SEO For Landscapers: How To Do SEO For A Landscaping Business
A Comprehensive Guide To SEO For Landscapers
Let’s face it.
You’re a Landscaper, not a digital marketer. You may hear the term SEO get thrown around online, and know that you should be doing it, but have no idea how or even where to start. Luckily, SEO for landscapers isn’t as complicated as it may seem.
This comprehensive guide will cover everything you will ever need to know in regarding SEO for your landscaping business.
What Is SEO for Landscapers?
Let’s start with the basics. What is SEO?
SEO is an acronym for “Search Engine Optimization.” It can be done on nearly any search engine, but the most common form of SEO and the SEO that we will be talking about today is Google SEO.
Google is the world’s largest search engine, which is why we want to put so much focus on Google.
Think about this, if you were looking for an HVAC company or a plumber to service your house where would you go to discover one?
Millions of people are making “Near Me” searches every day, and SEO helps up turn these Google searchers into high-paying clients.
When someone searches, “Landscaping Company Near Me,” in your service area, you need to be the first company that shows up so that you can convert that buying intent into clients.
Depending on your service area, capturing this prime real estate within the Google search results page can add upwards of $1 million in annual sales to your landscaping company.
Sound like something you’re interested in doing?
Keep reading because I’ll show you how I got a 1-page site to show up at the top of the Google search results with minimal effort.
Where Do I Start With SEO For My Landscaping Business?
If you have no prior exposure to SEO as a landscaper, you probably have no idea where to start.
That’s okay because by the end of this article you’ll have everything you need to know to start developing a bulletproof SEO strategy for your landscaping business.
At the end of the day, SEO comes down to three things.
- Technical SEO
- Content
- Backlinks
Technical SEO
Technical SEO comes down to simply having a well-built website for your landscaping company.
If you’re still using a website for your landscaping business that was built 10 years ago, you’re going to want to update it ASAP.
Your website has to load fast and be user-friendly. If your website doesn’t have a good user experience, as soon as people land on your site, they’ll likely get frustrated, whether it be a slow load time or complicated navigation. A frustrated website visitor is going to leave very quickly and choose to work with a different landscaping company.
Google can tell when this happens too, which is not good. If Google is registering that when people visit your website they don’t stay around very long, they won’t want to show your website to other users.
Google is a for-profit business. They want their users to have a good experience so that they can keep them on their platform and continue to show them ads.
If your website doesn’t help Google by providing a good user experience, they’ll kick you to the curb and possibly not show your website to anyone, no matter how good of a landscaper you are.
You also want to make sure that your website has an SSL certificate. This shows Google that your website is safe for users to visit.
Content SEO For Your Landscaping Business
Content-based SEO is probably what most of us are familiar with.
When optimizing your website for search engines, you want to ensure that you’re using keywords that are being searched most often. Luckily, for landscapers, keyword research isn’t too complicated.
In most situations, you’ll want to use some sort of variation of {Your City} + {Your Service}.
One important thing to know is that Google ranks web pages, not entire sites. This means that each page is seen as a separate entity from one another (sort of).
Because of this, each page needs to have one main target keyword. You can also look at it the other way around; you need a page for every target keyword or group of related keywords that you want to rank for.
While it’s possible to rank your landscaping business at the top of Google for “irrigation services” and “sod installation” with the same web page, it’s usually easier to do so by creating a page for each service/keyword.
Where you put these keywords is very important as well.
You’ll want to place your target keywords in your page title, your URL, your page headline, and your meta description with other mentions throughout the page.
DO NOT STUFF YOUR KEYWORDS
Don’t expect to cram “Columbus Patio Builder” or “Dallas Landscaping Company” in every sentence and get good results. Google’s bots are smarter than that.
Write the content on your website naturally, while naturally including your landscaping keywords. If it’s not readable, you aren’t going to get any clients wanting to read it and Google isn’t going to show you to their users.
I recorded the video below to show you how to structure your content on your landscaping website to be optimized for search engines.
Backlink SEO
What in the world are “Backlinks?”
Don’t worry, it’s not that complicated. A “Backlink” is just another website linking to your website.
Google uses the number of backlinks that you have along with the quality of those backlinks to determine your website’s level of authority. The more times your website is mentioned and linked on large, relevant websites, the better.
Think about this, big companies like Apple and Walmart are naturally going to have other websites link back to them just because of how large and influential they are.
While you’ll never compete with Apple or Walmart as a landscaper, the goal is to show Google that you’re an authoritative presence in your industry and your local area.
How Does The Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP) Work?
The search engine results page (SERP) is simply the page of results that you get after searching on Google.
Simple enough right?
While the SERPs are rather simple, it’s important to understand how they work.
Google Search Ads Results
At the very top of most google search result pages, you’re going to see sponsored listings.
Google has to make money too, so they show their local service and google search advertisers at the top.
Google Map Pack
When searching for a term like “Landscaping company near me,” the next feature that you will see will be the Google map pack.
On some occasions, there will be an ad shown here as well. After that, you’ll then see three local landscaping businesses listed with their website and contact information.
THIS IS PRIME REAL ESTATE
Getting your business to rank in the google map pack as a landscaper can completely change the course of your business by giving you exposure to thousands of people searching for your services.
What can you do to get listed in the map pack?
While there are a variety of technical adjustments you can make, It comes down to three main things:
1. Reviews
2. Content
3. Your Website
Reviews
When it comes to reviews, you want to get as many 5-star reviews as possible that also mention the landscaping services you provide. Google uses these reviews to determine whether you are an authority in your local market.
A company with 100 5-star reviews that talk about patio installation, mulch installation, or mowing services will have more authority than a company with 5 generic reviews with a 3.5-star average.
Content
Google also looks at the content on your google business profile. You’ll want to make sure that you have a quality company description, use the proper categorization, and are posting updates consistently.
The more information you give to tell Google that you are a reliable and trustworthy landscaper in your market, the more likely they are to show your business to more searchers.
BONUS: If your business name doesn’t currently include your primary service such as “Landscaping” or “Lawn Care,” you may want to consider changing your business name if you want to maximize your search engine results. Having your primary service in your business name is another way to tell Google more about the services you provide and increase the likelihood you show up at the top of the search results.
Your Website
The last important factor that Google analyzes is the website attached to your Google Business Profile. The rest of this article is going to be dedicated to optimizing your website to create the best user experience and rank higher in the Google Results.
But first, we have to cover the last feature on the search engine results page.
Regular Search Results
These are what people typically think of when they think about Google-ing something. After the paid ads and google map pack, you’ll then be presented with a list of recommended websites based on your search query.
This is where traditional SEO comes into place. Search engine optimization (SEO) helps increase your chances of showing up at the top of Google when people are searching for a landscaper in your town.
Why Is SEO Important?
As I previously mentioned, SEO helps increase your exposure through the search engine results pages, but why is this important?
It all comes down to intent. People who are searching for a landscaper in their town are most likely ready to hire a landscaper in the very near future.
Compared to Facebook and other social media platforms that get you in front of a variety of people, showing up in the Google search results gets you in front of qualified people who are ready to take action now!
Think back to the last time you needed to hire a plumber, electrician, or garage door installer. Unless you already knew of a company, you most likely went to Google to find a company that services your area.
This should be no surprise, but people are doing the exact same thing for your landscaping services as well
How To Do Technical SEO On Your Landscaping Website
Technical SEO revolves predominately around page loading speed. The faster your page loads, the better experience the user will have, which will entice Google to show your website to more people.
Test your website’s page speed here.
Here are three things you can do to improve your website’s technical SEO:
1. Optimize Images
2. Optimize code files (Easier than it sounds)
3. Choose a high-speed hosting provider
NOTE: I realize that if you are reading this, you’re most likely a landscaper and the next few sections may be kind of confusing. If you have a website developer that worked on your website, I’m sure they can make these adjustments for you and save you time and hassle so that you can focus on running your landscaping business.
Optimizing Your Landscaping Images For SEO
To optimize the images on your website, you need to upload them in a file format that is speed-friendly. To do this, you can use a platform called CloudConvert to convert your PNG or JPG files into WEBP files that are more speed friendly.
Presenting your images in a manner that loads faster enables your entire site to load more efficiently and improve the user experience.
Optimizing CSS & Java Script files
Don’t worry, you don’t need to know how to code. As long as your website is managed through WordPress, you can install a plugin called WP Rocket to minify and compress your CSS & JavaScript files.
WP Rocket will also let you lazy load your images, further enhancing your website load speed. While we recommend using WordPress to manage your website, if you’re using another platform like WIX or Square Space and are having problems with page speed, I would recommend getting in contact with their support team to determine what options you have.
Choose a High-Speed Hosting Provider
If you’re using a platform like WIX or Square Space, you’re forced to use whatever hosting provider they use, however, if you’re using WordPress, make sure that you use a quality hosting provider with a reputation for fast servers. DreamHost is known to be an affordable hosting provider with very high-speed servers.
If any of this sounds confusing, don’t worry. Cloud Convert & WP Rocket make this process a breeze. If your website is already loading at breakneck speeds, you don’t have to worry about making too many technical optimizations because you’ve most likely already implemented many of the best practices.
How To Do Content-Based SEO On Your Landscaping Website
As mentioned previously, the content on your page and the keywords you’re using matter, but how do you implement proper keyword targeting on your website?
It all starts with keyword research.
But what is keyword research?
Keyword research is the process of analyzing search engine data to determine which keywords that relate to your business receive the most search traffic. As a reminder, most of the time {Your City} + {Your Service} is the ideal keyword combination you’ll want to target.
For example, you’ll probably want to use something like “Greenwood Landscaper” as your target keyword on your home page. However, when it comes to your service pages, you may want to research which variation of your keyword receives the most search traffic.
For example, if you’re a landscaping company that offers irrigation installation, you may want to research whether there are more searches for “irrigation systems” or “sprinkler systems,” and use the variation with the most search volume.
While it’s not my favorite platform, a free program you can use to conduct your keyword research is Ubersuggest.
Now that you have determined what keywords you’re going to target with your SEO efforts, you need to make sure that they’re placed properly on your website.
Keyword Placement For SEO
Where you decide to place certain keywords is just as important as the actual keywords you decide to target. Certain parts of your web page have more weight than others when it comes to Google determining what topic your page is about.
You’ll want to have some variation of your target keyword in:
– your SEO page title
– your URL (EX: https://Landscapelegends.com/Fishers-Landscaper)
– your page’s main headline (H1)
– your page’s sub-headlines (H2 & H3’s)
– your meta description
– within the first 100 words of regular text
In addition to including your SEO target keyword in these six key places, you’ll also want to consider renaming your images with some variation of your target keyword while still accurately describing the photo.
EX: Landscaper Naperville.webp
You’ll also want to include the same keyword in your image’s Alt Text as well if possible.
After you have made these core optimizations, you’ll also want to aim for at least 750 words per page with high-quality and relevant content.
At the end of the day, Google is smart
NAP for Landscaper SEO (And Customer Experience)
What in the world is NAP?
N.A.P. stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number.
This is important to know as a landscaper because Google uses this to verify your business across multiple different websites and platforms. Google wants to see a consistent business name, business address, and business phone number across multiple platforms.
This includes your Google business profile, your Facebook page, your Nextdoor profile, and anywhere else your business information is listed.
To ensure congruency across every platform, you’ll want to include your N.A.P. in the footer of your website on every page.
Another way to maximize your N.A.P. placement is by hyperlinking the name of your business back to your google business profile.
If you implement all of these on-page SEO strategies on your landscaping website, you’ll already be ahead of most other landscapers in your service area. However, it doesn’t end there.
How To Do Off-Page SEO As A Landscaper
Keyword choice and placement are only one part of a well-rounded SEO strategy for your Landscaping business. The other half is a robust off-page SEO strategy.
What in the world is off-page SEO and why is it important for your landscaping business?
Off-page SEO revolves around building your landscaping website’s authority through the eyes of Google and the number one way of doing so is by getting other websites to link back to your website, otherwise known as getting a backlink.
Now, you may be thinking, “well that sounds easy,” but let me caution you because not all backlinks are made equal. The first big differentiating factor is whether it is a Dofollow or Nofollow. While everyday landscapers don’t need to know all of the technical details about the difference, It is important to know that Dofollow links carry more weight than Nofollow links.
In addition to the type of link you receive, the website that you receive the backlink from also matters. If you receive a bunch of spammy links from fake websites that are used only to get backlinks, you’re probably not going to see as good of results as if you received the same amount of links from reputable sources.
Additionally, you want the pages that link your website to be either niche relevant (talking about landscaping or landscapers), location-relevant (sites based in your service area), or a combination of both.
An important rule of thumb when it comes to doing off-page SEO as a landscaper is Quality over Quantity.
Off-page SEO Opportunities For Landscaping Businesses
Now you’re probably wondering, how can I start working on my off-page SEO and start getting more backlinks to my landscaping website?
Here are a few ways you can start working on off-page SEO for your landscaping business.
1. National Association of Landscape Professionals And Local Landscaping Business Associations
When you pay to join the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) and other local business organizations such as your local chamber of commerce, you’ll receive a directory listing with your business name, phone number, address, and a link back to your website.
2. Create A "Partners" Page
On your website, you can create a page dedicated entirely to showcasing other companies in your local area that you trust and would refer your current clients to for different services that you don’t provide.
For example, if you only do hardscape design and build, your partner page could include a lawn care company, an irrigation company, and a tree service company in your local area. You can extend into other trades such as HVAC, plumbing, or construction as well.
The idea behind this is that you can link to your partners’ websites, and in return, they would ideally be able to do the same for you, getting you a quality backlink from a locally relevant website.
3. Video Testimonials For Your Suppliers
Similar to the partner page strategy, you can also record a video testimonial for your landscaping supply center or landscaping equipment dealer for them to post on their website and link back to your website.
4. Local Directory Listing
Not only can you get a directory listing from the NALP and your local chamber of commerce, but you can also sign up for other business directories in your local area and related to the landscaping & home service industries.
5. Sponsor Local Events
When you sponsor your local fall festival or a T-ball team, oftentimes the event’s organization will be able to list your company and your website on their sponsor page.
6. Digital Press Releases
Whether it be some sort of philanthropic event your team attended or simply an update on your business, press releases and news interviews are another good way to get your business’s website listed on a variety of different locally relevant websites.
What Can I Expect Out Of Doing SEO For My Landscaping Business?
SEO is a long-term investment that you make over time to become the top-rated landscaping company in your service area on Google. You’re not going to see results overnight as you might with paid ads.
However, SEO can keep bringing in landscaping leads, even after you stop feeding the beast, unlike paid advertising where as soon as you stop paying, you stop seeing results.
Doing SEO for your landscaping business can be technical at times and requires a lot and time and energy that most landscapers don’t have, so they never get around to focusing on their SEO.
How Can You Start Getting More Landscaping Clients With SEO Today?
If you’re looking to grow your landscaping business from $200k to over $1 million in annual revenue, the experts on our team at Landscape Legends can help make your dreams a reality.
We only offer web design & SEO services and only serve landscaping businesses. This allows us to focus heavily on the finer details and provide the highest level of service possible. Other agencies can’t have the understanding of the landscaping industry that we do, because they have never run a landscaping business as we have.
Click Here to schedule a meeting with a landscaping growth expert and learn more about our 3 step process that generates more landscaping leads through web design & SEO.
Who Is Behind Landscape Legends?
Hey, my name is Ryan!
However, I also know how time consuming running your business can be and realize that many landscape business owners don’t have the time & energy to properly learn & implement quality marketing systems on their own.
My best clients have built a solid business offline through word of mouth, but have yet to master the art of growing their business even faster with digital marketing.
Sound like you? Get started today…
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