At the micro level, local SEO can get pretty complicated.  If you are a solar installation business, you should know that the best results and most significant gains in search traffic come from ensuring you have achieved the basics.

With search engine optimization, 90% of the reward is possible simply by picking up all the low-hanging fruit.  Implement these basic guidelines, and in time, your business stands to gain significance for its efforts.  You don’t have to be a master of Google search algorithms to start taking action on these tips right away.

Wait! What is SEO?

Let’s break it down. I find it helpful to think of SEO in three parts. The first of these involves the process of building your website and web content in such a way that removes structural and technical problems like page speed, HTTP requests, and image optimization. Mobile first design would also fall into this category.

The other two parts of SEO, whether local or global, are on-page and off-page SEO. On-page SEO can be technical, but many on-page optimizations can become part of your team’s standard workflow, things as <H> tags and meta titles, to name a few. 

The rest of the SEO game will be the most challenging aspect:  off-page SEO, which is your site’s relationships with the rest of the world. These relationships are mainly expressed through backlinks that connect your site with other sites. Think of it as a vote of confidence and an alliance you have made with people and businesses. 

Google loves these links because it helps them determine their status and validity in the Google universe. The age of your domain also affects how much Google trusts you, but quality backlinks can shorten the amount of time it takes to rank and gain Google’s trust. 

That said, a successful SEO program seeks the result of your site showing up on page 1 in the SERPs, the search engine results pages. Get local keyword ranking right; your business is one step closer to increasing leads and landing a new client.

HERE’S A TIP:      
SOLAR COMPANIES TEND TO CLUSTER, SO A GOOD SEO STRATEGY TO WORK AROUND THIS COULD BE TO TARGET SMALLER TOWNS NEARBY A LARGE CLUSTER OF SOLAR COMPANIES. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ARE A SOLAR INSTALLER IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, AND YOU SERVE CARY, NC, YOU COULD TRY TO RANK IN THE SEARCH ENGINE RESULTS FOR CARY.

It is truly unique how many of your competitors are dropping the ball regarding SEO.  When you get it right, a snowball of positive results can be yours. Most importantly, though, your customers and the curious browser alike will have a better overall experience, your branding will be more consistent, and wherever a potential customer looks for you, they will be able to find you.  Google search criteria encourage businesses to succeed; by doing what Google wants you to do, you will set yourself up for success.

The Internet is the Real World

So you’ve heard there’s a way to rank on page 1 of Google, but it’s a complete mystery to you.  You hired a company to build your website, but the developers didn’t provide the secret sauce to help your site rank.  

For many people, because it’s on the internet, it seems complex, but the fact is there are very natural, face-to-face ways to help your site rank better.

What Can You Do Locally to Help Your Website Performance?

• Make connections in your community.

Think of your allies.  Do you have business partners in your community?  If so, you have an excellent opportunity to help each other out by linking.  This will help you and your trusted partners build a web of influence in your local area.

• Build new relationships and leverage improvements for your website from those points of contact.

If you have recently completed a solar installation, follow up with your client and, if possible, get a review or testimonial.  Google bases its ranking of your site in part on the popularity contest model and will rank you higher when you prove that you have public support.

• Be active in your community.  

Every time you show up to an event or volunteer to take on a new role in your community, you create opportunities for PR and valuable link building. Don’t be shy about building your links. By making your personal and business brand in the community you serve, you can cultivate a story, and stories are what journalists thrive on. And here’s another idea. 

Write a rough draft of a story you want to tell about your business and give it to your local reporter. Many journalists would be happy to collaborate on a novel if you can save them some time! One thing leads to another…      
 

N.A.P.

N.A.P. IS ONE OF THE SIMPLEST AND MOST CRITICAL DETAILS TO GET RIGHT IF YOU WANT TO INCREASE YOUR WEBSITE’S VISIBILITY.

Understanding the Importance of N.A.P.

If you want to vastly improve your search results for the long term, standardizing your unique name, address, and phone number can work wonders.  The secret key to successful NAP is to format it online.  

That includes citation sites like YellowPages, Yelp, and CitySearch,  and anywhere where you have the opportunity to enter your business information in a public directory.  If your address changes, it is critical to update your NAP everywhere it can be found, or you could be penalized in search.

It’s an excellent idea to register your business at as many places as possible, including local business associations, certification bodies, and all relevant organizations you can connect to in your field.  Become a SEIA member and enter your unique NAP there.  Go local with your connections too.

And don’t forget the giant called Social Media.  Facebook is one of the top five ranking sites in the world, so you want to have your credentials in order there.  Healthy social media activity will boost your brand and increase your website’s authority and send you more visitors.

See this? This is a meta description.

DaSolar ranks #1 in search results for “Solar installers in Cleveland”.  They are very happy with the traffic their site receives.

On Meta Descriptions

If you don’t write a unique description when you create a new page or post on your website, then Google will pull some data from your site and generate a meta description.

If you don’t want to take any chances (and I suggest you don’t), take a minute or two and think about what your site visitors will expect to find on that page.  Then write a description of what that information or experience will be.

As a rule of thumb, your meta description should be around 155 characters and no more than 160 characters.

Google My Business can give you a massive leg up on the competition

You’ve seen it yourself in search:  A beautiful, consolidated box that appears in a local search for your favorite restaurant.  It has a map, hours of operation, and appealing images to give it color.  It is Google My Business (or GMB, for short).

If you spend money on Google ads and do not have an up-to-date GMB, you are essentially abandoning your online business.  Make sure to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity for local companies.  

Find out more about Google My Business.

Think you might need help?

You’re running your business, expanding clean energy, and saving the planet. You have enough to do.

GET IN TOUCH AND SET UP A CONSULTATION TODAY

Are you aware that your site gets no traffic? Do you have problems you don’t know how to fix or don’t have time to solve?      
Get in touch and let me help you make improvements and start seeing better results from all your efforts online.