SEO for Landscapers - A Thorough Guide to Generating More Leads

SEO FOR LANDSCAPER (2)

As a landscaper, it can be challenging to stand out from the competition and attract new clients. In today's digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial, and that's where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes into play. In this guide, we'll explain what landscape SEO is, the three main parts of SEO, and provide six tips for starting SEO for landscapers. We'll also provide over 40 of the best SEO keywords for landscapers and explain how you can take your landscaping SEO to the next level with Hook SEO.

What is landscape SEO?

Landscape SEO refers to the process of optimizing a website for local search results. It involves ensuring that a website appears in the search results for relevant queries that are location-specific. For instance, if you are running a business that provides services to a specific location, it is essential to optimize your website for local search results.

Here are some key aspects of Landscape SEO:

Google Business Profile
Formerly known as Google My Business (GMB), this is one of the most underutilized digital properties for Landscapers to generate more leads for their business. It is a free property provided by Google that allows businesses to create and manage their business listings online. By optimizing your Google My Business listing, you can increase your chances of appearing in the local search results. This property is so important that Google has stated “near me” searches have increased over 200% over the last two years.

On-Page Optimization
On-page optimization refers to optimizing the content on your website to make it more relevant to location-specific queries. This involves adding location-specific keywords to your website's content, meta titles, descriptions, and headings. Additionally, including your business address, phone number, and other relevant information on your website can help boost your local SEO efforts.

Local Citations
Local citations refer to any mention of your business's name, address, and phone number (NAP) on the web. These citations can come from business directories, review sites, and other local websites. Ensuring that your NAP information is consistent across all these platforms can help improve your local SEO.  This is because consistencies about your business reassure Google that your business is legitimate and that it truly exists where Google believes it to exist.

Reviews
Online reviews are an essential part of Landscape SEO. Positive reviews can help improve your local search ranking and attract more customers to your business. Encouraging customers to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, and other review sites can help boost your local SEO efforts.  The quantity of reviews, along with your ratings, do play a part in conversions (click through rates) which is something that Google measures and does play a role in ranking your Google Business Profile (GBP).  In fact, according to Whitespark, reviews comprise approximately 16% of your overall ranking factors, making it a part of your SEO campaign that deserves a healthy amount of attention.  Moreover, only 36% of small businesses invest in review marketing.  This represents a large opportunity for those who do.

What are the three main parts of SEO?

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On-page optimization refers to the practices and techniques that are applied on the website itself to improve its visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). This includes optimizing website content, HTML source code, meta tags, site architecture, and other elements that can impact how search engines crawl and index the site.

Off-page optimization, on the other hand, refers to the techniques used outside the website to improve its visibility and ranking on SERPs. This includes building backlinks from reputable and authoritative websites, social media marketing, content marketing, and other tactics aimed at improving the website's overall reputation and authority in the eyes of search engines.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO is one of the primary pillars of search engine optimization (SEO), along with on-page and off-page SEO. It deals with the technical aspects of a website that can impact search engine crawlers' ability to crawl and index it. By optimizing these technical elements, businesses can improve their website's search engine visibility, and user experience, and ultimately generate more leads and sales.

Let's dive into some of the critical technical SEO factors that businesses need to consider:

  • Site speed: Website speed is one of the most crucial technical SEO factors. Google has stated that website speed is a ranking factor, and a slow-loading website can negatively impact user experience, increase bounce rates, and lead to a lower ranking. Website speed can be improved by optimizing images, using a content delivery network (CDN), reducing server response time, and minimizing HTTP requests.
  • Site structure: A well-structured website can make it easier for search engines to crawl and index it. This includes having a logical site hierarchy, clear navigation, and descriptive URLs. The site structure should also be optimized for user experience, with easy-to-use menus, breadcrumbs, and a search function.
  • Mobile optimization: With the majority of searches conducted on mobile devices, mobile optimization has become a critical factor for SEO. Websites must be responsive and mobile-friendly to rank well in search engine results. This means using a mobile-friendly design, using mobile-specific meta tags, optimizing images for mobile, and improving site speed for mobile devices.
  • Site security: A secure website is essential for both user trust and SEO. Google has stated that HTTPS encryption is a ranking factor, and websites that don't have SSL certificates can be penalized. Websites should have a secure SSL certificate installed to encrypt data and protect user information.
  • URL structure: A clear and descriptive URL structure can help search engines, and users understand the content of a page. URLs should be short, simple, and include relevant keywords. URLs should also be consistent throughout the site, and dynamic parameters should be avoided.
  • Schema markup: Schema markup is a type of structured data that can be added to a website to help search engines understand the content on a page. This can improve search engine visibility and lead to more clicks and higher click-through rates (CTR). Schema markup can be used to display rich snippets, such as reviews, ratings, and business hours, in search engine results.
  • Canonicalization: Canonical tags help avoid duplicate content issues by specifying the preferred version of a webpage. Duplicate content can negatively impact a website's ranking, so it's essential to use canonical tags to avoid any confusion for search engines.

Technical SEO is an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring and optimization. By optimizing technical elements, businesses can improve their website's search engine visibility, and user experience, and ultimately generate more leads and sales.

On-page optimization

On-page optimization refers to the process of optimizing the content and HTML source code of a webpage to improve its visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). It involves making changes to the website itself rather than relying on external factors such as backlinks.

On-page optimization includes several techniques that can be used to improve a webpage's search engine ranking, such as optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and content. Here are some of the key on-page optimization techniques:

Title Tag Optimization: The title tag is one of the most important on-page ranking factors for search engines. It is the text that appears in the blue clickable link on the search engine results page. Title tags should be descriptive, concise, and include relevant keywords.

Meta Description Optimization: The meta description is the short paragraph that appears below the title tag in the search results. It should be a compelling description of the content of the page and should include relevant keywords.

Header Tag Optimization: Header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) are used to organize content on a webpage. They help search engines to understand the structure of the page. The H1 tag should contain the main keyword for the page, while the other header tags can be used to break up the content and include secondary keywords.

Content Optimization: Content is one of the most important on-page ranking factors. It should be high-quality, relevant, and unique. It should also include relevant keywords and be structured in a way that is easy to read and understand.

Keyword Optimization: Keyword optimization involves placing relevant keywords strategically throughout the content and HTML source code of the webpage. It is important to use keywords naturally and not to stuff them into the content.

Image Optimization: Images can also be optimized for search engines by including relevant keywords in the file name and alt tags. This helps search engines to understand the content of the image and can improve the ranking of the webpage.

Internal Linking: Internal linking involves linking to other pages on the same website. It helps to distribute page authority throughout the website and can improve the overall ranking of the website.

On-page optimization is an important part of search engine optimization (SEO). By implementing these techniques, website owners can improve the visibility and ranking of their web pages, leading to increased traffic and better engagement with their audience.

Off-page optimization

Off-page optimization refers to the strategies and techniques used to improve a website's visibility and reputation on search engine result pages (SERPs) by optimizing external factors such as backlinks, social media, and other external signals.

While on-page optimization focuses on optimizing elements within the website, off-page optimization is all about improving a website's authority and relevance from external sources. Search engines use off-page optimization as a key factor in determining a website's ranking on SERPs.

One of the most significant off-page optimization techniques is building high-quality backlinks to your website. Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website. The quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to your site are essential for search engines to determine the website's credibility and authority.

To acquire high-quality backlinks, one effective strategy is to create high-quality content that is valuable and relevant to your target audience. If your content is informative and useful, other websites are more likely to link back to it.

Another way to improve off-page optimization is by leveraging social media. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can drive significant traffic to your website and help increase your website's visibility and reputation. Sharing your content on social media can attract more visitors to your website and generate more engagement, which can ultimately lead to more backlinks.

What is the analogy between landscaping and SEO for ongoing efforts to improve results?

Imagine meeting with a potential landscaping client and pitching them a proposal to enhance and maintain their outdoor space. However, the client's budget is limited to $9,000 per year, with monthly payments of around $700.

As a professional, you realize that a significant portion of that budget will be consumed by major projects initially, leaving only a portion left for other ongoing tasks. Even after investing the entire budget, certain items will likely remain unfinished due to budget constraints, while others will require periodic updates as conditions change.

Therefore, you visit the client's property each month and spend a few hours working on various tasks, such as mulching, trimming, and weeding. Over time, the site begins to look better, but there will always be additional tasks to be done each month. Due to budget limitations, certain essential tasks such as replacing dead shrubs, adding seasonal color, or addressing other critical items may need to wait.

This approach is similar to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in that the process involves ongoing efforts to improve a website's visibility and ranking in search engine results. SEO agencies also have hourly rates, like landscaping companies, and create an annual plan, dividing it into monthly increments and allocating a specific number of hours to work on on-site and off-site factors that enhance ranking.

Thus, just as with landscaping, SEO requires ongoing investment to achieve and maintain desired results. Despite limitations on time and budget, consistent efforts will eventually pay off with a better-looking site or improved search engine ranking.

What Are the Priorities for Improving SEO for Landscapers, Lawn Care, and Tree Service Companies?

When it comes to improving your website's SEO, experts generally agree that the first priority should be improving the website itself. While visual elements are important for the user experience, there are also technical items that need attention behind the scenes. This is particularly important for landscapers, lawn care, and tree service companies seeking to improve their SEO.

It's important to fix these issues first before working on off-site ranking factors. However, some off-site improvements can be easily executed and shouldn't necessarily be neglected until your website's SEO is perfect.

Here's a list of SEO items in order of priority:

  1. Build or redesign a visually appealing website that follows SEO best practices and provides a good user experience. This can cost between $6,000 to $15,000 for a professional to complete, and the site should be rebuilt every 4-6 years.
  2. Connect your website with Google Analytics and Google Search Console to allow Google to crawl your site and provide you with valuable reporting metrics.
  3. Optimize page titles, meta descriptions, image names, image descriptions, and page copy to rank for specific keywords.
  4. Blog 2-4 times a month about relevant topics that focus on keyword phrases you're trying to rank for. Each blog post is a new opportunity to rank in search results.
  5. Create a complete Google My Business (GMB) profile.
  6. Review and correct information on other online directories, such as Localeze, Acxiom, Superpages, to match your GMB profile exactly.
  7. Develop a strategy to ask happy clients to write online reviews, preferably on GMB, consistently over time.
  8. Publish blog articles and other useful website content to social media channels.
  9. Seek natural opportunities for inbound links, such as writing blog articles that other sites will link to, writing guest blog articles on industry sites and publications, being featured in local news articles, and setting up local or association profiles.

By following these steps, you can improve your website's SEO and boost your online presence. Remember to repeat these steps regularly to maintain and improve your SEO over time.

SEO for Landscaping: 6 Tips for Starting SEO for Landscapers

Conduct Keyword Research: Before you start optimizing your website, it's important to conduct keyword research. Keyword research will help you identify the search terms and phrases that potential customers are using to find landscaping services in your area. You can use free tools such as Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to find relevant keywords for your landscaping business.

You can also find common questions and concerns that your potential customers are searching for that you can address.  If you have a new site that doesn’t get any organic traffic, this is a great place to start.  Often times, these questions are relatively easy to rank for and have the potential to generate hundreds of visitors a month.  Once your site starts generating organic traffic, you’ll build credibility and trust with Google.  You’ll find that it becomes easier to generate traffic from the more competitive keywords that have higher buyer intent, but that are also more difficult to rank for.  This is how we begin all of our newly launched websites.

keyword research

Optimize Your Website's Content: Once you have identified the relevant keywords for your business, you should revisit all of the pages on your website with relevancy to those keywords.  Make sure they are optimized by adding the keywords to your website's title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and throughout your website's content. Be sure to use the keywords naturally and avoid keyword stuffing, as this can result in a penalty from search engines.

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Create High-Quality Content: In addition to optimizing your website's existing content, you should also focus on creating high-quality content that is focused on the keywords you discovered in your keyword research campaign. This can include blog posts, articles, and videos that provide valuable information about landscaping, gardening, and outdoor living. High-quality content can attract backlinks and social media shares, which can improve your website's Off-Page SEO.

Build High-Quality Backlinks: The internet was built on backlinks and they will likely always be a major ranking factor.  Backlinks are links from other external websites that point to your website. In Google’s eyes, it’s a popularity contest and the more votes your webpage gets, the better chance it has of winning the contest, i.e. ranking better in the search results.

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Backlinks are also an important factor in determining your website's authority and trustworthiness.  When your site receives a link from another reputable website, some of that authority and trust is passed on to you, making your site a more credible/legit site in the eyes of Google.  The search engines prefer that these links be acquired naturally, without any kind of solicitation from the webmasters, but then you find yourself in a chicken and the egg scenario.  If you create a great piece of content that addresses a specific keyword, it’s possible that it won’t be found without the assistance of backlinks first.  How can you get backlinks naturally if no one can find your content?

To build high-quality backlinks, you can reach out to other websites in your industry and offer to guest post or collaborate on content. You can also submit your website to relevant directories and social media platforms.  If you’ve created truly pillar content, posting it on your social media sites is a great way to acquire links naturally and without penalty from the search engines.

Check out our video on how to acquire strong, authoritative links by guest posting:

  • Use Local SEO Techniques: As a local business, it's important to use local SEO techniques to attract customers in your area. This includes optimizing your website's content for local keywords, such as "landscaping services in [city name]." You should also claim and optimize your Google My Business listing, which can help you appear in Google Maps and local search results.
  • Monitor and Analyze Your Results: Finally, it's important to monitor and analyze your SEO results to see what's working and what's not. You can use free tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track your website's traffic, rankings, and other important metrics. This will help you make data-driven decisions about your SEO strategy and make adjustments as needed.

Over 40 of The Best SEO Keywords for Landscapers

If you're a landscaper looking to optimize your website for search engines, using the right keywords can help you attract more visitors and potential customers. Here are over 40 of the best SEO keywords for landscapers:

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  1. Landscaping services
  2. Lawn care
  3. Garden design
  4. Landscape maintenance
  5. Tree pruning
  6. Hedge trimming
  7. Irrigation systems
  8. Garden lighting
  9. Water features
  10. Outdoor living spaces
  11. Patio design
  12. Retaining walls
  13. Garden walls
  14. Pavers
  15. Garden edging
  16. Garden beds
  17. Garden planting
  18. Garden cleanup
  19. Lawn aeration
  20. Lawn fertilization
  21. Lawn mowing
  22. Grass cutting
  23. Lawn repair
  24. Lawn renovation
  25. Lawn restoration
  26. Sod installation
  27. Garden mulching
  28. Garden composting
  29. Garden drainage
  30. Garden renovations
  31. Garden planning
  32. Garden consultations
  33. Landscape consultations
  34. Garden makeovers
  35. Landscape makeovers
  36. Landscape installation
  37. Landscape construction
  38. Garden maintenance
  39. Garden care
  40. Garden services
  41. Garden upgrades
  42. Lawn upgrades

These keywords can be used in various ways on your website, including in page titles, meta descriptions, content, and image alt tags. However, it's important to use them naturally and avoid keyword stuffing, which can hurt your search engine rankings.

In addition to using these keywords on your website, consider optimizing your Google My Business listing, getting listed in online directories, and creating content such as blog posts and videos that target these keywords. By using these strategies and focusing on the right keywords, you can increase your online visibility and attract more potential customers to your landscaping business.

Take your Landscaping SEO to the next level with Hook SEO

Hook SEO is a company that specializes in helping businesses improve their online visibility through SEO. They offer a range of SEO services, including keyword research, content creation, link building, and local SEO. If you're looking to take your landscaping SEO to the next level, Hook SEO can help.

One of the benefits of working with Hook SEO is their experience in the landscaping industry. They understand the unique challenges that landscapers face in terms of competition and seasonality, and can tailor their SEO strategies to address these challenges. They also use data-driven approaches to SEO, which means that they rely on data to make decisions about your SEO strategy, rather than guesswork.

Conclusion

SEO is an important aspect of any landscaping business's digital marketing strategy. By optimizing your website and online presence, you can attract more potential customers and stand out from the competition. Use the tips in this guide to get started with SEO for your landscaping business, and consider working with a company like Hook SEO to take your SEO to the next level. By investing in SEO, you can grow your business and reach new heights of success.

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