Author Archives: Roofing SEO Webmasters

How Roofers Can Target Homeowners on Facebook

How To Target Homeowners on Facebook (Blog Cover)

As the founder of Roofing Webmasters, a digital marketing agency for roofers, prospective clients often ask me about targeting homeowners on Facebook. I fully understand their curiosity, as grabbing the attention of homeowners is one of the best ways to generate consistent roofing leads in 2024.

My agency has worked with roofing companies for over a decade, including on Facebook Ads. There are various ways to approach reaching homeowners on the popular social media platform, and I will break down the options below.

Key Takeaway

Roofers can target homeowners on Facebook by advertising to specific neighborhoods using the radius pin-drop feature within Facebook Ads Manager’s location targeting.

Table of Contents

Creating a Facebook Ad Audience

Hyper-targeting the ideal homeowners for your services starts with defining an advertising audience within Facebook Ads Manager.

There are three audience types:

Core: Based on location, age, interests, and more
Custom: Based on previous interaction with your page
Lookalike: Based on users that closely resemble your existing audience

Each audience type can be refined to reach Facebook users who are likely to be ideal homeowners. Our Facebook Ads Guide for roofing companies teaches you more extensively about advertising on Facebook.

Refining Audiences to Reach Homeowners

Facebook targeting depends on audiences, which roofers can define in multiple ways, from manually defining a target audience’s interests to utilizing Facebook’s AI-powered Advantage+ audience targeting.

Take a look at some of the most common audience parameters:

Location

As a local roofing company, you should target Facebook users within your service areas. This measure will help you save money and lower your cost per acquisition.

You can restrict the geographic radius as much as you want, including individual neighborhoods. Remember that the more you limit your radius, the fewer impressions your ad will receive.

Age

The sweet spot age range for ideal homeowners is between 30 and 45, as this generation is well-versed in digital interactions and understands how to best use the internet to find home services.

Homeowners older than 45 may be more skeptical of your ads. Many already have a life-long contractor who performs their services. However, this is only true of some consumers over the age of 45.

Interests

Several interests within the Facebook Ads Manager help you target the ideal homeowner. People interested in home improvement and even home improvement TV shows are good targets.

In addition, users interested in home and garden, home ownership, and real estate are worth targeting. However, you can be more creative and choose interests like home remodeling, DIY, and HGTV.

Retargeting Homeowners With Specific URL Visits

Does your roofing website contain articles, blog posts, or service pages directly addressing homeowners? If so, you can retarget visitors to those specific URLs within Facebook Ads Manager.

If you don’t currently have content like this on your website, it might be worth publishing for this very purpose. It’s one of the best ways to craft an audience comprised of homeowners.

Reaching Homeowners Through Facebook Marketing

It’s no secret that Facebook Ads are the most effective way to reach potential customers for your roofing business. However, some organic Facebook marketing strategies can help you reach homeowners.

For example, creating a Facebook Group about roofing or homeownership might be worth your time. This is especially useful if you can regularly post helpful content for the group members.

You’ll also want to encourage as many people as possible to like your roofing company’s Facebook business page, which can be accelerated by including a link to your Facebook page within your email marketing campaigns.

Final Thoughts on Targeting Homeowners on Facebook

Facebook has made it increasingly challenging to zero in on homeowners through Facebook Ads. However, through multiple strategies, roofing companies can still reach homeowners and optimize their ad spend on Facebook.

These advertising strategies include targeting specific locations and interests, including home ownership, DIY, and even HGTV. Aside from spending on ads, organic marketing strategies like Facebook Groups can also prove beneficial in maximizing the reach to homeowners.

A Roofer’s Guide To Search Generative Experience (SGE)

Search Generative Experience (Blog Cover)

Google’s new Search Generative Experience, or SGE, will change search as we know it. Google presented its upcoming change to search engine results pages at its annual Google I/O conference.

Most examples cited in Google’s presentation cover informational queries like “good bike for a 5-mile commute with hills.” These examples don’t provide insights into how SGE will affect local businesses like roofing.

So how should roofing companies prepare for this new era of search?

Below, Roofing Webmasters outlines a comprehensive guide on customizing your online marketing strategy for search generative experience.

Expert Summary

Search Generative Experience uses traditional SEO factors to produce citations, but it significantly increases the influence of the EEAT ranking signal for roofing companies

Snapshots

By most accounts, snapshots will effectively replace featured snippets on search engine results pages (SERPs). Instead, snapshots will be an AI-generated response to a user query, along with three (or more) citations that support the response.

These snapshot citations are organic search results from websites. So the same way your website ranks on organic search today, it can rank as a snapshot citation tomorrow.

The concept of featured snippet optimization will effectively disappear with this new feature. Still, a similar strategy of answering common consumer questions in an NLP-friendly format is likely one factor determining which websites are cited.

Possible roofing-related queries for SGE snapshots:

“what is the best roofer in my area that offers metal roof repair”

“where can i find a company that offers commercial roof coatings”

“where to find an estimate for a residential roof replacement”

Perspectives

Google Search Perspectives is a new filter highlighting expert content from around the web, including social media sites like YouTube and TikTok and discussion forums like Reddit.

As a roofing professional, you’ve probably known for some time that the best place to get answers about roofing-related topics is from actual roofers. These roofers may share their insights in a less formal tone on Reddit or YouTube, which is actually what the modern consumer prefers over some random blog post on a website.

Google now understands how user behavior has shifted and wants to meet consumers at their preferred destination. The Perspectives filter will achieve this and help Google showcase “hidden gems” on the search results, including discussion board responses like on Reddit.

The documentation surrounding Search Perspectives also mentions that this filter will inform algorithms that determine content quality on traditional search results (i.e., website pages, blog posts, etc.). The Perspectives algorithm will expand on Google’s Helpful Content Update.

"Last year, we launched the helpful content system to show more content made for people, and less content made to attract clicks. In the coming months, we’ll roll out an update to this system that more deeply understands content created from a personal or expert point of view, allowing us to rank more of this useful information on Search."

Roofers can prepare by ensuring all content is written or reviewed by an expert and that the content makes it known that the expert contributed. You can achieve this through author bios on your website or by linking to your professional profile pages, like a LinkedIn profile.

It would also help to do more work on your personal brand so that it becomes an entity in Google’s eyes. For example, consider updating your LinkedIn profile and appearing on podcasts or live interviews.

After you establish a name, you can start posting on Reddit and creating YouTube shorts that outline your various roofing expertise. These methods are going to be critical for dominating SEO in 2023.

SGE Ranking Factors

Although Google’s algorithms advance daily, SGE won’t fundamentally change the requirements to rank on Google Search. Websites must still produce relevant, quality content, perform proper on-page SEO, ensure indexing, and acquire credible backlinks to rank on SERPs.

However, some of the existing ranking signals will become more important with SGE and the new AI-driven search landscape.

EEAT

EEAT is now the most important ranking signal and the only one that can truly separate your roofing company. The EEAT acronym stands for expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

Most roofing companies already have some awareness of EEAT requirements because they understand the importance of reviews, branding, and unique photos. Still, EEAT goes beyond those tasks.

Expertise: Roofers must demonstrate expertise on subject matter through verified examples of recent jobs

Experience: Roofers must showcase hands-on experience, like with photos of them performing a particular roofing job

Authoaritiavness: Roofers must earn credible backlinks from others in the roofing industry

Trustworthiness: Roofers must acquire and showcase reviews on verified 3rd party platforms like Google My Business

EEAT is not always a tangible ranking factor, so it’s more complex than acquiring the most customer reviews and backlinks in order to rank #1. Instead, it’s an ongoing process of demonstrating your qualities through various digital signals. One app that can help right away is DataPins.

Topical Authority

For SGE to acknowledge your content, you must establish topical authority. As a result, your roofing website content must cover a wide range of topics related to all of your services.

For example, Google will never assume you offer silicone roof coatings just because you have a commercial roofing service page. Instead, you must create a separate page for silicone roof coatings and showcase examples of recent jobs and customer reviews that validate the service.

Competitors that offer the same service but fail to demonstrate it through topical authority won’t be able to rank for related terms. As a result, creating a topical map that covers your entire range of expertise is the best way to stand out with search generative experience.

Multi-Channel SEO

Websites have traditionally been the best asset for roofing companies to rank on Google. However, while the website should still serve as your company’s central hub, you must expand to other channels for SGE.

For example, the Perspectives filter will feature YouTube Shorts and TikTok videos. If you want to increase visibility, start creating these short video formats and posting them on your company channel.

You can read a great post about how to create YouTube shorts here.

Another channel to invest in is Reddit. The key to gaining traction on Reddit is just to be yourself. Don’t try to promote your roofing company on Reddit; instead, chime in on topics in which you can provide genuine and unfiltered insights.

Other members can smell BS from a mile away, so only post genuine thoughts.

You’ll want to avoid content farms like Quora because they encourage mass question-answering that dilutes the overall quality of its results. Google is trying to get away from platforms like this.

Reddit is one of many discussion forums worth exploring. In addition, roofing companies can look for niche-specific discussion boards like Roofing Talk, which brings together roofing professionals worldwide.

Finally, remember that the term “SEO” is used loosely in these contexts, as you won’t want to “optimize” your forum submissions in a traditional sense. The only thing to do intentionally is ensure that you identify yourself as a professional roofer.

How Roofers Can Approach AI Responsibly

You might think Google’s announcement of AI-generated query responses invites your roofing company website to mass-produce AI-generated content of its own. After all, AI pulling information from other AI makes perfect sense, right?

Wrong. The function of Google’s AI is to consolidate information from real human beings. As a result, producing AI content on your website only reduces your ability to rank on Google’s SGE features. The most successful roofers will double down on human-generated expertise.

Of course, you might think Google cannot detect AI-generated copy. And in some cases, they probably can’t. However, one thing they’ve gotten better at detecting is expertise or a lack thereof.

So if your content doesn’t cite sources or demonstrate first-hand experience, it’s not worth ranking on Google (whether it was produced with AI or not).

It’s not to suggest that roofers should never incorporate AI into their marketing strategy. However, the real separator of roofing companies in the new era of SEO is EEAT rather than AI-generated content. You should never mass produce content, regardless of the tools used.

Google has always cracked down on content schemes and will continue to do so in the AI era. You might use AI to create schema markup, original programming code, plugin building, etc. However, using AI to tell your roofing story is unwise.

Digital Word-of-Mouth Marketing for Roofers (Explained!)

Digital word-of-mouth marketing is the digital version of traditional word-of-mouth promotion.

This form of roofing marketing involves building trust for your roofing company via person-to-person sentiments (i.e., consumer referrals).

It is important because an estimated 90% of people are more likely to trust a recommended brand.

Most roofers grew up with word-of-mouth marketing. For example, if you do a great job on a neighborhood roof, your clients suddenly start spreading the word to their friends and neighbors.

These referrals are extremely valuable because the prospects already trust your business, increasing conversion rates.

Digital Word-of-Mouth Marketing (Blog Cover)

Key Takeaway: Digital Word-of-Mouth marketing for roofers requires real customers to recommend your company online in an organic, non-promotional manner (i.e., not a blog post, advertisement, or “promoted” article)

What is the Digital Version of Word-of-Mouth Marketing?

The digital version of word-of-mouth marketing is when online users convey trust in your roofing company by recommending you to other potential customers.

Google reviews are an example of this, but there are also more powerful ways to contextualize your company’s performance and interaction with the community, like DataPins.

Digital Word-of-Mouth Marketing Examples

Marketing companies like to discuss concepts but sometimes fail to present examples that help roofing companies understand the application.

Below, Roofing Webmasters outlines some common examples of word-of-mouth marketing in a digital context.

Online Reviews

Online reviews are the most well-known form of digital word-of-mouth.

Google, Facebook, Yelp, and other popular platforms host business profiles that showcase customer feedback about that business. As many companies know, reviews are an essential aspect of Local SEO.

Unfortunately, however, the general trust level in these review platforms is mediocre at best.

Social Proof

Another example of digital word-of-mouth is online social proof.

For example, suppose you publish a picture of your recent roofing job with before and after photos and a connected review from the customer.

In that case, you are spreading your company’s reputation to other prospects.

Tools like DataPins can help you automate social proof on your website.

Screenshot of DataPins Pin from Roofing Website

Forum Discussions

Many customers turn to forums like Reddit or Nextdoor to find real answers from real people. Facebook Groups can also be another example of this concept.

Generally, people want to skip over the BS influencers that rank on Google and hear from real humans.

The significant part about forums is that people speak as they would in a conversation rather than writing a blog post for SEO optimization.

YouTube / TikTok

YouTube, TikTok, and other video-driven platforms create high-level engagement for word-of-mouth marketing.

Videos on these platforms are consumed based on true popularity rather than algorithmically. Of course, properly titling and tagging your videos is important, but engagement is the #1 ranking factor.

While roofers are unlikely to spend much time creating TikTok videos, some contractors have increased their audience by doing just that.

YouTube Video Shows a Way to Promote Your Website

Digital Word-of-Mouth Marketing Tools for Roofers

You might wonder which tools can help you spread your company’s reputation through digital mediums.

After all, choosing a reputation management tool presents the same challenges homeowners face when choosing a roofing company. Who can you trust?

Below, Roofing Webmasters reveals several high-quality tools for digital word-of-mouth marketing.

DataPins

DataPins: The Map Ranking App™ is the most potent digital word-of-mouth marketing tool on the web.

DataPins does everything from inserting schema code and geo-coordinates into your pins to automating review requests via SMS and email communications.

DataPins also helps contextualize your social proof by routing recent jobs to the most relevant website pages. For example, a tile roof repair project appears on your website’s tile roof repair service page.

This helps website visitors review relevant jobs related to their needs.

Birdeye

Birdeye is a reputation management platform that helps attract customers and increase revenue.

The tool allows roofers to control every business component and reputation while providing insights to inform critical decisions.

The tool also features thousands of API integrations for roofing companies that scale during high growth.

Podium

Podium is a tool that helps roofing companies gather and showcase customer reviews from across the web.

The app allows roofers to manage reviews across multiple platforms and send text review requests to recent customers.

The tool also allows roofing companies to add a chatbot to the website so you can monitor visitor inquiries in real time.

NiceJob

NiceJob is a reputation management platform with an intriguing feature that allows customers to send referral links to friends and neighbors.

NiceJob also covers standard reputation management processes, such as automating and showcasing review requests on your website.

Another cool feature within NiceJob is the ability to showcase reviews via social media channels like Instagram and Facebook.

Summary of Digitial Word-of-Mouth Marketing for Roofing

Having real humans spread your company’s reputation online is essential to long-term success.

Unfortunately, consumers distrust marketing materials like advertisements or optimized web pages, and many even distrust review platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp.

Your website should, therefore, showcase recent jobs, photos, and summaries related to customer reviews and testimonials.

When packaged together, these things create the proper context for word-of-mouth promotion. We recommend the DataPins tool to help you achieve your goals.

How ChatGPT May Impact SEO for Roofing Companies in 2024

Blog Cover for ChatGPT Article Showing AI Bot

ChatGPT’s impact on roofing SEO has become clearer after recent Google Updates, including the March 2024 Core Update. While Google does not prohibit all use cases of AI generation tools like ChatGPT, mass-producing roofing content to rank on search results violates spam guidelines.

As a long-time SEO agency owner at Roofing Webmasters, roofing companies often come to me for clarification about ChatGPT and its role in the SEO process for roofing companies.

Key Takeaway

ChatGPT itself is not an issue for roofing companies; it’s the use of ChatGPT to create useless and unhelpful content like regurgitated blog posts.

Navigating recent advancements in artificial intelligence is challenging for all industries, including roofing. Unfortunately, this uncertainty also leads to an increase in shady sales tactics from marketing agencies looking to mislead local roofers with black-hat SEO tactics that can lead to damaging penalties.

With this in mind, I have decided to lend my expertise based on 13 years of running an SEO agency for roofing professionals.

Below, I outline my notes on how ChatGPT impacts SEO for roofers.

Notes about ChatGPT for SEO:

It is a powerful AI tool for roofers

It should not be solely responsible for writing your roofing content

it requires human and expert oversight

It can be used to expedite SEO processes

Table of Contents

ChatGPT for SEO Content Creation

ChatGPT is trained on data up to April 2023, primarily from internet sources. With this in mind, content creation through ChatGPT has two major problems.

First, the content outputs are outdated.

Secondly, the content outputs merely regurgitate ideas, concepts, and data that already exist on the web.

Since Google’s initial Helpful Content Update in 2022, the search engine has explicitly asked content creators to provide unique and original content written for humans.

The baseline function of ChatGPT is unable to achieve those content standards for roofing companies or any other industry.

The caveat is that ChatGPT can also write content based on unique inputs, which would be acceptable under Google’s guidelines.

For example, if you input original knowledge and data from your local roofing project into ChatGPT, it can convert that into a cohesive paragraph or article with unique and original insights.

ChatGPT as a Search Engine

After its initial launch, some coined ChatGPT as the Google killer or its future replacement. Of course, many of these headlines were created as clickbait, preying on human being’s anxiety to create engagement.

While ChatGPT and other AI chatbots have impacted Google’s total search volume, they have hardly overtaken Google as a search engine.

In fact, despite Bing’s adoption of ChatGPT within its search engine, it increased its market share by less than 1%. Google remains the internet’s most prominent powerhouse and accounts for nearly 2/3 of ALL referring website traffic.

The fundamental issue with ChatGPT as a search engine is its current interface. For roofing companies especially, consumers want to quickly sort through company websites, reviews, and Google Business Profiles.

ChatGPT currently cannot provide that level of Local SEO experience.

Google’s ability to contextualize local roofing companies by presenting verified reviews and business information separates it from other search engines and artificial intelligence.

ChatGPT as a Programmer

The most appealing part of ChatGPT is its ability to write code. While an experienced programmer must still examine the code before publication, AI can significantly expedite the code creation process while closing the gap between programmers and non-programmers.

For example, roofing company websites may want to include an HTML roofing cost calculator. However, they usually hire a programmer to complete the task, which would take time and money. With AI, a roofer could conceivably produce the code within minutes for free.

In addition to HTML, CSS, and Javascript code, ChatGPT can perform other programming tasks, such as creating schema markup for a roofing business or adding schema FAQ to a roofing company service page. These tasks previously required time, money, and expertise.

ChatGPT as an Assistant

Aside from tasks that directly influence SEO website rankings, AI can also assist with social media, Google Business Profile, email marketing, podcast transcription, and reputation management. As other software developers tap into ChatGPT’s API, we can expect more compelling use cases to emerge.

The pro version of ChatGPT can now create original and unique images. However, it’s important to note that photos, including humans, often look highly unrealistic. It’s best to focus on image generation of properties, equipment, and tools.

Avoiding ChatGPT Misinformation for Roofing Companies

It’s well-documented that AI tools may produce incorrect responses to user queries, which can go unnoticed at first glance. However, aside from the tool’s limitations regarding accuracy, roofing companies should be aware of individuals and companies leveraging AI to create false narratives.

For example, YouTube has already seen a massive spike in ChatGPT-related videos that are making outlandish claims. Of course, as with any subject, some videos are accurate, and some are not. Roofers must resist the urge to buy emerging narratives surrounding the tool and its impact on digital marketing.

ChatGPT vs. Other AI Tools

AI is here to stay and will only improve and benefit roofing companies. Tools like Google Gemini and Perplexity.AI have emerged as helpful AI tools that can perform various SEO and other business management tasks.

If you believe your existing SEO agency is using AI tools to produce your roofing content, you can test the content yourself using free tools like Open AI Detector. Don’t be afraid to ask your agency about its process and how it may suppress your roofing keyword rankings in 2024.

Summary of ChatGPT’s Impact on Roofing SEO

ChatGPT is now a part of the roofing SEO industry, whether we are ready for it or not. Still, using AI tools to produce your roofing website content is dangerous and not recommended by a credible SEO agency. Still, the tools are increasingly helpful for other processes related to SEO.

While I cannot endorse mass-producing content with AI tools, I acknowledge AI’s potency and potential. I continue to find ways to incorporate it into a healthy SEO presence for roofing companies.

As the industry leader in SEO for roofers, I am always looking to give my clients an advantage on Google search results within the guidelines.

What Are Qualified Roofing Leads? (w/Marketing & Sales Tips)

Qualified roofing leads are prospects that are likely to convert into customers.

Because these leads have a high conversion rate, they are exponentially more valuable than a standard roofing lead.

When investing in roofing lead generation, it’s important to understand that each lead’s value can range from nominal to outstanding.

What Makes a Roofing Lead “Qualified”?

A qualified roofing lead is a prospect your marketing team thoroughly vets before passing through to the sales team.

The qualification process and standard may vary depending on whether you employ a 3rd party marketing agency or have your own in-house marketing staff.

How Marketing Teams Qualify Roofing Leads

Investing in roofing marketing strategies empowers your business to capture potential customers from various sources, but not all of these inquiries will be worth your time.

For example, promotional channels like websites, social media networks, and business listings are often valuable lead sources, but the quality of inquiries from these platforms will vary significantly.

Your marketing team (whether in-house or external) must vet each submission by analyzing the phone number, email address, and message content.

Oftentimes, this involves a pre-screening call or text to verify the prospect’s contact information and interest in your services.

Customer inquiries made via a website contact form submission or a Facebook message could be from a legitimate consumer or a professional spammer.

Why Are Qualified Leads Important for Roofers?

Qualifying leads is essential because it increases the conversion rate of sales teams.

When salespeople close the marketing department’s vetted leads, their overall conversion rate should skyrocket.

Take a look at a complete list of the benefits below:

Efficiency

When you have a good list of qualified leads, your sales team won’t have to hunt down cold leads and spend time and effort moving them along the initial stages of the sales funnel.

Instead, a qualified roof lead will allow your sales team to focus on leads more likely to convert and spend their time more efficiently.

Customer Service

Qualified leads provide a clearer picture of the buyer’s persona or the consumer’s preferred service.

Next, the sales team can present them with offers and information that pertain to their interests instead of pitching services unrelated to their needs.

Customers remember this kind of personalized service, so qualified leads help with customer retention.

Market Research

Qualified leads demonstrate which marketing channels are most effective in lead generation.

Using tracking methods and customer feedback, it is simple to identify the origin of qualified leads (social media marketing, search engine marketing, cold-calling, PPC ads, etc.).

Once you accumulate a steady stream of qualified roofing leads, you will likely be able to determine a pattern.

This pattern will reveal which of your marketing efforts are the most effective and which of your services have the greatest lifetime value.

Tips for Qualifying Roofing Leads

Now that you understand qualified leads better and why they’re essential, it’s time to start cultivating more for your roofing business. Here are some tips:

Align Marketing and Sales

An essential stage in the lead qualification process is an agreement between sales and marketing.

The marketing team will present the sales team with qualified leads, but the sales team needs to agree and confirm that the leads are likely to convert.

This means open and effective communication between your marketing and sales team and vital information.

Using a CRM software suite to streamline communication and lead profiling, you can stay organized.

Define Qualifications

Your sales and marketing team will need to work together to determine what exactly qualifies a lead.

How much information must the prospect provide to be considered qualified?

Should they have visited certain pages of your website? Should they have clicked on an ad?

Some agencies will push for a lower qualification threshold to drive up lead generation numbers, which can hinder your conversion rates and create a false sense of value in your marketing investment.

Don’t Be Afraid to Pivot

The roofing market changes. The needs of your customers change.

Even the weather can affect roofing market changes.

So, it would help if you revisited your qualification definitions regularly after they have been established to reflect these changes.

In-House Marketing vs. Agency for Lead Qualification

Your first instinct might be to lean towards in-house marketing departments as an ideal solution for lead qualification. After all, they have every motive to qualify the lead for your sales team properly.

In contrast, a marketing agency could be tempted to push through leads that aren’t legitimate to meet a quota or highlight the impact of its campaigns.

However, the comparison is more complex than you realize.

In-House Marketers

In-house marketers may be incentivized to withhold low-value leads from your sales team, but they also might act in bad faith to amplify their marketing skills.

It could be easier for them to blame the sales team for failing to convert leads than to take responsibility for not getting enough inquiries.

Digital Marketing Agencies

On the other hand, a digital marketing agency may have the same incentive to improve its image but provide less access to the qualification process.

Conversely, some marketing agencies are excellent at producing high-quality leads and have no reason to embellish the data.

The bottom line is this. You must trust whoever passes your qualified roofing leads to the sales team.

A competent marketing agency will produce high-quality roofing leads and vet them to the fullest extent.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, qualified leads are prospects that meet pre-determined benchmarks of conversion rate probability.

Creating a lead qualification system lets your sales team quickly vet leads and project their lifetime value to your roofing company.

Some roofers outsource this process to third-party marketing agencies that have experience vetting prospects from various lead sources, such as websites, business listings, and social media profiles.

Other companies rely on an in-house marketing team to complete these tasks.

Each company will have a unique qualification system, but the successful ones share certain principles in common.

For example, all successful qualification processes correctly identify the conversion rate probability in their defined local roofing market.

DIY Roofing SEO: How Roofers Can Optimize Themselves Online

Blog Cover for DIY (Do-it-Yourself) Roofing SEO

As a roofing company, you’ve probably invested in roofing SEO services at one time or another. Unfortunately, the stark reality is that most SEO companies fail to provide fair value to consumers. As a result, over 70% of businesses are unhappy with their SEO provider.

What if there was a way roofers could perform SEO themselves?

It’s called DIY Roofing SEO, and you can DO IT YOURSELF.

You can learn the skills you need here: Learn Roofing SEO Today!

How should roofing companies decide whether or not to try SEO themselves? There are a couple of questions you should ask and answer.

What is your SEO budget?
Have you had success with SEO services in the past?
Do you have some extra time throughout the workweek?
Do you have employees that can take on more responsibility?
Are you in a highly competitive local market?
Do you primarily target a specialty service? (commercial roofing, tile roofing, metal roofing, etc.)

Can Roofers Do SEO for Free?

Yes. Roofers can perform SEO without expense as long as they have the skills to do the job. But, of course, you must consider extra fees like web hosting and domain name registration, which are integral to an SEO strategy. However, roofing contractors can perform SEO themselves for free.

In summary:

SEO itself is free if you acquire the skillset
Consider other fees like web hosting and domain name registration
SEO agencies often use 3rd party tools, which require a monthly fee

Pros and Cons of DIY SEO for Roofers

Like anything else, DIY optimization comes with benefits and downsides. The most significant advantage is saving money, as learning SEO is much less expensive than paying for monthly services.

The most obvious downside is a time investment, as you will add a set of tasks to your weekly schedule. Take a look at the complete comparison below:

Pros:

Save Thousands of Dollars Per Month
Gain Greater Control of Marketing
Learn About Critical Aspects of Your Operation

Cons:

Significant Time Investment
Fewer SEO Resources (Tools, Employees, Etc.)
Lack of In-House Data for Comparison

What Roofers Need for DIY SEO

If you choose DIY search engine optimization for your roofing company, you will need outside resources, just like an agency does. Most roofing SEO agencies use keyword research tools like SEMRush, Moz, and Ahrefs, along with WordPress plugins like DataPins. In summary, you will need:

Keyword Research Tool
WordPress Plugins
Content Writer
Website Builder

As a DIY optimizer, you won’t need 3rd party reporting software since you can track your results with a free tool like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. In addition, you won’t have to email yourself a monthly report since you already know how your website is performing internally. As a result, you can save hundreds of dollars per month by not paying for reporting software.

What About DIY Roofing Web Design?

SEO and web design go hand in hand, so DIY web design compliments DIY SEO. You can use a roofing website builder like DataPins, Duda, or WordPress Block Editor to construct your design. You can also download a roofing company WordPress theme to make your site look professional out-of-the-box.

The reality is you don’t need to be a professional web designer to publish a professional-looking website. Most website builders are advanced in 2023 and require zero HTML or CSS skills.

Some WordPress themes cost money, so you should consider your budget when choosing the best theme. Overall, DIY website design is pretty straightforward for roofers.

Learning Legitimate SEO for Roofing Companies

The success of DIY SEO is dependent on where you acquire SEO skills. Of course, there’s a wealth of free material available online via YouTube, Google, and various websites. However, the SEO industry is ripe with misinformation and sensationalism to deceive novice practitioners.

Luckily, you can learn legitimate SEO from an active roofing SEO agency. Nolen Walker teaches SEO for roofing contractors with his complete blueprint to rank thousands of actual roofing companies on page one of Google. No other resource can compete with this blueprint.

Most Important SEO Skills for Roofing Businesses

You can learn as many or as few SEO skills as you choose, but some of them are more important than others. Because Google changes its algorithm multiple times per day, the quest for SEO knowledge never ceases. Still, ranking on page one only requires the following skills.

Content Writing: Understanding how to organize and publish content in WordPress or another content management system
Keyword Research: Understanding how to evaluate and prioritize keywords
Link Building: Understanding how to acquire and distribute link equity internally and externally
Local SEO: Understanding how to rank with Google Business Profile in the Local Map 3-Pack
On-Page SEO: Understanding where to insert keywords within your page or post
SEO Analysis: Understanding how to track and analyze SEO data through Analytics and Search Console
Technical SEO: Understanding how to make Google crawl and index your website correctly.

Can I Really Do Roofer SEO By Myself?

With our Roofing SEO Academy, you can get the job done. By learning the blueprint from a real roofing marketing agency, you can apply concepts, processes, and standard operating procedures to put your roofing company on the first page of Google.

Best of all, you can enroll in the academy for a low monthly fee, saving you about a thousand dollars per month in SEO expenses. Furthermore, once you acquire enough knowledge to rank your pages consistently, you can cancel your membership and continue to reap the rewards of your skills.

Why You Should Stay in Roofing SEO School Long-Term

You might think about signing up for one month and then canceling, which is certainly within your rights. However, the more intelligent decision is to build up your skills consistently throughout the years. The Roofing SEO Academy produces new content regularly, giving students a consistent wealth of information to keep pace with Google’s latest updates.

Another advantage to long-term enrollment is earning an SEO certificate and contributing to an SEO community of roofing professionals. In addition, you can share pain points with others in your industry, most of whom will not be direct competitors in your market. Sharing insights with actual contractors is nicer than screaming at some web guy over the phone.

How To Write a Good Review for a Roofing Company

A good roofing company review includes details about the services provided and the behavior of the contractors.

Be sure to highlight which factors influenced your rating, be it favorable or unflattering.

Also, feel free to offer suggestions for improvements.

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Key Takeaway

When writing a review for a roofing company, be sure to mention the specific service provided and highlight factors that determined your rating.

Tips for Writing Roofing Contractor Reviews

Writing a roofing company review is not rocket science. However, you should follow a few tips when crafting your feedback online.

The most important thing is to keep your comments civil and avoid resorting to personal attacks, threats, or disparaging remarks. See the tips here:

Provide Detail and Context

Writing one or two-word reviews does not violate most platforms’ guidelines; however, it does little to help prospective customers understand your experience.

Instead, consider including specific details about your experience, including the context of the roofing services provided.

Details help other consumers determine whether or not the company is right for them.

Screenshot of Favorable Roofing Company Review

Avoid Revealing Private Information

As a public reviewer, you want to remain largely anonymous and extend that courtesy to the contractors who performed the services.

But, of course, you are addressing a specific company, so that information is fair game.

However, refrain from revealing personal addresses of yourself or your contractor.

Also, don’t include your neighborhood, as others may feel uncomfortable with that information becoming visible on Google or elsewhere.

Ensure You Have The Correct Roofing Company

Roofing companies often have similar names, and you might confuse one roofer with another online.

Before providing feedback, whether positive or negative, ensure you are addressing the correct business.

Many contractors will send a direct link to your phone or computer, making it easy to leave a review on the right business profile.

The worst-case scenario for a contractor is performing an excellent service and seeing a rival get the benefit.

Proofread Your Feedback

Don’t press send until you proofread your review, as a typo can reflect poorly on your feedback.

Also, keep in mind that many review platforms allow you to edit reviews after submission, so you can go back and correct mistakes later.

Still, it’s always best to get things right the first time. If you leave a critical review, you might find yourself typing fast and angrily.

So, be sure to take a deep breath and re-read your feedback before submitting it publicly.

Mention Specific Keywords

Include keywords in your online review if you really want to help a roofing company expand its online presence.

For example, Google Business Profile pulls keywords from customer reviews when ranking local roofers within the Google Maps 3-Pack.

So, if you feel the contractor performed excellent services, you can help them significantly by mentioning specific services like tile roof repair or metal roof installation.

Screenshot of Online Testimonial With Keywords

Best Platform to Write Roofing Contractor Testimonials

As a customer, you might wonder which review platform benefits roofing companies the most.

Google reviews are the most valuable for search engine optimization, and they also help increase conversions from Google Maps.

Still, a diverse review portfolio helps legitimize a business overall.

Google

As we mentioned, Google is the most valuable review platform for contractors.

Users see how many reviews a company has when searching for their brand name on the search engine.

In addition, Google reviews help boost Local Map-Pack rankings for roofing businesses.

Facebook

Because of its popularity, Facebook Recommendations hold significant influence over consumers.

As a result, you can benefit a roofing company by leaving a positive Facebook recommendation.

Aside from Google Business Profile, Facebook is usually one of the first search results people see when searching for a roofing company’s brand name.

Yelp

Yelp still holds considerable weight in the eyes of consumers and helps shape a roofing company’s reputation.

Like Google and Facebook, Yelp business profiles often appear on the first search results page for a specific company name.

As a result, leaving a positive Yelp review will almost always benefit the business.

Final Thoughts

Leaving a review for your local roofing company is a nice gesture when they perform great services on your home or commercial building.

Reviews help them enhance their reputation and grow their brand online.

With that said, some customers are intimidated by the review process and don’t understand what makes “a good review.”

Feel free to save this resource for reference next time you leave a review.

The (#1) Roofing Website Builder for Local Roofers in 2024

At Roofing Webmasters, publishing high-quality roofing websites is what we do. Still, contractors want to know about website builders, what they are, and how they can help increase their online presence.

As a result, The Webmasters produced a website builder for our clients called DataPins. But before we delve into what DataPins can do for local roofing websites, you should first understand website builders in general.

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What is a Roofing Website Builder?

A roofing website builder is a program or platform that enables you to manually create a professional-looking website without coding experience.

Many site builders have grown in popularity as business owners take on digital marketing tasks on their own rather than paying for professional roofing website design.

Best Website Builder for a Roofing Company

Roofing Webmasters with DataPins is the top website builder for roofing companies in 2024.

DataPins allows roofing contractors to auto-publish completed jobs onto relevant city and service pages. Performing your regular work results in thousands of optimized web pages for local roofers.

Other Website Builders for Roofing Businesses

Although Roofing Webmasters is the clear-cut #1 website builder for roofing businesses globally, other options exist for contractors looking to perform DIY website design.

You can see a complete list below:

WordPress

WordPress powers nearly half of all active websites, making it the most popular website design platform. However, WordPress.org differs from WordPress.com in that it serves as a DIY website builder.

WordPress.com is self-hosted, while WordPress.org is a content management system with open-source design capabilities. Using the CMS typically requires professional design assistance or at least a WordPress theme.

The WordPress CMS also plugs in with compatible 3rd-party website builders like Elementor. Plugins alone make WordPress CMS one of the best platforms to build a roofing company website.

Conversely, WordPress.com does not require a separate hosting account, and the interface is a simple drag-and-drop. Despite its ease of use, WordPress.com has more limitations than its CMS counterpart.

Consider that many top global websites use WordPress CMS, including Microsoft and WhiteHouse.gov. Local contractors can’t go wrong by choosing WordPress to publish their business websites.

Wix

You have probably seen commercials for Wix, a well-known website builder that relies on cloud hosting. Wix is one of the most simple builders available to roofing contractors. Nearly 2% of all websites use Wix.

A primary Wix benefit is its complete hosting, which precludes roofers from purchasing a different hosting plan. In addition, Wix provides several hundred template options for businesses to select for their new website.

Like WordPress plugins, Wix provides app options, both free and paid, that help enhance your site template. Some come from 3rd party developers, while others come directly from Wix developers.

Wix provides a cost-free plan for frugal contractors that limits both storage and bandwidth. Still, the free program gives companies a risk-free look at what the platform can do for an online presence.

In addition, free users can easily upgrade their plans to unlock more advanced features.

One of the significant downsides to Wix comes if you decide to leave the platform for WordPress or another website builder. Moving a Wix website is a massive pain.

Most webmasters end up redesigning their entire website rather than going through the trouble.

Squarespace

Like Wix, Squarespace is a user-friendly website builder that allows roofers to craft a professional-looking design in minutes.

Though it lacks the advanced customization tools of WordPress, it provides ease of use. About 1.8% of all websites use Squarespace.

Squarespace comes with world-renowned hosting that allows roofing companies to focus on publishing content and increasing conversion rates.

In addition, the platform offers a wide variety of template designs, including the option to use multiple templates at once.

Squarespace makes content editing simple by providing editable templates. Users can point their mouse anywhere on the template and begin typing their content. Users can also drag elements anywhere on the page.

One major downside to Squarespace is its lack of integrations.

Unlike WordPress, which offers the ability to connect with a whole host of third-party enhancements, Squarespace relies heavily on its own framework.

The good news is that roofing companies can claim a Squarespace website for as little as $12 per month, with the option to upgrade plans for more advanced features.

Weebly

Weebly is a highly-regarded website builder for roof contractors and offers many designs, templates, and functionalities.

As a result, the everyday internet user can easily design a professional-looking roofing website with zero coding experience.

Like Wix and Squarespace, Weebly is fully hosted, meaning roofers won’t need to invest in a hosting account from a 3rd-party provider.

In addition, it comes with an excellent selection of templates so contractors can mess around.

For example, Weebly features built-in contact forms, sliders, and photo galleries, allowing for easy feature enhancement for DIY roofing contractors. Beginners will find Weebly especially easy to use.

Weebly offers a basic free plan, which users can upgrade at any time.

However, keep in mind that free plans automatically show ads for Square on your website, which can deter some roofing companies from going cost-free.

Duda

Duda stands out from most other website builders because it is fully white-label. Its features also focus on SEO-friendly strategies to empower DIY website designers to produce a high-ranking roofing company website.

Duda comes with AWS hosting with paid plans ranging from $14 to $44, depending on how many websites you need.

For example, as a roofing company, you probably only need one site, in which case you can pay $14 per month.

Duda provides many high-quality features, including custom widgets that you can drag and drop throughout your website.

Like Weebly, Duda offers custom contact forms and click-to-call buttons to increase conversions.

Editing content on Duda is more complex than on WordPress, though it’s still relatively simple. However, you will need to add a separate block for images, making pasting content from another file a bit of a pain.

Still, Duda is a great option for local roofers looking to publish a website online.

In addition, DIY website designers will find the drag-and-drop functionality useful and easily insert contact options to increase leads and customers.

Website Builder FAQ

As a local contractor, you probably have many questions about website builders and their proper use.

The good news is that Roofing Webmasters has decades-worth of experience producing roofing websites that rank.

Below are some of the most frequently asked website builder questions.

Do Website Builders Limit SEO?

Some website builders limit SEO potential while others enhance it. For example, Roofing Webmasters with DataPins or WordPress virtually guarantees a strong SEO presence.

However, Weebly and Wix both present SEO limitations.

Do Professional Web Designers Use Website Builders?

Most professional designers use WordPress CMS as the framework of their websites. Still, professional coding skills and knowledge are required to produce custom WordPress websites, templates, and themes for roofers.

Are Website Builder Templates Penalized for SEO?

Google publically states that templates and themes are not subject to penalties like duplicate content.

Therefore, people who suggest that website builders are duplicate content are misinformed or intentionally trying to disparage the use of website builders.

Are Website Builders Cheaper Than Professional Services?

Website builders cost less than professional web design services in almost every case. However, some amateur designers will create websites for free.

Still, your ultimate investment should depend on your business’s current position and available resources for marketing.

Do I Need a Domain Name for My Website Builder?

Many website builders provide free subdomains, but every roofing company should purchase an exclusive domain name.

Subdomains, like roofcompany.weebly.com, severely limit search engine optimization. Therefore, owning your own domain name is critical to your online marketing.

4 Elements of the Best Commercial Roofing Logos

Creating a commercial roofing company logo should be part of a more comprehensive marketing strategy for commercial roofers.

With a commercial roofing logo, you really need to convey a sense of professionalism and capability. Such traits can be challenging to obtain via text and imagery, but they can be achieved.

My name is Nolen Walker. My agency, Roofing Webmasters, has seen more than its fair share of commercial roofing logos, so I speak from experience after working firsthand with these companies.

Whether you are a new commercial roofing business owner or considering a rebrand for your existing business, you can benefit from learning the tenets of a solid commercial roofing company logo.

In the following post, I will outline the common design elements found in prolific commercial roofing company logos. I will also provide tips for brainstorming your own logo design.

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Elements of an Appealing Commercial Roofing Logo

Established commercial roofing companies share common design elements in their logos. A simple search of commercial roofing contractors in your area showcases a common thread between their logo designs.

I know this first-hand because my agency helps design logos for commercial roofers throughout the United States.

Some of the essential elements include:

Readable Fonts

Stick to easy-to-read fonts that won’t require reading glasses to decipher. Your logo won’t’ connect with consumers if people can’t pronounce the name because of font problems.

Ensure the font isn’t too busy and that the text is nice and clear – unobstructed by flashy design elements. Remember, you aren’t trying to go over the top; instead, you are attempting to build credibility.

Evocative Imagery

Consider the natural geography and terrain of the area(s) that you operate in. If you have trouble considering images to include in your logo, try incorporating some of these natural elements.

For instance, if you operate in Arizona, consider adding cacti to your logo. If you work in a metropolitan area, consider using a simple skyline for your logo.

Using imagery that recalls the area’s reputation can help you connect with current and potential customers. It also shows that you are invested in the area where local businesses tend to gravitate.

Simple Color Schemes

It is best practice to stick with 1-3 primary colors for your logo. I have already discussed avoiding unprofessional colors, but you should also avoid using too many colors.

The best commercial roofing logos use two colors that complement each other very well. Toy around with a couple of color schemes until you find one that catches the eye without becoming too hectic.

Think of your logo as a sports uniform. Which teams typically have the most memorable uniforms? It’s the ones with simple color schemes.

Company Name

Think about some of the keywords in your company name. They may tell you what kind of imagery or design you can use in your logo.

For example, if your company name includes words like peak, pinnacle, or apex, these words bring lofty heights to mind. So, maybe incorporating a simple image of a rooftop or mountain would be a good design element.

You’re not looking to create a work of art with your visuals but instead to establish a consistent theme that instills credibility and trust in your commercial roofing company.

What to Avoid When Creating a Commercial Roofing Logo

Like most potential customers can spot a high-quality commercial roofing logo, many can identify a bad one. Unfortunately, these logotypes also share common traits.

Check out some of the most common traits of ineffective logos:

Gaudy Colors

The goal of your commercial roofing logo should be to convey professionalism. Unfortunately, one of the quickest ways to turn off potential customers is to hand them a company card with flashy colors.

Ensure your logo is devoid of playful, child-like colors such as pinks, bright greens, and neon oranges. Remember, you aren’t selling services to children, so you should target your adult demographic.

Lengthy Names

You don’t necessarily have to use your full company name in your logo. If your company name is long, consider trimming it down for your logo or initializing it.

Stuffing a long business name into a logo is usually a bad idea. It looks too busy and makes it harder for the image to stick in the customer’s mind—which should be the goal for your logo.

Logo Templates

While considering your logo, you may come across online services offering logo templates. However, some of these platforms require you to pay for a royalty-free version, so be careful not to simply copy and paste.

You may be tempted to use one of these templates to generate your own logo. However, hundreds of commercial roofing contractors are probably using the same templates.

If you really want your logo to stand out, using a template is counterproductive. Your consumers may not notice templates consciously, but their similarities may dissuade them on a subconscious level.

Bonus Commercial Roofing Logo Design Tips

If you are still feeling overwhelmed by the process of creating a commercial roofing logo design, don’t worry. Most commercial roofing business owners aren’t graphic designers.

Here are some additional tips to help you get the logo of your dreams:

Hire a Logo Designer

Hiring a professional graphic designer may be the best way to create a good logo. Even if you already have ideas, working with a private designer lets you convey them to someone who can translate them.

Produce a Rough Sketch

Before you hire a designer, it can be constructive to sit down with a pencil and pad and start roughing out some of your ideas for a logo. You don’t have to be an accomplished artist to develop a basic design theme.

Once you start doing some rough sketches, you will probably see some things that do and don’t work. You may even get inspired by themes or concepts you had not previously considered.

Seek Feedback

It never hurts to brainstorm ideas with friends and family. They may provide valuable input and perspectives that you hadn’t considered. If you have friends in other industries, run your ideas by them.

Analyze Competitors

It never hurts to examine the logos of the best roofing companies in your area (or outside your location) and see what they are doing right. But, of course, you never want to plagiarize or even come close.

Still, looking at the logos of other companies may be just what you need to spark some ideas of your own. Furthermore, it’s critical not to reinvent the wheel. Your logo design should fit in with other roofers.

Next Steps for Commercial Roofing Logo Design

Understanding the elements of an effective logo allows you to confidently take the next steps with logo design. You can utilize free logo design tools throughout the internet, but some of these may not produce royalty-free visuals (which can create legal problems down the road).

I’ve talked with thousands of commercial roofers over the past decade, and a logo is only as effective as its associated marketing campaign. At the end of the day, the goal is to generate more commercial roofing leads for your company.

I recommend partnering with a logo design company to ensure your logo is above board. I invite you to contact me personally to discuss how my agency, Roofing Webmasters, can design a custom logo for your commercial roofing business.

Digital Marketing Guide for Home Builders

Blog Cover for Home Builder Digital Marketing Showing Floor Plan

Home builder digital marketing is an effective way to get new customers. SEO strategies for roofers often overlap with those of home builders. For this reason, Roofing Webmasters is the ideal agency to publish the digital marketing guide for home builders.

What is Home Builder Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is the promotion of home builder companies through the Internet or other digital platforms. Examples of digital marketing include SEO, content marketing, and social media advertising.

Digital Marketing Strategies for Home Builders

For home builders, finding good information about digital marketing is challenging. Most articles talk about roofing marketing or marketing for construction. However, home builders require a unique and custom digital marketing plan.

Search Engine Optimization

SEO is the most appealing long-term marketing strategy for home builders. The process involves optimizing website pages for specific keywords and generating organic traffic through Google and other search engines.

Some contractors dislike SEO because it takes months to work. However, established brands can often expedite the process with proper optimization techniques. Unfortunately, newer companies will have to start from scratch.

Keyword Research

Keywords are terms users search for on Google and other platforms. Tools like MOZ and SEMRush measure search volume to gauge how frequently users search for specific words and phrases.

The goal is to rank your website for relevant terms so that users will find your company and submit their contact information. With this in mind, it is critical to understand the intent of keywords, such as informational, transactional, and navigational.

Screenshot of MOZ Keyword Explorer for "Home Builder Near Me"

Local SEO

Local SEO is a subcategory of search engine optimization but focuses strictly on local search results. The local algorithm looks at factors like proximity, relevance, and prominence.

Your Google Business Profile is a great way to rank locally, representing your business within Google’s directory. In addition, local users may see your profile within the Local Map 3-Pack or Google Maps.

Content Marketing / Blogging

Creating valuable content can help you reach more potential clients. One of the best mediums to publish content is your website’s blog. Use keyword research (which we outlined earlier) to find informational queries that are worth writing about.

You can market them through social media and email as you produce high-quality blog posts. Don’t limit yourself strictly to text content, as videos, podcasts, and e-books are all alternatives.

Analytics / Reporting

To evaluate your digital marketing campaign, you must measure it through analytics. Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track your website performance over time. Installing GA code is easy, especially with a WordPress plugin.

Screenshot of Google Analytics Stats for Home Building Website

You can measure performance in various ways if you properly track user behavior. For instance, you can set goals on Google Analytics and compare traffic by month, year, and season. The more data you accumulate, the better you can understand potential improvement areas.

Link Building

Links are a prominent SEO ranking factor and remain critical to producing good results. Search engines measure links from external websites as well as links from one page to another internal page.

Homebuilder websites should build links with the user in mind to help them quickly navigate the website. Acquiring inbound links from 3rd party websites is helpful as long as that site has good authority and credibility.

Website Design

A good website is critical to home builders’ digital marketing efforts. Fast speed, clean navigation, and responsive web design across devices all help you gain new customers. In addition, all of your other actions, like SEO and email marketing, rely on a solid website.

Aside from providing a good user experience, a home builder website should convert as many visitors as possible. This is best achieved through CTA buttons or calls to action. A contact form and a click-to-call button are both examples of CTAs.

Social Media Advertising & Marketing

Many of your target consumers spend their time on social media platforms, making these channels ideal for marketing and advertising. In addition, most social networks provide targeted ad campaigns to reach users.

Facebook

Facebook has over 2 billion active users, making it a goldmine for advertisers. The first step is creating a Facebook Business Page so users can follow and interact with your business.

Next, you can start running paid ads that target potential customers. Facebook Ads capture leads at every point in their buying journey. Finally, you can set a budget to optimize your ad spend with Facebook.

Instagram

Facebook owns Instagram, which grows in popularity each year. IG has over 800 million active users who engage with friends and businesses. Creating an Instagram business account is easy and provides real-time analytics.

You can target IG users through your Facebook Ads Manager to reach a broader audience. One of the best ways to get users on IG is through Instagram stories, short videos of your business that disappear after 24 hours.

YouTube

YouTube is an ideal social platform for home builders because you can showcase your projects in video form. People are constantly looking for videos about new home construction so that you can maximize the platform.

One advantage of YouTube is its feature that allows web admins to embed videos onto their websites. Home building companies get the best of both worlds by publishing videos on their channel and web pages.

Paid Advertising

We touched on social media ads earlier in the post. Still, other forms of online advertising also contribute to digital marketing for home builders. For example, Google Ads is one of the most popular platforms to reach users digitally.

Unlike SEO, paid advertising works instantly, but it also costs money. Therefore, understanding which terms to target and set your budget for maximum benefit is key to a successful digital advertising campaign.

Graphic Showing Statistic About Paid Search Web Traffic

Pay Per Click

PPC is the most popular paid advertising method, requiring advertisers to pay each time users click on their ad. For new home building companies, PPC is very popular since it works instantly.

Screenshot of PPC Ads for "Home Builder Austin" on Google

Despite its ease of use, PPC is not the best long-term digital marketing strategy. SEO produces superior leads for less money over time. However, PPC helps supplement traffic while the SEO process matures.

Google Ads

Google Ads (formerly AdWords) are the most common form of PPC ads. Google makes it simple to target keywords using Google’s Keyword Planner. Advertisers can also choose locations and target audiences.

How expensive a keyword is per click is known as cost per click or CPC. The most competitive keywords naturally have the highest CPCs as most home-building businesses vie for the same clicks.

Screenshot of Overview from Google Ads Website

Defining Your Audience

To maximize your digital marketing campaign, you must narrowly define your audience. First, consider who your ideal customer is and their needs.

In some circles, the ideal consumer is called a buyer persona. For example, consider a scenario where you promote condos to people aged 25-32. This age group appreciates nightlife, restaurants, and shopping.

Once you identify your buyer persona, crafting a marketing campaign around their needs becomes easier. In this case, you’ll want a campaign that exudes modernism, excitement, and innovation.

Graphic Showing Audience Segmentation Statistic

Email Marketing

Email marketing is an effective promotional strategy for home builders. While you may not love the idea of flooding people’s inboxes, an intelligent email campaign can work wonders for your business.

The key is building a legitimate list of email subscribers, which you can do by exchanging value on your website. For example, offer a free PDF of your home construction highlights on your website. Use software like AWeber to create email lists and Thrive Leads to create opt-in forms.

Screenshot of Email Marketing Stats for Campaign

Once you establish a list, you can send automated campaigns to subscribers. Segment your list so people get the most relevant emails possible based on their needs and interests.

Digital Marketing Tools for Home Builders

Nobody expects your company to utilize every strategy on the list. However, to implement several of them, you will need the help of some digital marketing tools. Many of these tools help you reach your marketing goals more efficiently, and some even provide new opportunities altogether.

DataPins

DataPins is an excellent digital marketing tool for home builders. It allows companies to drop a pin each time they construct a new home. In addition, these pins get published on the corresponding web page, serving as user-generated content and social proof.

Best of all, the DataPins tool segments pins by location and attaches schema code so that Google recognizes the latitude and longitude. What better way to rank for home building services in multiple cities?

MOZ Keyword Explorer

Moz Keyword Explorer is a great way to find keyword opportunities for your home-building website. In addition, you can find keywords for service pages and blog posts, which can help you reach customers and new leads.

Keyword Explorer segments keywords by search volume, difficulty, and priority. Additionally, users can monitor which keywords competitor websites rank for so they can close the gap between that website and their own site.

Screenshot of MOZ Keyword Explorer Suggestions for "Home Builder Near Me"

Majestic Backlink Checker

Majestic is an excellent tool to measure your website’s backlink portfolio and those of competitors. If you notice a top competitor getting links from a high-quality website, see if you can also network with that website.

Majestic also allows users to measure link equity on the page and domain level. For instance, you can see which links are pointing to your domain and which are pointing to specific pages on your website. These metrics help you improve your content to earn more links.

Screenshot of Referring Domains List on Majestic Tool

AWeber

AWeber represents one of the best email marketing tools on the market. With AWeber, home builder companies can create lists based on various segments. In addition, users can design email campaigns and enhance visuals using Canva.

AWeber tracks your email campaigns to know which subscribers are engaged and which are lagging in their responses. These metrics help you improve your email content to reach new subscribers better.

Final Thoughts on Digital Marketing for Home Builders

Google can be a goldmine for homebuilders if they can rank on organic search results. Between the map pack and traditional organic results, home builders can regularly acquire low-cost leads. For newer companies, investing in paid advertising, like Google Ads, is a great way to supplement early traffic. In addition, tools like AWeber and DataPins help you maximize your existing customers and grow your company.