SEO isn't mysterious; it's not witchcraft. There is a formula that works and factors that don't. What makes SEO complex is that the formula includes hundreds of variables. In our previous blog post, we mentioned that Google's algorithm includes 200+ factors. Some are foundational (such as high-quality content) which will severely impact your rankings and some are complementing (like image descriptions). And since there are so many SEO factors, it's easy to lose track of what is still relevant and what's not. We believe (and hope) this is the reason for using outdate SEO tactics. To check your knowledge (or quiz your SEO person), check out this incredible infographic on what SEO used to be versus what it is now.

We here at Halstead Media are obsessed with understanding how today's SEO works. We say today because SEO techniques change almost everyday; its a constant flow of change. And with Google's 200+ ranking factors (source: Google) in their algorithm to rank web pages, we keep busy with our obsession of SEO learning. Equally as obsessed, are home remodeling and landscaping business owners in getting more revenue, more leads, and more traffic. There is nothing that drives that more than first page (top of page) ranking in search results for keywords relevant to your services. If you're looking for ways to boost your rankings, we have a million ideas, but here are a few to get you started.

As the beginning of the next season gets closer, outdoor living professionals put their marketing efforts in overdrive. Rightfully so, this is prime-time pickings. Successful landscaping, pool-builders, and really any home improvement professional that is dependent on good weather looks to (and can) book up a good portion of the season by the end of March. And if you have all the right things (content/blogging, social media presences, good photography of past work) in place, its possible. For those struggling to get the right boost in enough jobs, Google AdWords can be a good additional to your overall marketing approach - but before you jump in, make sure you know the tool inside-out. 

Ah, the good ol' landscaping business cards. Spend hours designing them, leave one behind after every conversation.. sounds familiar? It seems like business cards have been around forever. Have you ever tried to figure out how many customers they bring in? I'm sure you'll agree they might have served their purpose well in the past, but there are other solutions out there better equipped to keep you at the forefront of your customers' minds. We've got some ideas to help you get your creativity juices rolling and finally say goodbye to business cards.

Remember when Facebook was the hot platform in which every home services business needed to be on? When companies used it as the best free way to market to their potential customers? Well, things have changed. What is still very true is that whether you're company is in the interior or exterior home remodeling business, you need to be connecting with your potential, current, and previous customers on a social media platform.

The number one way to getting leads for projects you want to design and build is through your website. Period. Yes, there are numerous other ways to bring in some leads - referrals, home shows, PPC, print advertising, you get the point. But in terms of return on your time and money, your website is your best bet.

Before we discuss why you're not getting enough traffic to your site, how do you know whether or not you're getting enough traffic? What is considered enough traffic? Easy: ask yourself these two questions:

Blackwood & Associates, based out of Canonsburg, PA, contacted Halstead Media with two goals in mind: to transform their website style and to increase the company's revenue.

The 2016 Houzz report on the state of the industry is out and we couldn't be more excited about the info and based on the content - majority of general contractors, home remodelers, builders, and landscapers feel the same. 

2015 proved to be another year of growth for the industry - year over year as well as compared to the pre-recession times. 

Home remodelers, landscapers, and every home improvement business that deals with appointments and work in the field will say that the most challenging parts of running their business include employees and customers. In other words: people. Hands down, regardless of if its formal surveys or passing conversations, these are the most common two biggest headaches in our industry.

On the flip side, the biggest money and time investments by these same business owners include machinery, materials, and actual time on labor by business owners.

Google accounts for about 90% of all searches (Source: Moz). And 97% of all consumers use online media to research when buying something local (source: BIA/Kelsey’s study). So what does this mean to local home improvement contracting companies? It means that Google is King. It also means that Google is focused on providing quality search results to shoppers, hence its popularity and ability to continuously interest people to use its search engine. 

Do you notice anything different about the cover of the new Unilock product catalog? We did. There's people in the photo.

For years the landscape construction industry—perhaps more aptly referred to these days as the outdoor living industry—has been shelling out product catalogs filled with beautiful close-ups of concrete blocks and backyard projects that apparently weren't build for people to use. At least that's the way it seemed because there wasn't a human anywhere in site.

If I told you that I could deliver 20 prequalified leads directly to your cell phone every month, would you believe me? Probably not. You would probably believe me even less if I told you that in order to that, I would be using just your website and a few social media sites. That's right...I wouldn't tell you to pack up 5 pallets of stone and head off for the weekend to a home show that cost you $5k. And I wouldn't say turn your HomeAdvisor account on so you can drive around to visit tire kickers until 10 o'clock at night after working a 10 hour day in the field. Nah, just your website and the place where over 80% or homeowners will be looking for their next contractor to hire.  

Old habits die slowly, very slowly. We often hear landscapers and home builders/remodelers say that they've been doing home shows for 10, 15, and more years. And what we hear just as often is that generating business from a home show is nothing like it used to be. That's not a surprise and it shouldn't be because of one major reason: our global culture has created research junkies.

Your website is supposed to be your selling machine, right? If you find yourself often questioning why your site isn't bringing you enough calls, or when it does, it just lands you too many appointments for projects that don't drive enough revenue, then its time to look to your website. 

Home services professionals, such as architects and landscapers, aren't going to spend hundreds of hours on improving their site - they have a business to run. That's where the problem is - the website is a key part of business. 

Website analytics are not a-learn-it-overnight kind of topic. From selecting the right tools, to understanding how to use them - you can invest hundreds of hours and still be in the dark about truly understanding how well your website is doing online. There are a few that are more important than others and thankfully, we'll help you identify these top metrics to get you on the right track.

First, selecting the right tool isn't as important as always using the same tool. Every website tracking tool (e.g. Google Analytics is one) uses slightly different reasoning in their calculations. Some have more filters and some give you the raw data. So before you go on tracking a specific group of metrics, the first and most important thing you need to do is pick a source for your metrics and stick to it. 

The green industry, or as some prefer, the outdoor living industry, has exponentially grown over the last few years. Homeowners in the U.S. are seeing their outdoor living spaces as part of their homes. They're investing in their outdoor homes. As a result, and as everyone in this industry knows, this means that landscape design and build companies are popping out left and right. Regardless of where you are, your competition is endlessly growing. And rightfully so. After all, if you're going to start a business, you want to do it in an industry thats booming. 

This is good and bad news for landscape professionals. Increased competition means increased standards. This industry is on the uphill in quality and margins. The downside.. losing to bids to the wannabes.

Lets take a step back together. You've been hearing this acronym for years now. You know that you need to make sure your website is SEO'd and all that good stuff. Heck, everyone's paying a lot of money for this stuff. Maybe you're even thinking that its been a while since your website was redone so you need a new website to help with SEO. But what exactly is SEO? It's really not all that mysterious. 

SEO, Search Engine Optimization, is indeed something you need to make sure is at the top of your priority list, when it comes to driving leads. We'll help you understand why.

SEO is...

Content is king. Trust me—we eat, sleep, and breath content. Content is an amazing tool for creating meaningful connections between buyers and sellers. It is arguably the most efficient way to create emotional buy-in while simultaneously educating and influencing the reader. Enough said—we love content.

But content is only an element of the inbound marketing methodology; so be it a critical element. As a home services business, you can write amazing blogs all day everyday, resulting in a bazillion visitors every month to your company's website. Last time I checked, website traffic doesn't pay the bills for home builders, kitchen design firms, or landscape contractors. 

Email is good. Yes, we all receive a lot of it, and perhaps, we'd rather not get a lot of it. The reality is however that we do read our email. In fact, over 50% of respondents say they read most of their emails (source: HubSpot). That's a pretty good chance your note will be read. 

As a home remodeling contractor, landscape design/build owner, custom pool builder, or home builder - you have a lot that you can be sharing with your prospects, current clients, and past clients. The easiest - a blog recap. Some others include discounts, reading guides, holiday gatherings. In exchange, emails allow you to stay fresh on your prospects' minds (so that they remember to choose you when they're ready), help increase your referrals, and help you win a bid. All you have to do is make the emails are sent to the right people and with the right info. 

In the small world of home contracting and home services, strong businesses are still built on strong relationships. While a company's relationships with its clients, employees, and sub-contractors are all key, support and respect at the dealer/distributor level may just be the most important. This partnership can offer some hefty rewards if fostered properly—or some hard blows if not.