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In today’s digital landscape, home service business owners must adapt and thrive in the online world. To navigate this complex terrain, I welcome you to this insightful exploration of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and its transformative potential for your business. As a retired search engine engineer with extensive knowledge, I aim to demystify the SEO landscape and provide you with actionable insights.
The SEO Landscape
The digital realm is competitive, and home service business owners are seeking ways to dominate their markets, boost profits, and make a more substantial impact in their industry. In the ServiceLegend Podcast, hosted by Ryan Davis, CEO and founder of ServiceLegend, and Marko Sipilä, former Chief Marketing Officer at ServiceLegend, we delve into engaging discussions with experts, industry leaders, and more.
SEO Unveiled: The Core Principles
In this episode, we focus on SEO, a fundamental driver of web traffic for businesses. We emphasize its potential to generate leads, drive traffic, and provide newfound freedom and impact in the home service industry.
Navigating Google’s Updates
Google, the dominant search engine, plays a central role in this journey. Recent updates, including the Youthful Content Update, Spam Update, and Link Update, have reshaped SEO standards. However, my advice is to look beyond these updates’ minutiae and concentrate on the core principles: Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T).
Google now meticulously evaluates websites, seeking signals of legitimacy such as domain authority and backlink quality. This article delves into these aspects and offers guidance on auditing your strategies.
Avoiding SEO Pitfalls: A Cautionary Tale
It’s essential to be mindful of the risks associated with outdated SEO tactics. One such danger is “Google bowling,” where competitors purchase spammy links to harm each other’s rankings. While this tactic may have worked in the past, Google’s updates have made it more challenging to get away with.
In a recent audit of a major company investing heavily in SEO, I uncovered a troubling discovery. Despite their staggering $70,000 monthly investment, they were unknowingly purchasing harmful links that were actively hurting their rankings. These links weren’t just innocuous—they were detrimental to the client’s online presence.
This serves as a stark reminder of the importance of staying updated with Google’s guidelines and avoiding shortcuts that can backfire. Moving forward, prioritize high authority and genuine links to safeguard your website’s performance and reputation.
Demystifying SEO: A Clear Path Forward
The overarching goal is to demystify SEO and make it accessible to everyone. Rather than reacting to every algorithm tweak, I encourage you to prioritize the creation of content that genuinely merits high rankings. Quality and value should be your guiding principles.
Let’s add a touch of humor to this seriousness. Picture Google as a genie responding to your SEO wishes. If you wish for shady SEO techniques, the genie should grant you double the trouble. To avoid this, adhere to best practices and produce valuable content. This way, you can confidently navigate Google’s evolving algorithms.
Now, consider Tommy Mello, founder of A1 Garage Doors. His SEO strategy focuses on authentic content—like one-minute videos and insightful podcasts—over algorithmic tricks. By prioritizing value, Tommy sets a confident precedent for navigating the SEO landscape.
Live Website Audits: A Practical Approach
My commitment, along with the hosts, is to conduct live website audits and provide actionable insights. We offer to evaluate and potentially provide free marketing audits for home service business websites, empowering our audience with practical guidance.
Directory Listings and Content Quality
Beware of over-relying on low-quality directory sites for SEO. I advise focusing on quality over quantity in your directory listings. The recent “Helpful Content Update” penalizes websites prioritizing spammy content over value-driven information. Google uses user data to assess content quality, making the delivery of genuine value to your audience paramount.
Topical Relevance and Authority
Google’s preference for topical relevance and authority is a crucial consideration. Building expertise within specific categories related to your industry is vital, with each piece of content contributing to establishing your authority. Remember that not every piece of content needs a call to action. User behavior, including bounce rates and clickbacks, plays a significant role in Google’s assessment of content quality.
In-Depth Website Audits
Now, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty with a detailed analysis of two home service business websites, Josh’s Flooring and Installation, and Fitzpatrick Painting. We’ll highlight the importance of location-specific service pages and offer strategies for improving domain authority and content quality.
Optimizing Location-Specific Content
For Josh’s Flooring and Installation, I recommend expanding the website’s content, particularly content related to Denver and various flooring services. Collaborating with local contractors and guest blog posts can be a powerful strategy for building high-quality backlinks and authority.
Fitzpatrick Painting’s Success and Opportunities
Fitzpatrick Painting’s impressive performance in local search results is commendable, with its domain rating and keyword rankings discussed. Nevertheless, areas for improvement exist, particularly in locations where dedicated service pages are absent. Creating such pages is recommended to further enhance local SEO rankings.
Website Performance Optimization
Website performance is critical, with an emphasis on fast loading times, especially for mobile users. Recommendations for improving website speed are offered to ensure an optimal user experience.
Building a New Website
For businesses considering a new website, cost-effective options on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork are available. I encourage you to find skilled developers well-versed in SEO best practices for a website that aligns with your business goals.
The Straightforward Nature of SEO
In conclusion, SEO’s nature is straightforward—align your efforts with search engines’ logical preferences. Reach out to Marko Sipilä, CEO of CoatingLaunch, for personalized SEO evaluations and schedule an audit, setting the stage for increased profits and success in the New Year.
Here’s the entire podcast.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best-selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads. He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "million jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations.You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train up young adults and business owners. He speaks for free as long as the organization believes in the job-creation mission and covers business class travel.You can find him hiking tall mountains, eating chicken wings, and taking Kaqun oxygen baths-- likely in a city near you.