In the old days, customers looking for a fencing company might have turned to the phone book. But in 2022, their first instinct is more likely to be a Google search. So if you’re a local fencing company, optimizing your website for search engines can bring you more customers and establish credibility in your industry. So without further ado, here are six surefire ways fencing companies can improve SEO performance.
- Build an Informative, User-Friendly Website
People come to your website for information about who you are, what you offer, and how to contact you about their fencing projects. Make things simple for visitors by building an informative, easy-to-navigate website. While there are some great tools out there to help you DIY it, some things are better left to the professionals—you’ve probably seen a few DIY fencing jobs in your day, right? The same rule applies for websites. Invest in a web designer and copywriter to help you build a beautiful, user-friendly website. Alternatively, look for marketing agencies that offer web design services.
- Publish High-Quality Content
We’re living in the information age. And not only do search engines prioritize websites that publish quality content, users trust those companies more. So it pays to invest in helpful, readable content that answers common questions about fencing. Users will find your blog via search queries, pushing you towards the top of the results page. Here are a few examples of article topics that might drive traffic to your company’s website:
- Chain link vs. wood fencing
- How to Clean a Wood Fence
- How to Repair a Leaning Fence
You’ll need to do some research to find the keywords that will inform your content. You might consider hiring a digital marketing agency to help you with your content strategy.
- Update Your Website Regularly
It’s not enough to build a beautiful website for your fencing company—you need to keep it updated and maintained. On the technical side, that means fixing broken links, removing intrusive ads, and keeping an eye out for website vulnerabilities.
But you’ll also need to keep your website’s content up-to-date with:
- Consistent blog content
- Updated company bios
- Current contact information
- Services currently offered
- Latest promotions
Outdated information can cause problems for you and your customers, but it can also affect your ranking in the search engines. Audit your company’s site regularly to fix backend issues and post new and updated content.
- Implement Technical SEO Best Practices
When most people think of SEO, the first thing that comes to mind is blog content. While your blog is important, a successful SEO strategy means you’ll need to learn about technical SEO. Technical SEO refers to the “behind the scenes” optimizations that show Google you’re a trustworthy, authoritative website. Here are a few technical SEO best practices to help your fencing company rocket to the top of the search results page.
Write a Custom Meta Description
Your meta description is the “blurb” that appears beneath the link to your page in the search results. Optimize it by writing a short meta description using your blog post’s the target keywords.
Customize Your URL Slug
The URL slug is how your post will appear as a hyperlink. Make sure your URL slugs are simple, descriptive, and use target keywords when necessary.
Optimize Your Images
Whether it’s before and after photos of a recent fence installation or a comparison of different types of fencing, tag your website’s images correctly by creating a descriptive filename before uploading. It’s also critical that you update the image description and alt-text, which help the visually impaired navigate your website. Not only is it a crucial accessibility feature for users, it helps Google index your website properly.
Optimize Your Headers
Headers are another way to help Google understand what your content is about. Use descriptive headers that include the keywords you want to rank for.
Include Internal and External Links
In addition to linking between your website’s pages, make sure you include links to other authoritative websites. For example, if you offer a particular special type of treated lumber that’s ideal for fencing, you might consider linking to your supplier’s website. Just make sure you don’t link to a competitor!
- Optimize Your Fencing Company’s Website for Local SEO
If your company primarily serves customers in a particular area or region, local SEO is your best friend. Local SEO involves optimizing your website and blog content to cater to customers in a particular area.
For example, a fencing company in Wilmington, North Carolina might publish content about which materials stand the best chance against a hurricane, while an Asheville-based company might opt for content about winter-resistant fencing materials. If your company operates in several different markets, you might consider building out some local SEO content to help you gain a foothold in each service area.
6. Enlist the Help of a Digital Marketing Agency
There’s no way around it—SEO is a big undertaking. Between web development, content strategy, and maintenance, you’ll have your work cut out for you if you try to do it yourself. Fortunately, a digital marketing agency can help you improve your SEO so you can focus on running your company.
Final Thoughts
With these pointers, you’ll be well-equipped to improve your company’s SEO performance. But if you’d rather stick to fence installation and leave SEO to the experts, Wedgewood Marketing has your back. We’re a Charlotte-based digital marketing agency specializing in all things SEO. We help local businesses like yours expand their customer base with targeted, data-driven marketing services. Contact us today for a free audit.