Is SEO Relevant to Construction and Housebuilding Industry Websites?
SEO is absolutely crucial to your business as it increases your visibility online leading to your website getting more traffic, more prospects and more leads, resulting in more opportunities to increase revenue in your business.
Over the past 12 months, we have been doing lots of research into SEO and how the Construction industry views SEO. Our research has found that there are so many websites lacking the key details and content that resonates with prospects through SEO. I’m not talking about the design as some are stunning, but they don’t reinforce the benefit of what their business offers/how their business differentiates from the other providers in the industry.
In this article, we will take you through the information we have and share what SEO is and a few simple tips to help you improve your current website:
What is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)?
SEO stands for ‘search engine optimisation’.
It is the process of improving your website’s technical configuration, content relevance and linking popular key phrases which then produces quality and quantity of traffic to your website from search engines (e.g. Google).
SEO doesn’t target the paid traffic (e.g. sponsored posts or pay-per-click) or direct traffic, instead, it targets the generic and unpaid traffic.
How do Search Engines Work?
SEO is determined by search engines. There are many search engines in the world, but the largest is Google, which makes up 93% of the global search market.
Through the search engine algorithms, they provide results based on the users’ questions. On Google alone, there are 30 to 50 billion web pages indexed, although only 200 million active websites. So, to provide the ‘answer’ to the customer’s questions, the algorithm is designed to look for the following things:
- Relevant keywords in page titles
- Meta descriptions
- (H1) Headlines
- Top Quality Content
- Original Imagery / Video
- Backlinking / Citations
- Page Loading Speed
What are Relevant Keywords in Page Titles?
The title of pages on your website allows search engines to understand the topic of the webpage and differentiate one page from another.
For example, if a user searches for ‘new homes for sale’ on a search engine, The search engine will first look for all websites with new homes for sale in the title of their web pages to match the customer’s request.
What are Meta Descriptions?
A Meta Description provides a brief summary of a webpage. The Meta Description is displayed as part of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) and is meant to give the user an idea of what content is on that page and how it relates to the search query.
To get the best out of your Meta Description you should include the key features of your product or service to increase chances of it appearing as a top choice web page on the search engine. For example, if somebody is searching for ‘How to buy a new home’ then make sure your Meta Description includes just that. Say it exactly how it is!
What are (H1) Headlines?
Headlines (H1) should describe the main topic of the page (and be the largest font). From a visitor’s perspective, a headline plays a huge role in whether or not they continue reading a page. From a search engine perspective, it uses the headline to determine for the relevancy of the page’s content.
For example, if somebody is searching for anything ‘new homes’ related, then make sure your homepage H1 includes the word new homes – this is huge within the construction industry. Some of many housebuilders I see do not indicate that they are related to new homes.
- ‘XXX homes for sale’
- ‘XXX offers part exchange’
How is a search engine supposed to know your business is in the construction/ housebuilding industry without you mentioning the word ‘new homes’? So don’t forget to state the obvious in your H1 Headline.
What is Backlinking?
Backlinking is where another website links some of its content back to your website. Backlinks are important as they’re an indicator of how popular your website is but also demonstrate to search engines that your content offers value to third-party websites.
The better the quality and quantity of backlinks, the higher you will rank on search engine pages. Consider backlinking to be a digital word-of-mouth.
What Makes Top Quality Content?
You can publish whatever content you like onto your website, but always have your customers/prospects in mind and ask yourself the below questions:
- Is it informative?
- Is it engaging?
- Is it current?
- Does it answer questions the customer may have about you from a first glance?
Below gives you an idea, from an SEO perspective, of the types of content which are best:
- Blogs
- Infographics
- Videos
- Trending News / Content
- How-to Guides
- Lists
- Menu of products and services you offer
How Quickly Should Your Webpages Load?
Your website, along with your social media channels, is your digital shop window, so first impressions are key.
As website users, we are very impatient, through research, the ideal load speed is from 1-2 seconds. 53% of website visits are cancelled if the load speed is longer than 3 seconds.
Should Your Website Focus on Design or SEO?
In all truth, you shouldn’t focus on SEO over design or vice versa. You can have the best-looking website, but with poor SEO how will customers ever find your website? Similarly, you can have a well-optimised website, but with poor design/user experience then your customers won’t stay on there. Finding the right balance is crucial to making the most out of your website traffic.
Who Should You Write Your Website For, Google, Customers or Your Business?
The answer is somewhere in between, there is no perfect formula. Your website needs to be written so Google (or search engines) can easily identify your website content, whilst being easy to use and informative to customers. It also needs to be written in a tone of voice which represents your business and values, and use appropriate language to showcase what your brand is all about.
Would You Like a Free SEO Website Audit?
We know this is a lot of information to take in and yet this article barely scratches the surface of how important SEO is to your business. That’s where we come in, we can help you ensure you get the best out of your SEO. Seven Digital Group is all about doing what works, so if you would like a free website audit, please get in touch and we can help you.
