number, should be consistent and include all necessary information. Use the full street name, not the abbreviation “Main St.” if your website states that your company is located on Main Street. If you want the same high search engine rankings across the board, it’s important that your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent throughout all directories, including Google.

Don’t lose sight of the big picture when you’re making progress on the little things. The category “Italian Food” will boost the visibility of a restaurant more than the generic “Restaurant” would. Be specific to attract the right people.

After you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you may shift your attention to the finer points of your profile. Upload your company’s logo, a profile background and a short slogan or tagline. You may increase your internet visibility, your audience, and the likelihood that they’ll become paying customers by maintaining this kind of consistency.

Don’t forget to include a description of your company; doing so will reassure potential clients that you are who they think you are. Don’t forget to use relevant keywords when creating that description; Google will appreciate it and you might even move up in the rankings as a result. Make sure to use location words, such as the name of your city, as well.

Make Sure Your Website is Worth Visiting

There is more to your Google Business Profile than just the listing itself. Your website is also a part of this.

Listings get a boost when you have a website that is engaging and informative for visitors. Having an interesting website that provides value to readers and has helpful and useful information helps your listing, too. Google prioritizes readability and usefulness above all other ranking elements.

However, Google’s internal algorithm and rankings are also important considerations. To help Google find your site, it is crucial that you make extensive use of keywords and metadata. Be sure to follow their SEO rules.

You should also work to increase the number of inbound links to your site; Google sees each link as a vote in favor of your site, and a higher number of links improves your position in the search engine results.

Make Sure You’re Mobile and Know How to Use it

Mobile internet search is quickly becoming the norm, and this development cannot be reversed. Today, mobile device usage far outstrips that of desktops, laptops, and tablets combined. Google’s algorithm takes this into account, giving preference in search results to sites that are optimized for mobile use. This highlights the significance of not only making your website mobile-friendly, but also understanding the differences between the search habits of desktop and mobile consumers.

In-the-moment mobile users are more likely to look up practical information like a store’s opening hours and physical location. Desktop and laptop users, on the other hand, are more likely to be looking for detailed product or service information.

Include Images and Videos

Nowadays, people who spend time on the internet prefer to look at video and photos rather than read walls of text. Not only does this visual component apply to your Google Business Profile, but it also has to do with the listing itself.

Your listing will stand out more and attract more attention if you include videos and photos.

At least three videos and six photos should be uploaded to your listing; they don’t need to be professional quality, but they should be of high enough resolution and not too grainy to be easily discerned. This second variety will not only put off potential customers, but will also make your company appear incompetent.

Make sure to add new images on a regular basis.

Use Google Business Profile Posts

Google began including posts in Google Business Profile listings last year, and every business owner should take use of them. Posts to a Google My Business profile are distinct from blog entries. These are miniature advertising that appear directly in your Google Business Profile listing, taking the place of lengthy descriptions. Moreover, they are an excellent method of maximizing the promotional value of these postings.

You can provide information about a corporate event, a sale, a new blog post, freshly arrived products, or seasonal greetings.

This type of article can be used for more than just “talking at” your target audience. There is room for graphics, calls to action, and even external links.

Use the Booking Button Feature

Adding a “book now” button is yet another innovation from Google. This is especially helpful for any business that relies on scheduled client visits, like house painting businesses. Customers can make appointments online with the booking button function, increasing business.

Messaging Feature

Customers can now send you messages right from your Google Business Profile, another new addition. Customers can send you messages whenever they like by clicking the “Chat” icon on your Google Profile.

If someone leaves you a message, you’ll be notified immediately so you may reply. If you choose, you can even set up a pre-recorded message that will be sent to anyone who messages your company.

Questions and Answers

Another Google addition lets clients ask you questions directly from the listing. Using this function benefits both you and your clientele because of the increased communication it enables.

Remember that if one consumer has a query, there is a strong probability that another customer has the same query.

Be sure to answer these questions quickly and with detail.

Want Some Help?

IFTS specializes in helping companies get found on Google. For a free consultation on how we can optimize your profile, call us at 412.715.6266.

6 Signs Your Painting Business Website Needs To Be Updated

Remember when it was trendy to have scrolling banners, a website visitors counter, blinking text or Adobe Flash on your website?

Does your website still have those…or does it look like it was designed when boy bands were still cool?

If so, it is definitely time for an update.

Here are 6 more signs that it’s time to redo your website:

✅ Your Website Isn’t Responsive

Does your website look as good or better on a phone than it does on a desktop?

If not, it’s time for an update.

Your website should adapt and look good on all devices.

Why?

Well, first of all, this could actually be hurting you in the organic search rankings. Google has started to penalize websites that are not designed for mobile devices because they determine the rankings using the mobile version. If Google prioritizes a mobile-friendly website, you should, too. Unfortunately, the vast majority of painting businesses actually do the opposite.

Secondly, your customers will think that you don’t care about them having a good experience.

More of your customers are going to your website using their phones instead of a desktop than ever before. If they have to pinch, zoom and swipe their way through a non-optimized website, there is a good chance they’ll move on to the next painting company quickly.

If your website was built several years ago, even if it is responsive, it may not be as user-friendly on mobile devices as it could be. There has been a shift in both best practices, loading time acceptability and user expectations.

In order to determine whether or not your site is mobile-friendly, you can use Google’s own mobile-friendly test tool: https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly

✅ Your Website Isn’t Easy For Your Target Market To Navigate

Can your ideal client easily navigate your website?

If not, it’s time for an update. A client should be able to get to any page they want within 3 clicks.

3 clicks is what the average person finds acceptable while browsing for information. In this increasingly fast-paced world where attention span is at a premium, prospects should find your website intuitive.

Typically, when business owners prioritize “pretty” websites over functionality and clever wordplay over straightforward descriptions, this is where you can lose people.

Some other common issues that we see:

Menu isn’t mobile friendly
Too many menu items
Too few menu items
Inability to navigate back a page or up a level
Blogs with no navigation
No site menu

If these are a problem on your site as well, you want to start thinking about a change.

✅ Your Website Isn’t Updated Regularly

When was the last time that you updated your website?

If you can’t remember, or if it was more than 3-4 years ago, it’s time for an update. You want to make the best first impression you can, and that includes what people think of your online properties as well. In fact, most people will judge a website within the first .05 seconds of seeing it.

An updated website is important for many reasons.

Aesthetic trends change, so a layout or graphic scheme that was popular before may not be popular now. This can date your website.
Security protocols will update or change, which may leave you vulnerable to hacking.
Embedded code protocols from third parties (like YouTube or Rumble) will change as well, which could break the functionality on your website.

One way to evaluate your website is to compare it to your competition. Look at the websites of 5 local competitors. If all of them have nicer looking websites, it’s time to update yours.

Remember, people make assumptions about you based on what your website looks like. If it looks old or sloppy with broken functionality, they may assume that’s how your business is run as well.

You might not give much thought to an out-of-date website, but it’s the digital equivalent of a high end boutique with bad lighting or a law office with holes in the waiting room upholstery. Putting in no effort to the appearance suggests that you don’t care about how you come across to others.

Customers and prospects want to be cared about.

✅ Your Website Doesn’t Convert Visitors Into Clients

When someone visits your website, do they normally become a client?

If you don’t convert a decent percentage of website visitors into clients, it is time for a website update.

Having a website is essential for any business today. However, merely existing online is not enough. Your website’s purpose is to promote your company. It should be your BEST (and easiest to control) salesman.

A few ways that you can improve your conversion rate:

Be sure to have clear calls to action that stand out on every page
Be consistent in your messaging across all platforms
Provide helpful content about your business as well as why someone should work with you
Add your phone number and email address at the top of the website and make sure they are clickable
Adding a chat bot makes it easy to ask questions and helps a prospect decide to go with your services on the spot
A scheduler widget that allows a prospect to create their own appointment with you to accommodate a busy schedule
Ask for only a small amount of information so it’s easy for a prospect to fill out a form and submit. The key is for you to get in touch quickly after the submission.

A good metric to look at if you have Google Analytics installed on your site is called Bounce Rate.

Bounce Rate tracks the percentage of first-time visitors that depart your webpage without navigating any further. While it’s normal for some pages to have a larger bounce rate than others, consistently high rates across the board indicate that something is wrong with your website.

✅ Your Website Doesn’t Follow Google’s Rules To Rank Well

Does your website play by Google’s SEO (search engine optimization) rules?

If you haven’t optimized your website in the past year or two, it’s time for an update. Google constantly is changing/adding to their SEO rules.

SEO lays the foundation for having your website rank well and show up on the first page of results. For more in depth information on SEO, check out this article from IFTS on “SEO for House Painting Companies”.

A few of the most important SEO rules:

Your website should have an SSL certificate
Load time for the site should be under 3 seconds
Popular keywords associated with your business should be used in the URL, page titles and headers
The meta description and page title field should be filled in
There are no bugs in the website code
There are no security vulnerabilities

While it is true that sometimes a combination of different approaches might solve these issues, if your website is more than a few years old, it is usually best to start from scratch. There is a limit to how many times you can fix a broken website by applying temporary fixes.

✅ Your Website Doesn’t Have Multiple Ways For People To Contact You

If I go to your website, are there multiple ways to get in touch with your business?

If you don’t have a phone number, a contact form and an email address easily available, it is time for an update. Because people communicate and learn in different ways, it’s important to make it easy to contact you using multiple methods.

A great first step is to add the phone number, email address and social media property links to the top of your header. These will be easily accessible no matter what page of the website a prospective customer is visiting.

A chat bot can be a valuable tool as well. The easier you make it for prospects to get their questions answered and any fears allayed, the better chance you have of getting that person as a client.

Finally, a contact form on your website that can be navigated to easily (one click) makes the perfect trifecta of website communication.

🤔Thinking That Your Website Is Ready For An Update?

After reading this list, you may be convinced that a website redesign is in order and you are probably right!

Want help?

Using the newest responsive design trends, search engine optimization (SEO), and other cutting-edge features, our developers will craft a unique website for your company. Call IFTS today at 412.715.6266 to get started!