Digital marketing is an industry that is not well understood by many business owners. I hear from customers all the time that they get frustrating cold calls from random solicitors about SEO, and that it all sounds very unnecessary. Usually, we are asked “Is local SEO expensive?” I like to answer that it is only expensive if you DON’T do it! SEO might not make an immediate impact, but the long-term game can make a huge difference.

When we approach new clients, their first question – and rightly so – is about how much our services cost. And we understand that smart business decisions are all about weighing the costs versus the benefits. However, most people get so stuck on the price of SEO services that they can’t see the forest for the trees.

We can see where it might be difficult to put your faith in our promise that over time, we can enhance your local presence and your bottom line, but we both also know that sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves and put in some sweat equity.

Local SEO is a prime example. You might have to put some money out for the first couple of months that might not show immediate results, but we know that your sweat equity in this case will build your business in the long run. Your savvy competitors are already on board with digital marketing and SEO, and if slow and steady wins the race, you better get at it!

Statistics tell us that 90% of search engine users will only go to first page results when doing an organic search for a product or service. Most of the time, we have no problem getting our customers to understand the value of updating and redoing their website to be more “mobile-friendly,” easier to navigate, and more appealing.

What they might not understand, however, is that you can spend thousands redoing your website to make it eye-catching – but it won’t catch anyone’s eye if they never see it.

If you aren’t found on page one of an internet search, then you are really throwing money away on a new website because the only person that will probably appreciate it is you and the customers who you have already captured.

Throwing the money into making your website spectacular and then letting it sit without the use of local SEO really makes very little economical sense. If you understand the value of your online presence, then it stands to reason that putting in the extra amount to ensure your investment in a new design is well worth it.

Sometimes the only way to illustrate the point you are trying to get across is to put it into practical terms. So let’s say you have your mindset that local SEO is a waste of your monthly marketing budget, but let’s do the math…

How much money do you gain from earning just one client or sale per month? For most industries, if local SEO drives just one customer your way, or entices one to reach out and buy your product, you have recouped all the money you put into monthly local SEO.

A study done by the highly-respected Forrester Group found that when you invest in local SEO, you can increase your revenues by as much as 400%. But is that really realistic? Let’s see how it works.

When it comes to revenue, driving more traffic to your website is not the only way to increase your sales and leads. If someone is merely attempting to land more people on your website indiscriminately, that is probably useless. But that doesn’t mean that driving traffic isn’t a vector for increased sales.

50% of all of your website views comes from people clicking on your link from an organic search result. Those who engage in local SEO are getting more than 50% of all the traffic on the internet, and those who aren’t are sharing the remaining 50% amongst themselves. If you rank on page one, you are being seen 90% of the time; therefore, you are getting 90% of the 50% if you come up on the first page.

The question then becomes not whether SEO is expensive, but whether you can afford not to use it as a resource to enhance your visibility and your bottom line. How many jobs are you currently missing out on because you aren’t being ranked in the top spot when people are searching for your product or service?

What I can tell you is that sometimes in an effort to save pennies, we end up throwing away dollars. If you aren’t doing some form of local SEO, you are probably missing out on a large portion of traffic and revenue.

At Fu Dog Media, we don’t just throw out opinions or projections; we deliver real-life results based on analytics and reports. If you are worried about seeing any change, we provide facts, figures, and analyses about the difference we are making. But most of all, you will feel the difference our efforts make in your sales, leads, and wallet – so my question to you is, how expensive is not engaging in local SEO for your business? Contact us today and let’s start dominating the web together!

Plumbing and HVAC companies have a lot of competition when it comes to being found on the internet. In a post-pandemic world, the internet has become an even greater source for the average homeowner, with nearly 80% of all businesses found by doing an organic search. Statistics tell us that 90% of all internet users will only go to the first page of a search, and only 10% go to the second page, which is why your rankings are so critical to your bottom line.

Having an amazing HVAC/Plumbing website is definitely important – but only if you are doing what’s necessary for people to find it to begin with. SEO is a must to generate organic leads in the plumbing and HVAC world, and in this blog, you’ll find seven reasons that SEO is critical to your success.

Of that 81% of those looking for a product or service, only about 25% will go to the second-page listings, so if you aren’t coming up first, you might as well come up last. SEO might be a long-term strategy, but it is an essential one for your company’s visibility. These are just seven of the benefits of having an SEO campaign for your pest control or pressure washing company.

As a business, you want to retain your customer base, but chances are that you are always looking for new ones, too. In the same way, customers are looking for a company that they can trust. It can be frustrating and difficult with so many options to choose from. How do consumers even know what services a company offers or how to find the right company for the service they need?

In the old days, the way to find a company was the Yellow Pages. Now people simply turn to the internet. They go into the browser and they type their search to find a match in their area. SEO impacts the way that search engines rank your company for an organic search. Let’s say that a homeowner has a water heater that isn’t heating. They would likely type “water heater repair” or do a voice search for “water heater repair near me”.

What comes up are the companies that Google deems a great match. How do they know? They use things like keywords and key phrases that are located on websites in the local area. When an internet user types in what they want, Google identifies the sites that have matching content and then up pops the ones that are relative according to Google’s algorithms.

Keywords are important because they tell the search engines which products and services you offer. If you don’t have the correct keywords or key phrases, then Google might not match you with homeowners, and you will probably not come up on the first page of a search result.

As mentioned above, if you don’t come up on the first page, you are missing 90% of internet traffic!

It isn’t just about keywords and keyphrases, although they are highly critical. Google also uses algorithms to quantify how relative a site is to an internet searcher, as well as things like:

Bounce rates – How long do viewers stay on your website before they “bounce” to another one?
Security – Does your website pose any security risks that Google might see as a threat to viewers?
Site activity – What are internet viewers doing once they get to your site?
Mobile-friendliness – Can people view your website as easily on a mobile device as they do on a desktop or laptop?

There are over 200 other ways that Google classifies your website – some more important than others – but it is a combined total that gets you to the top spot when someone is searching for your product or service. If you don’t know what those are, you could be making yourself invisible to the people who need to see you in the front and center.

It is a simple math equation – the more consumers you reach, the more likely it is that they will reach out; the more sales you make; the more revenue you take in.

There was a time when advertising was all about the company advertising their goods or services. The key focus was to get their attention through any means possible, like emails and other pop-up strategies. What we have found is that irritating the consumer does not attract them; it turns them off.

SEO differs because it isn’t about who shouts the loudest. It is an inbound versus an outbound strategy. It gives your consumer a more targeted approach, and singles out the people who are actually looking for you. If you offer your plumbing and hvac services to people who need it and are actually looking for it, you are more likely to be attractive to them – they are waiting for you already! Better favorability = they’re more apt to reach out!

Leads are great if you have the time and resources to follow them up, but let’s be honest: it is much easier when the customer comes to you first – when someone is searching for your product and service, that is a qualified lead because they need you.

The more exposure you have on the internet to people searching for your product or service, the more probable it is that they will have brand familiarity and choose you. Statistics tell us that 50% of internet shoppers use Google before they buy or decide to call a service provider.
When you use SEO to enhance your ranking, you are more likely to pop up an internet search – and more exposure means more opportunity to close the deal!

It isn’t that you shouldn’t spend money on things like billboards or promotional materials to send to customers, but they aren’t going to be visible when someone is sitting in front of their computer looking for a service. All those things that you do outside the internet are great to build brand familiarity and loyalty so that when your website does pop up they recognize you. But the reality is without a good mix of both, you likely are just spinning your wheels. Like anything else, marketing is a balancing act that requires you to target your customers from all angles, but SEO is one of our favorite ways to drive revenue.

When you properly initiate a good SEO strategy, then you don’t have to rely so much on other paid advertising methods, like pay-per-lead or pay-per-click ads. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you should get rid of paid advertising altogether, but it does mean that over time you will get a lot of traction for free, and be able to cut back on your advertising budget.

If you come up first on a Google search, it is almost as if Google is giving you a recommendation of credibility. Getting Google to find you credible isn’t just about inbound and outbound links; it is an entire strategy of SEO that deems you as trustworthy due to things like online reviews, social media marketing, backlinks, and other tools. Also, more people are using Google maps and Google listings than ever before, so if you can get Google to trust you, then you have it made already with the consumer before you even step into their front doors.

It isn’t an “either/or” thing: SEO works with your other marketing methods to enhance your bottom line. If you do advertise using other mediums, it will only further foster your brand recognition and loyalty. When customers continually see your name and logo, they feel as if they already know you, and that is great advertising. Unfortunately, when their hot water heater quits on Monday morning, they aren’t going to Google your business name, which is why both are necessary!

Cost-benefit analyses tell us that SEO is a much less expensive way to lower your lead costs than other marketing strategies and tools. Although it is a long-term endgame, it does work. And when you got it, you got it! When we get your SEO up and running and WORKING – it is the most cost-effective marketing option available!

If you aren’t making full use of SEO strategies, you are losing out. Your website can be as spectacular as possible, but it doesn’t matter if no one ever sees it. A lot of our customers ask us if SEO really works and if our results are real – YES! Contact Fu Dog Media today to discuss how we can take your plumbing or HVAC company to a whole new level!