When it comes to search engine optimization, most people think about what’s happening on their website—and while metadata, alt tags and SEO-focused content robust with keywords are vital, it’s really only half the battle. If you’re putting all of your search engine optimization efforts in your website, you’re missing out on the opportunities, leads and revenue that can come when you work equally hard on off-site SEO. Not sure what off-site sources help boost your search rankings? See what our team of experts focuses on for builder clients below.

Reputation Management

Online reviews are known to sway the opinion of potential customers, but they can also have an impact on your brand’s SEO. Search engines consider both the quality and quantity of your review profile when making their calculations. Some key components of reviews that help businesses stand out from their competitors is having reviews on a number of platforms, mostly positive sentiment within the reviews and having product and service keywords within the text of reviews.

If your review profiles are lacking, consider sending out an email to past buyers asking them to leave feedback for your team about their experience. It’s also important to respond to every review you receive—both positive and negative.

Google My Business

A verified and optimized Google My Business profile helps with search engine optimization in a few different ways. Posting content—photos, specials, news—can boost your rankings when target keywords are incorporated into the messaging.

Detailed and thoughtful content can lead more buyers to your profile, as local search results are based on relevance, distance and prominence. The more relevant your Google My Business profile is to searches, and the more hits your profile gets, the faster you’ll rise in the rankings.  Additionally, Google My Business can help with the always-popular “builders near me” searches—aiding in the pursuit to establish yourself as a trusted, local builder.  

Links, Citations and Mentions

Getting a shoutout from an industry publication, local news outlet or just about any online presence is one of the best ways to build brand recognition and improve search rankings. That’s why it’s important to stay in the loop with various press opportunities, as a few backlinks can drive a whole new audience to your website—including motivated potential buyers.

Use press releases to get the word out about new communities, state-of-art features or charity efforts. Get your owner, lead designer or another staff member to be featured in an online industry publication. Spotlight a local vendor and ask for the same in return. Even if the link or mention might seem small, it can have a big impact on SEO.

Search engine optimization has been a hot topic for years, but it’s often misunderstood. Builder Designs has a dedicated team of SEO experts who are always up-to-date on the latest algorithm updates, best practices for both on-site and off-site strategies and the keywords your brand needs to focus on to stand out from competitors.

For more information or to receive a free audit of your brand’s search engine rankings, contact Amber at amber@builderdesigns.com or give her a call at (913) 393-3367.