Local SEO for Your Solar Business: How to Get More Leads from Local Organic Searches

Right now, solar companies are in high demand. You probably aren’t having a lot of trouble drumming up business, but that’s likely to change. As the popularity and affordability of solar continue to climb, more brands will be competing for the attention of the same audience. That’s why now is the ideal time to take care of your local SEO and work on creating a strategy that will grow with the business over the years. 

Local optimization is different for every business, but there are some best practices and tips that everyone can follow. Organic search rankings do a lot more for your business than paid results or ads, but they’re also that much harder to get. Fortunately, even though the rules and algorithms change regularly, the basics are pretty easy to figure out. Here’s what you need to know. 

Optimize your existing content

You don’t have to throw all your content out and start from scratch. You do, however, have to go through your existing content and make sure that it’s properly optimized for local search. Solar is an industry that’s under the microscope right now, so you need to make sure that all of your content hits the mark. If it doesn’t, make changes or just get rid of it and replace it with something better. 

Quality is better than quantity when it comes to optimization—remember that as you read through the rest of the tips, too.  

Keyword research 

Part of optimizing your content involves doing the necessary keyword research so that you know which words to use to generate better search rankings. Utilize all the tools that you’d use for the rest of your keyword campaigns but add in local parameters to see what kind of results you get. This will help you put the right keywords to use in your local SEO strategy, no matter what those words might be. 

Standardize your NAP

Every business needs to have a standard NAP, or name, address, and phone number listing. Your contact information should be identical in format in every single place it’s listed online (and off, for that matter). Make sure that everyone knows the standardization and is using it correctly in case you’re not the only one posting content online. Check your existing listings and update any that are inconsistent so that you don’t lose valuable ranking points. 

Get reviews

Solar companies are under the microscope right now. Consumers are looking to find the most reputable, affordable solar brands out there and it’s going to be up to you to ensure they think you’re one of them. One of the best ways to do this is by getting reviews. You want reviews on your website, of course, but you’ll also want to consider getting reviews on sites like Google or your social media pages. 

Anywhere you can get people to share a great experience, you should. Encourage it, and perhaps even incentivize it—plenty of companies give out discounts or special offers to people who take the time to give them a good review online. Plus, your local audience will love seeing firsthand what it’s like to work with your company so that they can get the solar solutions they need. 

Set up your Google Business Profile

There are tons of companies out there trying to make a name in the solar industry before everyone else does. This is why you need to utilize all of your best resources and your Google Business Profile is one of them. It used to be called Google My Business, and it’s a listing that you need to claim, complete, and optimize for the best results. Give Google as much information as you can. It’s even got a score for completion and will tell you when you hit 100%— or get as close as you can. 

Utilize the categories, tags, headlines, and other elements of your GBP to optimize every possible detail and get the best search rankings out of it. 

Network with local contractors, utilities, and more

As a solar company, you need to know who your best connections are (besides customers). Consider local utility suppliers, contractors and handymen, and other local businesses that you might be able to share a customer base with or build a professional relationship with. You should do this networking both off and online, sharing links and other resources to help build each other’s authority score in the eyes of Google. 

Consider how you can offer specials or incentives for people who reach out to you through these connections and relationships, creating even better value for the consumer in the end. 

Educate people

The solar industry is new and a lot of people have yet to learn about it. If you want to set your local solar company apart, work hard to create a database of educational resources for consumers—you can create blogs, articles, eBooks, and all kinds of other content to help people learn about solar. The caveat, of course, is that you have to give this information away without expecting anything in return. That kind of reputation building will catch the eye of Google and get you better rankings. Not only that, but it will catch the eye of consumers who are looking for more than just someone to sell them solar panels. 

While you’re optimizing your listings, who’s fielding the leads?

Now that you’re all set up for local optimization, you’re going to see an influx of leads if you’ve done your work properly. You need to be ready to handle these leads, starting with a 24/7 answering service. And like we said, that’s just the start—when you partner with Smith.ai, our dedicated virtual receptionists will offer assistance with lead intake, appointment scheduling, and so much more. 

Plus, if you’re still in the marketing stages, ask how we can assist with outreach campaigns and outbound sales. Learn more when you schedule a consultation to discuss what our virtual receptionists can do to help your solar company outshine the competition, or reach out to us at hello@smith.ai. 

‍