12 Mistakes All Contractors Make on Their

WebsiteHow to improve your website and start getting leads online.

A Publication of Inbound-Solutions.com

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Google Analytics/ Webmaster Tools

Chapter 2 - Keyword Density/Stuffing

Chapter 3 - Separate page for each service area

Chapter 4 - NAP

Chapter 5 - Clear and Convincing Call-to-Action

Chapter 6 - Blogging

Chapter 7 - Basic On-Site SEO best practices

Chapter 8 - Social Proof for potential customers

Table of Contents

(Continued)

Chapter 9 - Visual Content

Chapter 10 - Email Capture and Retention (on and off)

Chapter 11 - Local Citations

Chapter 12 - Google Places

Conclusion

IntroductionAbout me and this eBook

Hello, my name is Michael Cobb. I want to say first and foremost, Thank You, for downloading my ebook. I hope you get massive value out of the information contained in the preceding pages. If there is anything in these chapters that your website and/or business is missing, please immediately make the changes where you can. I know you may not be experiencing all of these mistakes but any one of them can hinder your success online. So, with that said, here is a little bit about me.

● I have been working in the construction industry for the last 13 years.

● I’ve worked in heavy road construction, home remodeling, was a business owner restoring foreclosed homes, and now my focus is in the Professional Painting Industry.

● I Love internet marketing and started doing SEO over 7 years ago.● I Graduated from the University of Illinois at Springfield with a

Bachelor in Business Administration and a minor in MIS. ● I have a dog named Roxy-a 3.5 year old boxer. Huge Chicago

Bears, St. Louis Cardinals, Illini basketball and college football fan. I also love to Read.

Okay, enough about me…….

So what is this ebook all about? Why did I write it and why should you read it?

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Introduction(Continued)

Post Penguin, Panda and Hummingbird Google Updates:

Until a couple of years ago there was a certain way that many people did their internet marketing. However very effective then, the same methods will now put your site in a lot of trouble. It is unfair to the legitimate business owner who may be doing their SEO themselves or hiring the work out to a digital marketing company, to not know the difference. Every tip I show you is in full compliance of those updates.

To learn more about these updates and how they affect your online marketing efforts you can easily do a Google search and receive more than enough information on the topic.

Bad sites, Bad advice:

As a member of over 10 social media outlets, forums, online groups, and Q&A sites; time and time again I see bad or incorrect advice being passed around. This is normally meant to be helpful and with good intentions but the bottom line is this: If you are not doing this stuff correctly, then you are probably hurting your site.

On top of that, I have reviewed over 100 websites from contractors and local businesses and have seen major problems in their SEO. Unfortunately these sites are ranking badly (or not at all) and it is because of simple steps that can be taken with just a little time and knowledge. Speaking of action...enough talk. Let’s get right into it.

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CHAPTER ONE

Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools

Google MetricsAnalytics and Webmaster Tools

I am shocked at the number of contractors sites I see that are not taking advantage of the tools found within Google Analytics and Webmaster tools.

Google Analytics: Shows detailed traffic information about your site including:● Geographical area of traffic● Daily traffic● Time spent on site per visitor● Device used by searcher● You can even set up conversion tracking

Webmaster Tools: Detailed reports on your pages’ visibility on Google. This is important because if Google can’t “crawl” (search with a bot) your site then they may be missing out on all of your hard work. Some benefits found on Webmaster tools include:● Crawl (search with bot) errors● Links to your site● Manual actions (used for spam found on your site)● # of indexed pages on Google● Security issues

This is Just a sample of the valuable resources that you must use to know the “who and the how” of your site and the traffic you are generating.

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Google MetricsAnalytics and Webmaster Tools

How to setup Google Analytics:

Once you sign up for a free Google account, go to the Google Analytics Homepage and add your website. You will then be given a Tracking Code and a Tracking ID.

If you are using a traditional HTML website you will paste your Tracking Code into the Header of your website. (Note: When you get your Tracking Code Google will give you detail instruction on how to do this).

If you are using WordPress you will simply install this Google Analytics Plugin from your WordPress dashboard. Once the plugin is installed and activated you enter your Tracking ID in the plugin.

To ensure you’ve done everything correctly, go back into your Analytics Dashboard, hit the “Admin” button on the far right corner, and in the middle column select “Traffic Info,” and then “Tracking Code.” Check the Status at the top of the page. If you get an error or says “Not Receiving Data” then you will need to try these steps again.

The WordPress Plugin is the easiest method so if you are using WordPress I wouldn’t even try adding the Tracking Code into my Header.

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Google MetricsAnalytics and Webmaster Tools

Setting up Webmaster Tools:

Once you have confirmed your Tracking Code/ID are installed correctly you will want to verify your site within Webmaster Tools.

Start by logging into the Webmaster Tools Homepage. At the top right you will see a red button that says “Add Site.” Press that and enter your url. You will now need to verify ownership. I like things as simple as possible and found that the easiest method is to select the “Alternate Methods” tab and use the third option - “Google Analytics.”

Select that option and hit “Verify.” It’s that simple and you are now set up to receive traffic and crawl data from Google!

Chapter 1 Homework: Set up your site for Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools.

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Chapter 1 Homework:

Set up your site for Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools.

CHAPTER TWO

Keyword Density/Stuffing

KeywordsDensity vs. Stuffing

Keyword Density: Deals with the number of times your main keywords appear on your page. In all natural SEO there will be a balance of good keyword density. When site owners overuse this technique to the point to where their site may be considered spam--it is then considered keyword stuffing.

In Chapter 7 of this ebook I go into more detail in the correct uses and placement of your keywords if you want to skip ahead. Please come back because in this chapter I want to address keyword stuffing in more detail.

Keyword Stuffing- This is where a site owner loads their site full of their keywords in an attempt to rank higher by telling Google, repeatedly, that your site is about the keyword you want to rank for. In most cases keyword stuffing can lesson the user experience and in severe cases will get you a Manual Action Penalty against your site from Google.

So how do I know if I am Stuffing Keywords?

Google gives some insight on what they considers keyword stuffing.

Note: Keyword stuffing not only applies to words but numbers as well. For instance the phone number to a business.

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KeywordsDensity vs. Stuffing

To give you a better idea of what keyword stuffing is, here is a list from Googles page cited above:

● Lists of phone numbers without substantial added value● Blocks of text listing cities and states a webpage is trying to rank

for● Repeating the same words or phrases so often that it sounds

unnatural, for example:● We sell custom cigar humidors. Our custom cigar humidors are

handmade. If you’re thinking of buying a custom cigar humidor, please contact our custom cigar humidor specialists at custom.cigar.humidors@example.com.

So now that you know what keyword stuffing is and what to look for, take a look at your own site and make sure you are not violating this rule. You never want Google to find out and penalize your site.

Here is a tool to use if you want to check you site for keyword density/stuffing:

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Chapter 2 Homework:

Check your own site for Keyword Stuffing. Use the tool provided to discover keyword density. This tool will be used again in Chapter 7.

CHAPTER THREE

Separate Web Page for Each Service Area

Service AreasSeparate Pages-Service Area

Have Multiple Service Areas?

Most contractors I know work in more than one service area. Even though you have your big money maker towns there are other areas you may want to target. For instance, if your main target is St. Louis there is plenty of opportunity in targeting South County, Wentzville, or the Metro East.

Question: If stuffing all of these towns/areas on your homepage is not the answer (see Chapter 2) then what do I do?

Answer: Make a specific page on your website about that particular service area. Now, I know it will be difficult if you are targeting 50 different areas but if you could narrow that down to around 5-10, you will be able to target customers in that area to your specific page.

DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, COPY AND PASTE THE SAME CONTENT TO EVERY PAGE. EVERY PAGE MUST HAVE ORIGINAL AND USEFUL CONTENT. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE WHY.

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Chapter 3 Homework:

Create one new web page for one of your larger target areas. Original content is not optional.

CHAPTER FOUR

NAP

NAPName, Address,Phone Number

This ties in with the Chapter 7 on Call-to-Actions, but as a business targeting local (or national) business, you should have your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) on every page of your website. Here are are the obvious reasons: ● Easiest Call to Action-Don’t make them guess how to get ahold of

you.● Consistency with Google Places and Local Citations.● Geographical indicator for Google Local Search Bot● Indicator for potential customers that you are indeed a local

company

How do I do it?

The easiest way to make sure your NAP is on every page, including your blog, is to enter this information in your Header, Footer or, Sidebar.

Most Wordpress themes will give you the option automatically so it’s just a matter of inputting the information. Make sure your NAP is consistent with your real business and local citations.

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Chapter 4 Homework:

Ensure your NAP is showing on all webpages through either your Header, Footer, or Sidebar.

CHAPTER FIVE

Clear and Convincing Call-to-Action

Call-to-ActionTurn a Visitor into a Customer

What is a Call-to-Action:

Quite literally a Call-to-Action is a piece that you add to your website that causes a customer to click and take further action into the sales process. It’s not enough to get traffic to your site. Once someone comes to your site you want them to take action and eventually become a customer.

Here are 5 great call to actions any contractor can implement and start using immediately:

1. NAP-As discussed in the last chapter; Make it easy for customers to contact you.

2. Mobile Search: Add a simple “Call Now” button to your mobile website. Here is a great service you should consider taking advantage of.

3. Create a Free estimate offer.4. Offering a FREE newsletter to capture emails. 5. Using text offers/Call-to-Actions in your blog within text or a

fancy plugin.

These are just a few ways that you can implement a call to action to your website and therefore increase your customer sales funnel.

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Chapter 5 Homework:

Implement one call to action on your site. Test what works best. Need more ideas? Check this out!

CHAPTER SIX

Blogging

BloggingCreate Content Worth Sharing

Out of all the mistakes made on a contractors website, this has to be the number one problem I see. Blogging is the easiest to implement and fastest way to index more pages with multiple keywords. If you are not blogging than you are shooting yourself in the foot.

Why is Blogging so Important?

Blogging is a way for all businesses to connect with their customers through content. It also gives site owners the opportunity to increase the number of indexed pages as well as helps a site in terms of a keyword catalog in which they are targeting. By adding blog posts consistently you are showing Google that the information on your site is fresh, relevant, and not outdated.

Check out these amazing statistics concerning blogging:

● Bloggers get 55% more traffic than sites that don’t.● Sites with a blog convert 70% more leads into customers. ● 57% of businesses with a blog report they have acquired a

customer through their blog. (Source: Hubspot.com)

To me, these stats are enough to convince anyone that they need to start blogging on their site. Even contractors.

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BloggingCreate Content Worth Sharing

But I’m a Contractor...not a writer!

I realize there is some resistance when I talk to contractors about blogging and that is that they are very skilled in one area and they don’t feel comfortable or want to focus too much time on other things. Especially when considering the fact that content from your site must be written in a professional and informational matter. No junk posts with no real value can be used.

I understand you are contractors-not writers, but all I can say to that you are losing out on an easy opportunity to rank higher and to convert your visitors into customers. You have a choice of either learning how to write great content on your own or hiring it out.

If you are hiring it out then it is best to hire someone that already works for the company or already knows your industry very well. You want your content to engage and inform your customers. If you decide to put mediocre material on your blog...honestly it is probably better to not blog at all. Google looks at “thin” content and bad content can actually hurt your overall rankings.

If you want a cheap route to get good content than I would suggest finding a blog writer on fiverr.com. It will cost you 5 bucks a post. While normally they will do a good job, they may not know anything about your trade and post usually range from only 300-500 words.

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BloggingCreate Content Worth Sharing

If you decide you want to do the content work on your own (takes time but in my opinion the best option) then here are some tips for you to get started.

● Title - This must be engaging and something that your customer actually wants to click on and read about. Most topics, non industry related, will not get a customer to click.

Example: “Interior Painting” is a bad blog title compared to something like: “5 steps before hiring a Painting Contractor in Panama City, Fl” The latter is more engaging and informational. If I was looking for a Painting Contractor in Panama City I would want to read this post. On top of that I was able to use my keywords naturally.

● Content-Must be great content that is informational, helpful and useful. I don’t want to sound harsh but again if you are posting crap posts on your blog it is honestly better to just not blog at all. I’m not saying your post has to be a John Grisham novel but I think we all have a sense of if the content is helpful, informational, and useful to the customer.

● Stickiness- Make your customer want to stay on your site. Help them through the sales process. They will thank you for informing them about the investment they are about to make. Redirect them to relevant posts as well for more engagement.

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BloggingCreate Content Worth Sharing

● Design and Layout- No one likes trying to read full blocks of texts. Use visual content when necessary in your posts including relevant pictures, graphs, videos, etc. Use bold for titles and make plenty of spacing. Some of the blog posts I like to read are ones that make it so easy to read that you can scan over it and go right to the parts you are really interested about. Make your content “easy on the eyes” so to speak.

● Call-To-Actions- As discussed in an earlier chapter, you want to use these call to actions on your static page as well as before or after your blog post.

● Link to Social Media- Make it easy for your visitors to share your content on social media by adding social media action buttons. There are numerous ones to choose from on WordPress.org.

Ideas To Blog About

This can be the toughest part of blogging--actually coming up with something to blog about. The worst is staring at a blank screen with no ideas and giving up because you can’t come up with something to write about. There are some great resources to find topics that your customers want to read about . ● Quora.com● DIYchatroom.com● Various DIY and Homeowner forums or Q&A sites.

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BloggingCreate Content Worth Sharing

Sign up for at least one resource listed or find another site so that you can start researching what your potential customers are needing, wanting, and worried about. These resources will give you unlimited post ideas.

Still Stuck?

Start out with something easy. Here are some examples:

● How to’s ● Video/pictures and/or just text about a project you worked on

and the step you took to complete it. ● Reviews on products● Steps before taking on a project like Exterior House Painting,

Residential Roof, Bathroom Remodel, etc.

Conclusion: Write good content that your customer actually wants to read and for bonus points use social like/share buttons to further spread your content. Be creative and helpful and if you get comments from visitors be adamant about answering them.

Learn more-watch my video on Blogging. See great examples.

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Chapter 6 Homework:

Start a blog on your site if you don’t have one already. Join one site listed or find your own to start getting blog ideas. Lastly create one really great blog post.

Bonus: Make a schedule to consistently post content.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Basic On-Site SEO Best Practices

On-Site SEOBest Practices

I’m going to break up all of this text and give you my video about On-Site SEO. Find more of my videos here.

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Chapter 7 Homework:

Fix On-Site SEO errors and use tips in future blog posts.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Social Proof for Potential Customers

Social ProofOnline Credibility and Trust

Credibility and Trust

How credible your site seems to potential customers and steps you take to build trust in your brand will give you an overall better impression with visitors.

Here is a checklist of credibility and trust factors you can easily implement to your site:

● Professional website with no spelling/grammar errors. ● NAP very easy to find and easy to contact you--Let them know

you are indeed a local business. ● About me section that may include staff bio’s and experience. ● Photos of you, your office, your crew, etc. ● Do not uses phrases that cannot be backed up or proven with

statistics--”The best Plumber in the St. Louis Area.”● Email policy-Never share or sell someones email when they

contact you and let them know that .● Reverse Risk-Make them feel comfortable about choosing you.

Examples: “Don’t get paid until you are satisfied,” or Free quote with no obligation.

● Customer reviews on Google Places--Huge!● Badges of awards you may have earned--Example: St. Louis Post

Dispatch Electrician of the Year. ● Testimonials, client list or pictures of previous work.● Trade organizations or groups you are a member of.● Social Media popularity

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Social ProofOnline Credibility and Trust

Credibility and Trust (continued)

● Professional Blog articles● Not using spammy or annoying ads● And the list can go on…….

These are some great examples to help build credibility and trust within your potential customers. Your website is a huge reflection on your brand. When consulting clients I always have them do their own trust test. It can be as easy as asking yourself: “Would I buy from this site or this customer just by what I am seeing on their website? Would I trust this person in my home when I’m not there? Does it seem like other people trust this person as well?”

Each industry is different and some credibility and trust factors work better or worse depending on your customer base. For homeowners they never want to feel they are hiring that “fly-by-night” contractor that won’t be in business a year later. Show them you are that reputable company they WANT to hire.

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Chapter 8 Homework:

Take at least two credibility/trust factors listed here or ones that you come up on your own and add them to your site.

CHAPTER NINE

Visual Content

Visual ContentUse and Optimization

Visual content on your site is the use of pictures, videos, infographics, etc. Along with giving your site more brand identity there is actually a correlation between higher engagement and visual content. Here are some amazing statistics found on the web.

● 60% of consumers are more likely to consider or contact a business whose images appear in local search results.

● 37% increase in engagement is experienced when Facebook posts include photographs.

● 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000X faster in the brain than text.

● Viewers are 85% more likely to purchase a product after watching a product video.

● Posts with videos attract 3 times more inbound links than plain text posts.

Sources: 1. http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33423/19-

Reasons-You-Should-Include-Visual-Content-in-Your-Marketing-Data.aspx

2. http://heidicohen.com/5-facts-prove-visual-content-is-a-guaranteed-winner/

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Visual ContentUse and Optimization

So now we know that visual content is a powerful marketing tool...what the best way to use it?

Use pictures or videos on your homepage by showing pictures of yourself, your crew, previous jobs, or other content that engages the viewer and builds trust in your brand. Though I know not everyone is photogenic and you may not have the best camera, but pictures of yourself and your business go a lot further than stock internet photos of business people you or your customer doesn’t know.

A great way to show video content is to take pictures or short videos of your job site and make them into a slide show or informational post about the steps you take to complete a project. All in all, visual content can only help you when done well.

Optimization

Going back to my video about on-site seo, you will want to optimize your photos and videos as well. Google will do it’s best to determine what a photo is about by the content on that particular page. Don’t make Google guess what your content is about. Optimize that content with descriptive and/or local information.

Videos

If you are using Youtube to post your videos then take the time and create a description and title relevant to your content.

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Visual ContentUse and Optimization

Videos (continued)

For example: Instead of giving your video of an interior paint job you previously did the title “Interior Paint Job, “ use something more descriptive and helpful to the viewer. Try something like--”content + location” if targeting a certain service area. “Kitchen Repaint in Austin Texas” tells Google and your viewer more about your content and optimizes that content so you have a better chance at ranking for your keyword.

Photos

Same thing goes with photos. If you have a chance to give an optimized description (like on WordPress) then take advantage of that opportunity. Also don’t forget the importance of what you name the file of that content. For instance “kitchen-repaint-in-austin-texas.jpg tells Google a lot more than x20000064gr.jpg.

Warning: Using a description for videos and photos is not the opportunity to stuff as many keywords and phrases that you can in the given space. Please see Chapter 2.

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Chapter 9 Homework:

If you have visual content already on your site, optimize the photos and videos as described. Start using visual content to break up large blocks of text and to increase engagement on your blog, homepage, and any other relevant pages.

CHAPTER TEN

Email Capture and Retention

EmailCapture and Retention

● 90 % of small businesses new business comes from referrals.

● 83% of consumers are willing to refer after a positive experience—yet only 29% actually do

Source:-http://blogs.constantcontact.com/fresh-insights/the-evolution-of-word-of-mouth-and-what-it-means-to-you/

I believe email is one of the most underutilized but could be the most powerful tool used to grow a contractor's business. As the stat above describes most contractors new business comes from referrals. On top of that most contractors do work for previous customers over and over again. These two pieces are powerful when considering:

-acquiring a new customer can cost up to 6-7 times more than keeping an existing one.

So how do I get started?

This is the only tip in this book that you don’t even need a website to use. When you use in conjunction with a website, however, it will be just that much more powerful.

You can try to manage emails on your own but it is best to use an email response program.

EmailCapture and Retention

Here are 2 examples of email marketing software you can use that will help you build your list and help you send mass emails.

1. Constantcontact.com2. MailChimp.com

If I was just getting started in this I would use Mailchimp just for the fact that it is FREE up to 500 emails. I’ve used it personally and it works pretty well.

Getting Emails

Getting emails can be as simple as asking your customers if they would mind receiving your newsletter that included coupons and helpful information. I’ve seen contractors do this with regular mail with great success--but at a great cost.

You can also set up a sign up form to put on your website with MailChimp that will automatically add emails to your list.

You don’t want to “over send” emails or seem spammy or annoying. You will want to test on how many emails a year works for your customer base and what emails work best.

EmailCapture and Retention

What do I send to my list?

The easiest information to send an existing customer is a newsletter. This can be as simple as a one page email with helpful information, coupons, or other relevant information.

Keep in mind the idea of starting and keeping an email list is to keep in contact with your existing customers and to stay in their mind when they have a chance to refer you.

Chapter 10 Homework:

Sign up for a free account on MailChimp.com and create a “list” file that you will use to keep all the emals you recieve. Get 10 emails by asking current customers or previous customers if you can add them to your newsletter. Within a month use a newsletter template provided on MailChimp and send your first newsletter.

Bonus: Create a sign up form and embed on your website.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Local Citations

Local CitationsConsistency and Link Building

Local citations are listings on the internet from 3rd party sources. Some examples are listings from sites like yellowpages.com, Chamber of Commerce, or merchantcircle.com

Why are citations important?

Citations are a great and easy way to build backlinks to your website from high authority sites. Also considering Google crawls the web for local information it is imperative that your business is consistent within all listings. Local citations have an overall positive effect on your SEO but can hurt your site majorily if all the information found is not consistent or inaccurate. Some sites will aggregate your information by themselves so it is important to claim your listing and make changes where needed.

Getting Started

To find your current listings you could simply do a web search for your business name. An easier and more exhaustive option is using Getlisted.org. It’s FREE so just go to their site and enter your business name and zip to find your business. Once you find your business click on it and take a look at your current listings. You will see both “unclaimed listings” as well as “claimed listings.”

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Local CitationsConsistency and Link Building

Make sure all your listings are exactly the same in reference to your actual business.

You will want to claim as many citations as possible (or feasible). This should become part of your daily SEO efforts. This will help with consistency over the web as well as local link building.

Here are the Best Sources for Citations by City and Industry to get you started.

You need to realistically claim at least 50-100 citations. Do a simple Google search for an exhaustive or definitive list of local citations. There are tons of them out there.

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Chapter 11 Homework:

Use Getlisted.org to find your claimed and unclaimed citations. Log onto the 3rd party site and make corrections where needed.

Claim at least 10 listings from the Best Sources by City and Industry.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Google Places

Google PlacesGetting Found in Local Search

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After watching the video, if you have any questions on best practices, most answers can be found on the Google Places Quality Guidelines page.

Google PlacesGetting Found in Local Search

Here are 7 tips when setting up your Places Page:1. Use a business email (ex. john@businssname.com rather than

john1967@yahoo.com). This is for a professional look and consistency with Google.

2. Business Name-Exact legal name. No adding of keywords or numbers.

3. Location: No P.O. boxes and must be actual physical address. Only need one listing for multiple service areas.

4. Phone: Actual business phone; No redirects or 800. 5. Categories-Not an opportunity to keyword stuff. Best to use

given categories rather than creating your own. 6. Description- Create an accurate description of your business.

Again this is not the opportunity to stuff keywords of your services or service areas. Google already knows your service areas and what industry you work in.

7. If you do not have a storefront--meaning customers come to your place of business than you need to “check” the box that says you service at “their location” and then hide your address. Many listings get pulled for listing as a storefront when they are not.

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Chapter 12 Homework:

Set up your Google Places listing. Add as much information as possible.

Bonus: Get reviews. This can have a huge impact on your Local Rankings.

CONCLUSION

All Good Things Must Come to an End

ConclusionMany Thanks for Reading

Congratulations! You have made it to the end!

If you have made it this far I want to thank you again for taking the time for reading my eBook. Secondly I hope you took the time to do all of the homework assignments. I promise you will see a definite improvement in our efforts.

If you really likes my material please take the time and say so on either Facebook, Twitter or Google + by clicking on the buttons on the upper right hand corner.

I would love to hear your feedback and I take it very seriously. If you contact me I will ensure I contact you back.

Thanks again. And go out there and start getting more leads online. The Inbound-Solutions way!

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