Start with Landscaping-Related Keywords

Doing thorough keyword research will give the rest of the strategy a solid foundation. Effective keyword research goes beyond generic terms like “landscaping” and delves into more niche, localized terms that reflect the services offered. This may include keywords related to lawn maintenance, garden design, tree services, and hardscaping. By understanding the language potential clients use, businesses can tailor their website content, meta tags, and blog posts to align seamlessly with these search queries.

Moreover, geographic considerations are pivotal in landscaping keyword research. Localizing keywords ensures that the business appears prominently in local search results, attracting customers within their service area. Terms such as “landscaping services Gettysburg” or “professional garden design near me” become essential for optimizing content for local search engine optimization (SEO).

Investing time in comprehensive landscaping keyword research not only boosts search engine rankings but also ensures that businesses connect with the right audience actively seeking their services. It’s a foundational step toward cultivating a robust online presence and driving organic traffic, ultimately growing lead volume and revenue.

Prove Your Knowledge with High-Quality Content

Having a thorough keyword strategy is great, but unless you can use those keywords in a valuable piece of content like a blog post, video, infographic, etc. your website will never rank well in the search results. Google ranks pages, not websites or keywords. Use your website’s copywriting to address common questions and concerns potential clients may have, positioning your landscaping business as a go-to resource for expert advice.

Incorporate visually appealing elements into your content strategy, such as before-and-after photos of completed projects, instructional videos on proper garden maintenance, or visual guides to plant selection. High-quality, relevant images not only enhance the aesthetics of your content but also serve as a powerful tool for conveying your professionalism and the quality of your work.

Consistency is key. Regularly update your website with fresh, engaging content to keep your audience coming back for more. Utilize social media platforms to share snippets of your content, fostering community engagement and expanding your reach within the landscaping niche.

By investing time and effort into creating high-quality content, landscapers can not only attract and retain a loyal audience but also improve their search engine rankings, driving organic traffic and establishing their brand as a trusted authority in the competitive landscaping market.

Link Building: How Google Knows Who to Trust

So many businesses tell me how they should be ranking higher on Google because they have been around the longest, have the most employees, are the most ethical, or even, offer the best prices, but Google doesn’t care. Google’s job is to show the most relevant and trustworthy content to searches. How does Google know who to trust online? They look at a website’s domain authority. This domain authority basically tells Google how trustworthy your website is based on the number of high-quality links are pointing to it. 

For example, if someone searches “hardscaping companies Chambersburg” and there are 30 pages of content on the topic of hardscaping then Google is going to choose the page that seems most trustworthy, and if your competitors have more trust online then Google is going to choose to show them at the top of the search results 99% of the time. 

So, how do we combat this to make sure our landscaping website is showing more frequently since we know we have a great keyword and content strategy? Here are a few strategies for improving your domain authority: 

• Local Business Directories:
  
  • List your business on local directories, ensuring consistency in information across platforms. This establishes credibility and aids local search visibility.
• Community Engagement:
  
  • Engage with local community events and organizations. Sponsorships, partnerships, or participation can lead to natural link opportunities from event pages or community websites.
• Testimonials and Reviews:
  
  • Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on your website or review platforms. These reviews can serve as testimonials, providing opportunities for backlinks.
• Create Shareable Content:
  
  • Develop content that is valuable, shareable, and relevant to your audience. Shareable content is more likely to be linked to and can attract organic backlinks.
• Networking with Local Businesses:
  
  • Build relationships with other local businesses in related industries. Partnerships, collaborations, or joint events can lead to reciprocal links.
• Guest Posting on Local Blogs:
  
  • Contribute guest posts to local blogs or websites related to your industry. This not only provides exposure but also earns you valuable backlinks.
• Create Resourceful Content:
  
  • Develop resourceful content such as guides, how-to articles, or infographics. Resources naturally attract links from other websites seeking valuable content for their audience.
• Engage in Online Communities:
  
  • Participate in online forums, discussion boards, or community groups related to your industry. Provide helpful insights and include your website link when relevant.
• Collaborate with Influencers:
  
  • Identify local influencers or industry experts and collaborate with them. Their endorsement or mention can lead to increased visibility and backlinks.
• Broken Link Building:
  
  • Identify broken links on relevant websites and offer your content as a replacement. This mutually beneficial strategy helps you gain new links while helping website owners fix broken links.

These are just some of the strategies that can help improve your website’s trust signals, but this is a difficult piece of SEO, so do not get discouraged. Ask for help, but be prepared to have your patience tested. Even for professional SEOs, the work to earn a backlink is tedious and takes time. In the end, this is worth it, because your website will be around as long as you are in business, so why not invest in something that will be around forever? 

Tracking Your Digital Marketing Efforts

One of the many benefits of digital marketing is that everything is trackable. Be sure to have Google Analytics, Search Console, and possibly even a customer relationship management software (CRM) in place. Having these tools will make sure you know where your leads are coming from so you can account for all your marketing dollars. You should be able to measure your ROI from every marketing effort you invest in. Even within SEO, some pages will perform better than others, so using Google Analytics frequently will help you understand what type of content your clients like.