Here in sunny California, there are plenty of pools that need cleaning. If you run a local pool cleaning business anywhere in the country, your website is working for you 24/7 to draw in new business. Ranking high in local search results is important because most people will go with the first company they see – and will generally go with the first company that calls them back or responds to their email.
In this article, we’re sharing five SEO tips for pool cleaning businesses to bring in new leads.
Overview
Claim Your Google My Business Listing
Start by claiming (or creating) your Google My Business listing (now called Google Business Profile). It’s where you can provide information to potential customers about your business. Make sure the information is current and accurate. Use all the features available to you, including the Q&A section where you can address the most commonly asked questions, and the Posts feature where you can share news about your company and any specials you may have.
Repeat the process with Yahoo and Bing to ensure you’re covering all your bases. Just because Google is the most widely used search engine doesn’t mean it’s the only one you should be catering to.
Consider using the main keyword as part of your business name, even if it messes with your name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistency across your citations (more on that below) because the ranking boost is often worth it. Plus, you can adjust the rest of your citations to match.
Related: Why Local SEO is Important for Small Businesses
Optimizing your Google Business Profile can dramatically boost the visibility of your brand and services to local customers.
- Chris Rice, SEO Manager
Build Local Citations
Search engines use local citations as a ranking factor. A citation is an online mention of the NAP for a local business. You can build them on local business directories, apps, websites, and social media platforms. Options for your pool cleaning business include Yelp, HomeAdvisor, The Pool Directory, your local Chamber of Commerce, Yellow Pages, and any industry association directories. Taking the time to join industry associations such as Pool & Hot Tub Alliance can not only help you increase credibility with your potential customers but also help your SEO efforts. As of April 1, 2019, The National Swimming Pool Foundation (NPSF) and the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP) are unified as the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance.
Ask Customers to Review Your Business
Reach out to past customers to thank them for their loyalty and ask that they review your business on their choice of review sites. Send an email with links to your review profiles and let them know you appreciate their time. You can also ask your social media followers to the same if you’ve already established a presence on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Whenever you complete a job for a customer, you can ask politely in person with a business card that includes the links to the review sites. Or, you can send a follow-up email shortly after the completion of the job.
Always take time to respond to all reviews – whether positive or negative. When negative, apologize for the issue and take the conversation off the review platform by leaving your email and phone number and inviting the reviewer to contact you for a resolution.
Related: 7 Home Services Marketing Tips to Get More Customers
Create Valuable Content for Your Website
Search engines look at various things about your website’s content when deciding where to rank you for any particular keyword. They look at how fresh (current) the content is, how often the website is updated, how useful the content is to your audience, and keywords, to name a few.
One of the best things you can do for your website in terms of content freshness and update frequency is to start a blog and create a digital content strategy. When you create content for your blog, you should focus on content that helps customers learn about pools and pool maintenance. This will help you rank in searches that your target audience would use to find you, and also show your readers you are a credible business that knows the industry.
For instance, you could write about:
- How Often You Should Clean Your Pool
- Preparing Your Pool for Cooler Temperatures
- Pool Maintenance Schedules
- Pool Safety Tips
- Chlorine vs. Saltwater Pools
If you’re not confident in your writing abilities, or find that you just don’t have time to write the content, you (shameless plug!) can hire a marketing agency to help you. Though I’m not a tax professional, these kind of investments can be written off on your taxes because they are business expenses related to marketing.
Create content that others can use and link to as a resource for their audience.
- Eric Sachs, CEO
Invest in Social Media
Social media sites, particularly Facebook, are useful because people turn to their networks to get recommendations and discover businesses. It is the most popular discovery platform, ahead of Google Reviews and Yelp. When you create your Facebook Page, focus on filling out as much detail as you possibly can. Include your Facebook information on your website, business cards, and other marketing materials to help in building your audience.
When it comes to posting content on the page and engaging your audience, there are many things you can do, including:
- Posting links to content from your blog
- Posting before and after photos of jobs you’ve done
- Sharing special offers for discounts on your service, exclusive to your Facebook followers
- Ask your audience to share photos of them enjoying their pool – whether they are your customer or not.
- Connect your Facebook Page to an Instagram account to automatically share your photos there and expand your reach
You can also invest in Facebook Ads to grow your audience and promote your business. Search engines pay attention to social signals when determining rank, so it’s important to maintain an active presence. If you don’t have time to write content for your site, your marketing agency can take care of it for you.
If you’re just starting your pool cleaning service, it can be frustrating trying to get it up and running. If you’ve been in it for years, it can be hard to find time to handle your marketing and advertising efforts. In both cases, a high-quality website and digital marketing strategy are crucial to your business growth and sustainability.
Wow I love the input! I’ve recently started up my own endeavor down in Florida and while I’ve heard of some of these things I never once considered associations like the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance. Thank you for providing this wonderful content and value.