According to one recent study, approximately 80% of all Americans now participate in “spring cleaning” in one way or another every year.
Many people see spring cleaning as something of a fresh start – but the benefits of the annual practice extend far deeper than that. One of the most immediate benefits is that removing dust, mold, and allergens right before the weather changes can go a long way towards reducing allergies and improving indoor air quality at the same time. Spring cleaning also comes with a reduced risk of injury, thanks to decluttering, along with a well-needed boost of physical activity after being cooped up indoors all winter long.
From a business perspective, and especially for home services businesses, spring cleaning is also a great mindset to apply to your online presence as well. Homeowners are coming out of winter ready and excited to tackle new home projects and renovations. They’ll be searching online for a local contractor. What will happen if they come across your Facebook page, which doesn’t have any activity, or your Google Business Profile, which hasn’t had a new photo added since last year? What might happen if they land on your website that looks like it was built in the early 2000s and hasn’t been updated since?
Thankfully, refreshing your online presence isn’t nearly as difficult as you might think. It will require you to take a number of key steps along the way, however.
It Starts From Within
The first thing you need to do to get your home services business’ online presence ready is to perform a little spring cleaning of your own – in this case, on your website.
According to one recent study, users form a first impression about a website in literally 0.05 seconds – in other words, almost instantly. Not only that, but the vast majority of people who find your business on Google will look to your website to verify your credibility. So if your website is filled with broken links, dated photos, and offers a poor user experience, all of that is going to reflect poorly on your business at a time when you can’t really afford for that to happen.
Take the time to thoroughly review your website, looking for broken links, slow-loading pages, and outdated content. A well-maintained, efficient website is essential for both keeping your current customers and improving your site’s search engine performance. By “spring cleaning” your site, you’ll ensure it runs smoothly and efficiently.
If you’ve been properly maintaining your website consistently, you shouldn’t uncover too many major issues during this type of audit. But you will have a list of things that you need to fix as soon as you can before you start dealing with the increased attention that the spring cleaning period will bring with it.
Update, Update, Update
Along the same lines, you’ll also want to look at the helpful, relevant content that you’ve been publishing on your site to see if anything needs changing. In home services, there are certain types of “evergreen” content that will always be relevant – but anything that was initially designed to be timely may be more outdated than you realize.
Set aside some time to go over all the content on your site like blog posts, videos, and photos. Is it still accurate? Are there new services, promotions, or products that need to be added to the various parts of your site? Maybe you’ve launched a new offering, or you have a special deal for the spring season – make sure that’s highlighted.
Whatever you do, don’t forget to update your service descriptions, blog posts, and customer testimonials, ensuring everything reflects the most current information. Adding new blog posts or content around seasonal topics (like “Spring Home Maintenance Tips”) can keep your site fresh and relevant. This is going to make a big impact when people start to visit, especially those who are arriving for the first time.
When you run a home services business, the most important thing is the quality of your services. But never let yourself forget that up-to-date content is not just nice to have – it’s essential. It keeps your site engaging for visitors and helps with local SEO, as search engines prefer fresh, valuable information. If your content is current and helpful, it shows both customers and Google that you’re active and a reliable source of information in your field.
Optimize for Local SEO in Particular
As you go through this overhaul of your online presence ahead of spring cleaning, remember that this is also a great opportunity to optimize things for local SEO wherever possible.
According to one recent study, approximately 8 in 10 US customers search for local businesses online once a week. About 32% of people say they look for information about local businesses at least once a day, if not multiple times. As per the same source, Google Search (and by association, Google Maps) are the most frequently used tools for this type of search.
Start by ensuring your Google Business Profile is complete and up-to-date. If you haven’t claimed it yet, now’s the time to do so. Include accurate contact info, business hours, and relevant keywords that reflect your services and location.
You’ll also want to include local citations – these are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number on other reputable sites like Yelp or local business directories. While you’re doing all this, don’t forget about location-specific keywords on your website – like “home services in [City Name]” or “spring cleaning in [Neighborhood Name].” This will help capture the attention of people who might be searching for things like “home services near me,” which there will be far more of than you realize.
Since home services businesses typically rely on local customers, being easy to find online in your local area is crucial. Optimizing your website and online profiles for local searches increases your chances of showing up when someone in your area is searching for the services you offer.
Lean Into Social Media
Finally, now is the time of year when you should be looking over your social media profiles to make sure that you’re still putting forward the impression that you want to ahead of the increased attention you’re about to get.
Take some time to go over your social media profiles on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and any other networks where you connect with customers. It’s important that all your business information is accurate – this once again includes your contact details, business hours, and the services you provide.
As you develop your seasonal strategy, consider posting new seasonal offers, special promotions, or any updates about your services that customers may find helpful. If you’ve recently completed a project, you could even post before-and-after photos or customer testimonials to show off your work. Fresh, engaging content not only keeps your audience interested but also makes it clear that your home services business is active and ready to serve them.
Thankfully, tips like those outlined above can help you stand out in a crowded marketplace, showing why yours is the organization that should be trusted during such an important time of year. Once you have those customers and you’re in the door, you can then let the quality of your home services speak for themselves – which is an exciting position to be in for someone who takes a great deal of pride in their work.
If you’d like to find out more information about how home services businesses can prepare their online presence to attract more local customers, or if you have any additional questions about SEO for home services that you’d like to discuss in a bit more detail, please don’t delay – contact us today. You can also click here to schedule a Surefire Local demo so that you can see what such a powerful, all-in-one marketing platform can do for your efforts.