Local SEO for Your Landscaping & Gardening Business: How to Get More Leads from Local Organic Searches

If you’re in the business of landscaping and gardening, there’s a good chance that you’ve got someone else handling your marketing. Fortunately, you can save a little cash if you work on some of it yourself, or at least know when to outsource or ask for help. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the best practices for SEO and how you can get your landscaping or gardening company the best possible rankings in the SERPs (search engine results pages) without breaking the bank, or even breaking much of a sweat. 

First up, keyword research

Local SEO isn’t just about keywords, but they do play a large part in the process. You can’t just tack cities or locations onto your existing keywords, either. You might find some of those on the list, but you have to research to see how they rank first. Then, you can choose the keywords that you want to focus on in relation to your local search and start optimizing your content. 

Use tools from leading SEO companies like:

• Semrush
• Ahrefs
• Moz

You can find dozens of tools out there to assist with your keyword research, but these are among the top results when you search for them online, and they’re from companies that are among the leading authorities for SEO and digital marketing. 

Do an audit of your existing content

You don’t have to replace all of your content when you’re implementing local SEO. You might be able to just edit some content here and there to ensure that the right keywords are in place. Then, you’ll want to look at the quality of the content, including how well it's written, what type of information it offers, and whether it can be improved to deliver a better resource for your customers. 

This is ultimately the goal of local SEO, after all. It’s less about keywords and more about taking advantage of the resources that are out there to present your company as the most reputable, authoritative one in your industry. 

Develop an online reputation (a good one!)

Speaking of reputation, that’s the next step. Make sure that you have a strong online presence, both on your website (on-page) and elsewhere (off-page). Focus on delivering answers and solutions for your visitors and those trying to find your company in other places such as directory listings, social media, and so forth. And when it comes to social media, you have to do more than just exist—you need a page that’s well-crafted, executed for local SEO and relationship building, and that you engage on regularly. 

There is a lot that you can do to make sure that you’re working on building a good reputation. Engaging on social media and optimizing your website are great places to start. However, you will also want to make sure that you optimize your content (and your reputation) in other places online. 

This might seem like an endless task, but when you put a strategy to it, it becomes much simpler. Plan for all the ways that you can enhance your reputation, list every possible option that people have for interacting with you online, and make sure that there’s not a single instance of people not knowing about your brand or feeling negative about it. 

Get listed and get reviews

Part of building your reputation means getting exposure—both of your own and from others. Take the time to find business directories, landscaping forums, and other places you can get your business listed so that people can find it. Your Google Business Profile should be the first stop on this list—fill it out completely and make sure that you utilize all the opportunities to insert local keywords in tags, titles, etc. 

At the same time, the caveat is that you have to provide relevant, useful information and prove to be a worthy business. Even if your Google listing is a stellar example of keyword usage, it won’t matter if it doesn’t also have some substance. And, when you’re creating your directory listings, keep your name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistent. Choose one format and stick with it. Even a variation between “St.” and “Street” could impact your rankings. 

Along with directory listings, you can and should solicit reviews in as many places as possible. Particularly, you’ll find reviews are popular on your website, social media, and Google. However, plenty of people post on other forums and websites about businesses they work with, so you’ll need to do your homework and make sure that you’re getting talked about. 

Make sure, too, that you respond to any and all negative reviews in a timely fashion. Even if you can’t resolve the situation in the comments, it at least shows that you are extending the proverbial olive branch and asking people how you can resolve their problems. The only thing worse than having a limited number of good reviews is having any bad reviews that have not been addressed. 

While you’re building your new strategy, who’s fielding the leads?

Of course, managing your local SEO campaign can seem like a lot of work. And when you’re a small landscaping or gardening business with a limited budget and resources, that could become too much work—so how are you planning to field all those new leads you generate? The first thing you should do is ensure that you have a 24/7 answering service so you never miss an opportunity. 

When you partner with the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, you’ll get that and so much more—we can assist with everything from lead intake to appointment scheduling, live website chat, and whatever else you need so that the admin is out of your hands and you can focus on your business. Plus, we’ll even help with outreach campaigns and outbound sales if you need. 

To learn more, schedule a consultation or reach out to hello@smith.ai to find out what the 24/7 virtual receptionists at Smith.ai can do to assist your landscaping business with lead generation and so much more. 

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