SEO for Home Builders: 13 Proven Strategies to Get Leads

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September of 2022 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

As a home builder, you need leads to keep your business running. In fact, most of our consultations with home builders have focused on how they can generate a consistent stream of leads through digital marketing. 

My answer remains the same: generating leads online is wishful thinking without a robust digital presence. This is why SEO is important. 

According to Google Ads, there are more than 4.2 million monthly online searches for home builders and design-build firms. Optimizing your website for SEO is the first step in funneling qualified leads for your business. 

In this article, I will share 13 proven strategies to get leads for your contracting business. These strategies have been tested and trusted by various experts in the industry.

But before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s discuss the basics. 

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What is SEO for home builders? 

SEO for home builders involves optimizing your website to rank higher in search results so potential clients can easily discover your services. It also boosts your brand visibility, drives conversion-ready traffic to your site, and saves you costs on paid lead generation strategies. 

Why is it necessary? 

This research from Invoca shows that most home service consumers don’t have a company in mind when running a search on Google. This means if your website isn’t listed on the search result pages, you’re missing out on valuable opportunities to attract customers actively searching for your services online.   

Here are 13 proven strategies you can use when working on your business website’s search engine optimization.

1. Research Your Competitors

Start by searching Google for other home builders and see which sites come up first. You can ignore any results with the Ad tag because those companies paid to rank well. Look at the websites and pages that come up first.

For example, use search queries like ‘home builder’ or ‘local home builder’ to streamline the search results. 

Instead of paid results (tagged with sponsored), you can look through the organic search results for your target area: 

In this case, review sites are ranking well above the map pack. 

You can pick at least five competitor pages to discover what’s working for them and how you can mirror or improve on it for your SEO strategy. An effective tool in this case is the SEMRush or Ahrefs Competitor Analysis tool. 

Here, you’ll uncover specifics such as their keyword, backlink and content strategy. 

2. Research the Market

Next, you need to figure out user search intent – how people are searching for your services online and the exact search phrases used. 

A good starting point is leveraging the Google People Also Ask section to find key phrases they’re using during search. For example, people searching for ‘home builders in Ohio’ are likely looking for a builder within your target location.  

Here are related searches: 

You can also use social media to do market research. If you have a following for your business, you can ask for feedback from followers or previous customers. How did they find you online? 

You can also inquire how they find home service solutions via interactive polls and surveys. With this, you can run targeted campaigns and offer your customers value.

3. Choose and Include Relevant Keywords

Keywords are the foundation of any successful SEO campaign. 

Think of it as the pillar of your SEO strategy. Without it, your efforts to boost visibility and drive qualified leads will be futile. 

However, it’s not just about adding a bunch of keywords to your website. It’s about choosing the ones that are relevant to your niche. 

So, how do you shuffle between keywords and know the right one to choose?

Here are some tips to help:

• Don’t target broad, short-tail keywords with large search volumes. While this is beneficial, it doesn’t improve anything in the bottom line. Focus on targeting long-tail, highly specific keywords with conversion intent. For example, use location-based keywords to filter traffic outside your target area. 
• Evaluate each keyword based on difficulty. SEO tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush and Ahrefs are helpful in this case. 

If you’re just building your home service business, target keywords with minimal competition but ample search volume.

Read more: How to target buyer-intent keywords. 

4. Create a Content Calendar

Having a solid content strategy is a prerequisite to ranking high on the search results for your primary keywords and also, driving relevant traffic. 

So, instead of impulsively publishing anything that comes to your mind, having a content calendar can help you strategize and organize your content creation efforts. 

For example, if you want to promote your services during holidays, you can plan and create holiday-themed content for your website and social media. 

A content calendar can also help you stay on track with your website and SEO efforts. If you know what you plan to post, it will be easier to go through with it, and you can see the SEO benefits sooner.

Tip: Focus on Google’s EEAT quality guidelines when creating content. Also, your content strategy doesn’t have to be solely focused on articles and blog posts. Repurpose content based on your customer preferences and distribute accordingly. 

This brings us to the next…

5. Create High-Quality Home Builders Content

Creating high-quality content lets you showcase your expertise and provide valuable insights and solutions to your potential clients’ queries. 

You can share real-life examples of your successful projects, communities, and customer testimonials. Additionally, you can attract leads organically by addressing common pain points and writing in-depth guides and tips on home building, remodeling, and design. 

For example, if you’re a home remodeling company specializing in sustainable design, publishing detailed case studies on how you transformed outdated homes into modern pieces is an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise. Keep in mind that it’s easier for people to trust you when they SEE projects you’ve handled. 

Consistently posting relatable content establishes credibility and drives more traffic to your website. You can then convert visitors into leads through strategically placed calls to action. 

Furthermore, blog posts add more pages to your website, increasing the chances of Google and other search engines finding your site.  

6. Optimize Images

When it comes to home builder SEO, visuals are key! 

Think about it; if people are searching for home builders, they’ll probably want to see pictures as they visually represent the quality and style of homes. They serve as portfolios, attracting clients and showcasing your expertise.

Aside from inciting user engagement, optimizing images on your website increases the likelihood of your site appearing in image search results. This can expand your site’s visibility and attract more leads.

Here are some tips on how to optimize images for SEO:

• Optimize image file names by choosing descriptive filenames that include relevant keywords. For example, instead of generic file names such as ‘IMG_8668′, use ‘modern-kitchen-renovation-before-and-after.jpg.’
• Use alt text to provide concise descriptions of your images. If you’re publishing a photo of a newly renovated bathroom, the alt text can be ‘Newly renovated bathrooms with contemporary shower panels.’
• Compress your images to reduce file size without compromising quality. For best results, follow Google’s image guidelines. 
• Use image sitemaps to help search engines understand your visuals.

7. Use Local SEO

Local SEO is a goldmine for all types of businesses serving a local audience. It presents a unique opportunity to rank above top competitors for nearby search queries. Here are some tips on how to use local SEO to get leads:

• Claim your Google Business Profile (GBP) and maintain accurate information:

Creating a GBP is free, and it lets your site show up in searches for “near me” when people look for home builders nearby. Here, you can add all vitals about your business, including your address, contact details, website link, customer reviews, and images of your previous projects. 

Also, having a GBP means your business appears on Google Maps, which is helpful if clients need help finding your physical location:

• Optimize your website content with local and specific-location keywords:

For instance, a person seeking home building services in London will be specific in their search and use phrases like “Home builders in London” or “New home construction contractors in London.” By optimizing your site with these keywords, your site comes up when people search for them.

• List your business in online directories for local businesses, such as Yelp or G2:

Sometimes, review sites and directories like Yelp rank higher on the search results, even above the map pack. Getting your business listed on any of these sites boosts your brand visibility. 

Plus, if your potential customers decide to use these directories in their purchasing journey, they can easily locate your business. 

• Set up Apple Business Connect: 

Apple Maps is arguably the second most used mapping application after Google Maps. Listing your business on Apple Maps enables you to reach customers relying solely on Apple Maps. However, this requires having a physical walk-in location. 

Read more about listing on Apple Business Connect here. 

8. Focus On On-Page SEO

On-page SEO involves optimizing individual web pages on your site to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. This strategy complements other aspects of home builders’ SEO, including keyword optimization and content creation.

Here are some essential on-page optimization techniques you should consider:

• Strategically place keywords throughout your content. A good rule of thumb is in the first 100 words of your web content. Also, ensure the H1 and H2 headers in your content contain your primary keyword. See this example: 

• Ensure your title tags and meta descriptions contain target keywords for better visibility. Title tags with the exact match keywords are, most times, ranked higher over those with related phrases: 

• Use headings and subheadings to structure your page for easy readability. 
• Add internal and external links to your content to distribute link equity and build page relevance. Keep in mind that the best-performing links are contextually related to the subject topic. This means that if you’re a local home builder, the best links will be from credible websites in the home building industry. 
• Implement breadcrumb schema on your website to provide a hierarchical navigation path for users and search engines. 

By ensuring each page is well-optimized for relevant keywords and provides valuable content, you can increase your chances of appearing in search engine results and generating more leads for your business.

9. Review SEO Performance Regularly  

SEO is a subset of digital marketing and, therefore, needs to be evaluated consistently for effective performance. Google Analytics is a popular tool that allows you to install a tracking code on your website to track visitors. You’ll see vital metrics, such as your user engagement rate, traffic regions, conversion rates, etc., in real-time. 

10. Speed Up Your Website

Slow site speed is risky. It increases bounce rate, decreases web traffic and website visibility. In fact, if you’re a local business, page speed should be at the top of your priority list. 

In 2017, Google announced page speed as a ranking factor for mobile searches. This means that fast-loading sites increase your chances of ranking high on the search results. 

Here are some tips to ensure your site loads faster:

• Opt for a faster hosting plan.
• Compress large files to reduce load time.
• Eliminate unused files and plugins to streamline performance.
• Use browser caching to store site data locally.
• Minimize HTTP requests by reducing the number of elements on each page.

11. Get an SSL Certificate

A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate encrypts data exchanged between a user’s browser and your website to enhance security and trust. This encryption is particularly important if your website contains sensitive information like contact forms or payment details. Google prioritizes sites that use the SSL encryption tool. 

You can get a free SSL certificate to install on your website or pay for one with more advanced protection. SSL encrypts client data to make everything more secure, including eCommerce sales. 

You can tell if your site has an SSL certificate by looking at the address bar. Website pages with an SSL certificate will have a padlock next to the address in the address bar.

12. Link to Other Pages

You can also improve your home builder SEO by linking to other pages on your site. Linking to pages within your site shows Google that those other pages exist. If you add a new service to your home builder business, you can link it to your main page. That will tell search engines about the new page so they can start to show it in search results.

13. Get Backlinks

Backlinks, or links from other websites to yours, signal credibility and authority to search engines, improving your website’s rankings. You can get backlinks from industry directories, local business listings, and home-building forums. 

Additionally, collaborating with influencers or guest posting on reputable blogs can generate quality backlinks for your site. Think of it: customers are more likely to trust a brand that is featured on their favorite blog posts. By strategically acquiring backlinks, you can strengthen your online presence, attract more leads, and enhance your SEO efforts.

Lay the Foundation for More Leads with Expert SEO

Your next big project starts with a strong online presence. Let our SEO experts design a strategy to attract more clients to your home building business. Request a proposal today and start building your future.

Login

Conclusion

Home builder SEO is similar to that of other local businesses. You can use business directories to show Google you’re a legitimate company. However, market research and analytics tools can also help your SEO strategy.

Keep these tips in mind to help improve your ranking in Google searches. Soon enough, you may be the first result for a given search term. Of course, hiring an expert cannot hurt, either.